If You're Living By Yourself For The First Time, You Could Probably Use These 32 Mundane But Useful Things

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19-03-2025

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
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Because if *someone* forgets to take out the trash, that someone is *you.*
1. A timed safety shut-off plug in case your holy grail hair straightener doesn't have an auto-shutoff and you're a tad forgetful.
Amazon
Promising review:"Exactly what I needed! I kept leaving my flat iron on. I turn this on, and then my flat iron. If I forget to turn off my flat iron, it is automatically turned off after 30 minutes of being on. Perfect!" — Pamela Hitz
Get it from Amazon for $11.59.
2. A Shark Tank -featured Click & Carry Grocery Bag Carrier that'll help you take way fewer trips from the car to the house. It allows you to hook on your bags (up to 80 pounds!) and *comfortably* rest the carrier on your shoulder.
Click & Carry is a Shark Tank and QVC-featured small business that specializes in easy carry accessories.
Promising review: "TikTok made me buy it. This is great when you have a few bags and a box — for example, if you balance the bags, you can throw it over your shoulder and walk inside and have two free hands to carry the box, which is great. Product seems well built, and is comfortable on your shoulder or hand because of the padding." — Hung
Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in seven colors).
3. Or perhaps a stair-climbing trolly dolly because I don't know about you, but the only time I hate living solo in a walkable city is when I have to grocery shop and then carry said groceries up my stairs. (Ugh, I think I need this.) Even if you have just a few stairs at your home, this'll come in handy for trips from your car to inside the house post-shopping trip. It can carry up to 150 pounds and the wheels LITERALLY climb stairs. (As you can see here.)
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Check out a TikTok of the dolly trolley in action.
Promising review: "I was getting so tired of making several trips to my car to retrieve my groceries after each shopping trip. I saw this trolley on Amazon and decided to buy it. Best purchase ever. I now can bring all my groceries in with one trip to the ca r. I also love that its wheel design allows the trolley to climb my front steps, making it so easy for me. I have used it in the house to help me carry things upstairs, and the climbing feature makes it safe and easy." — m Robinson
Get it from Amazon for $87.59+ (available in four styles).
4. A double step stool with a safety lock and a weight limit of 330 pounds so you can reach stuff in the tippy-top of your kitchen cabinets without climbing on the counter. Trust me, you need one of these. (I live solo and use mine all the time in the kitchen, despite being tall.)
Promising review: "I recently moved into my first solo apartment and I knew I needed a step ladder to reach things because your girl is 5'2. This ladder is very sturdy, and I love that it folds up easily so I can hide it in my storage room. Would definitely recommend." — kmill
Get it from Amazon for $29.64.
5. Plus, a flexible grabber that's made for people with limited mobility but can come in handy for everyone while trying to grab stuff that's JUST out of reach. Also, you can fold it for easier storage and its sensitive grip means you get a better feel of what you're grabbing.
Amazon
Promising review: "Bought the 2-pack. Wanted my mother to be able to reach rarely used items in the topmost cupboard without getting on a step stool if my sisters and I weren't available. I'm using the other one to pick up trash when out mudlarking. Sturdy and convenient that it folds up." — Kristen
Get it from Amazon for $19.95.
6. A rapid defrosting tray so you won't have to put off cooking because your meat is still frozen. You can't go back in time to put out your main dinner ingredient to thaw, but you CAN use this instead of using the excuse to order Domino's.
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I was a little concerned this was going to be one of those gifts that were hyped up but it's not. It's not going to thaw a huge chunk of meat in an hour but I have thawed a chunk of chicken in a few hours. The product itself isn't very thick which I like as it doesn't take up a lot of space for storage. It doesn't warm up, but pulls the cold from the meat, which makes the product thaw (like putting meat in cold water to thaw it faster and not cook it)." — Savannah A.
Get it from Amazon for $19.89.
7. Plus, a dishwasher-safe silicone soup cube tray that'll hold one cup (or a serving) of delicious hot entrees like soup/chili/stew/sauce per cube so you can freeze and then reheat it later. Heck. Have it for breakfast! You live alone and no one can tell you differently.
It also comes with a lid so you can easily stack them and four fill lines (½ cup, 1 cup, 125 mL, 250 mL).
Souper Cubes is a small business seen on Shark Tank that specializes in bake-and-freeze storage products.
Promising review:"I'm extremely happy with my Souper Cubes! I cook chili and soup and always make too much, having the ability to freeze serving-size portions is perfect. Saves time and food quality by not having to thaw it all each time I want another serving. High quality and since it's silicone and not rigid plastic it won't crack in the freezer. Highly recommend!" — Alexander S. Waterman
Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in three colors and packs of two).
8. And a box of slow cooker liners to make cleaning up after yourself (and delicious concoctions) criminally easy. Just toss the liner when you're finished!
Amazon
I adore my slow cooker but hate cleaning up after using it. So I use these handy lil' bags. Read my full review of Reynolds Kitchens Premium Slow Cooker Liners.
Get a box of 20 from Amazon for $11.60.
9. Plus, a reviewer-beloved veggie chopper can make quick work of the ingredient-chopping portion of a recipe because, well, you have to designate it to yourself!
www.amazon.com, Amazon
Check out a TikTok of the veggie chopper in action.
Promising review:"Makes life so much easier. I can't imagine chopping onions or bell peppers by hand anymore, and it does so much more. We used to have a Prepworks chopper, which was a similar idea, but you had to press so hard to chop and it broke after not too long. This one requires very little effort to cut through the food and it has a generous container." — Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $24.97+ (clip the $5 off coupon on the product page to get this price; available in four colors).
10. A small compost bin/trash can will easily hang on a cabinet door for easy hiding and use. The lid lifts up *or* flips over for easily dumping as you food prep. Living solo means you likely create a LOT less waste and don't need a giant kitchen trash can to contain the mess!
Promising review: "So I saw this tiny trash can on TikTok, and I was moving into a tiny studio apartment and thought this would be perfect. Turns out it's one of the best things I've ever bought. I installed mine with the over-the-cabinet hooks (also comes with adhesive stickers) on my kitchen island, and it is so convenient I can't even express with words. The lid is on this nifty hinge so you can open it by flipping the lid up, or by sliding it forward and it folds down out of the way. I usually keep it open while I'm cooking but I can close it super quickly if I see the dog coming. There is a little pull tab for easy opening. It is so easy to use and easy to clean. It's also so cute! I use my plastic grocery bags as trash can liners for this and they fit perfectly. It comes with a roll of bags as well. The lid lifts off easily to change bags out. Clicks back on easily over the new liner. Can't recommend this enough!! This is going on my list of 'best things I've ever spent my money on.'" — Ginger
Get it from Amazon for $23.99+ (available in three colors).
11. A ~streamlined~ door draft stopper to help keep whatever temp air you prefer within the room you're currently in, rather than the rest of your home where you're not.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"So easy to set up! All you do is peel tape and adhere to a CLEAN and DRY door. Also looks great, I don't even notice it. I had a huge gap under my door. I could smell and hear everything from the hallway. Smells, drafts, and sound all are less of an issue now." — Brit B.
Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in four colors).
12. An organizing couch pillow with a spot for everything you require as you catch up on the Interview with the Vampire TV series because you won't want to pry yourself off the couch AND can't ask someone to bring you a napkin. Listen, it's streaming on AMC+ and the first season is now on Netflix . I expect you to do your homework so we can talk about it. Yes, I am EAGERLY awaiting *this* Lestat's rockstar era.
If you require further convincing regarding picking up IVTV, here's the recent Comic-Con teaser for season three!!!!
Cup Cozy Pillow is a small biz as seen on TV specializing in cleverly designed cup holders.
Promising review: "I liked that it worked with cups and mugs, perfect for clumsy friends." — YAZ
"This thing is great! I'm home on maternity leave with my new baby and spend most of my time on the couch under a sleeping baby. This product makes it easy for me to keep my drinks, remote, etc close by even with crazy dogs running around. It's a little more expensive than I would have liked but it works and I love it so money well spent!" — Amber
Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in more colors).
13. A pair of blackout, noise-canceling, AND thermal insulating curtains to help solve a plethora of problems — even if you've brought them on yourself by staying up all night marathon-ing the first two seasons of the Interview with the Vampire series. Ya gotta watch! I'm telling ya!
Promising review: "Truly life changing sound barrier curtains!!! They definitely help with the quality of sleep, quietness, and solace for me and my whole family. The sound isolation is incredible! There was so much noise pollution around with constant main road traffic, pool/deck construction, chainsaws next door, water main construction on the main road with giant trucks/bulldozers and jackhammers, several lawnmowers, outdoor concert noise, birds constantly chirping, weekly Brazilian parties. Especially with people coming out of the woodwork after the pandemic with the noisiest, most annoying things on the planet all at once. These curtains truly dampened ALL that noise to a distance or to completely nothing. Almost all of it gone. Our sleep at night has dramatically improved and deepened. Best in our lives and finally feeling fully rested." — Heather Lascano
Get two panels from Amazon for $59.09+ (available in 12 sizes and 14 colors).
14. A folding sink topper that'll give you an ample surface when there's seemingly no room for all your getting-ready essentials. Now that you're done with the sink and don't have to wait for someone else to brush their teeth, you can make the sink pull double-duty!
www.amazon.com
Sink Topper is a small biz that specializes in this product.
Promising review: "Great for messy teenagers. Cool item for my teenager's bathroom. She likes to lay her hair/makeup stuff on it so she can keep her other bathroom decor on the sides. When she's done she puts what she was using under the sink and folds up the sink tray so it can slide under the sink as well." — Melina
Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in two sizes and seven colors).
15. An under-cabinet lid opener to help pop open that jar of pasta sauce in a jiffy. Everyone can use this, but reviewers with limited dexterity especially find it helpful!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"Works exactly as it says it does. I have small hands and trouble gripping things. This makes opening jars extremely easy and it opens in seconds just by twisting the jar counterclockwise. I'm so glad I ordered two so I can give one to a family member who has trouble with opening jars as well. I would definitely buy this again!" — H.T.
Get it from Amazon for $15.99.
16. A UV black-light flashlight that'll track down all sorts of messes that've been avoiding you. Now, you can figure out the source of that weird smell without recruiting someone else's nostrils. Good luck figuring out who's to blame, though! (Maybe this is how you find out you've got a messy ghostly roomie.)
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"OMG this is disgusting!!! I hope this isn't all just cat pee that shows up cause there is a lot! I bought this because I thought my cat was peeing in one room and couldn't find the exact spot so I bought this. Found the spot and more. Would recommend." — Momof3boys
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
17. A no-scrub weekly shower cleaner you can simply just spray on after you shower, wait 8–12 hours while it tackles mold and mildew stains, soap scum, and just about any gross grime without YOU having to scrub. Talk about practical to the max.
Promising review:"This product is so easy to use. As you can see from the pictures, my bathtub was staying pretty good. The guy that owned the house before me used Ajax to clean it so it has almost no enamel left on it and it's probably the staining and nothing could get it out until I bought this. After 4 8-hour applications you can see the difference. I highly recommend this to everybody and once it's completely clean I'm gonna go on the once a week application. I actually bought another bottle for my dad and mom." — Domenick R. Stamegna
Get it from Amazon for $19.39 (available in two scents).
18. A reusable pet fur remover might just have you tossing your old sticky roller after you see how much fur this reusable one (it has a sturdy brush system) picks up off your beloved couch. You don't wanna walk out the door with fur all over your behind, only to learn from your work nemesis.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I have a golden retriever and the shedding is out of control. My fabric sofa is constantly covered in hair and I finally decided to try this after reading an article about popular TikTok products. The reviews do not lie, this thing works magic!! I wish I had taken a before and after picture because the difference is noticeable. I watched the video tutorial before I tried it to ensure I was using it properly and everything he says is true, you do really have to put your arm to work with vigorous back and forth movement! However, I find it's a great arm workout and it works wonders." — Joanne Ertel
Get it from Amazon for $23.99+ (available in four colors).
19. And a *mini* ChomChom you can use for your clothes on the go because how many times have you left the house and then realized that there's fur allllll over your black pants because no one was at home to tell you?!
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "I love this lint roller/dog hair remover. I always have fluffy dog hair on my clothes and have tried different devices to remove it. A lot of them have worked pretty well, but I think this one is more effective. The two rollers pick up the hair and it collects between them and behind them in the compartment. There's nothing sticky about it. It rolls over your clothes smoothly and picks up the hair. It's easy to use. I thought it was a little expensive, but I had to give it a try to see if it works as well as they said it did. It does. I recommend it." — Diana S.
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
20. A drill brush cleaning kit that'll attach to your drill/driver for an informercial-like cleaning sesh at the flip of a switch that'll have you seeking out all the dirty surfaces you've been ignoring.
Includes three brushes that'll attached to a standard handheld drill. The white is a soft bristle, best for wheels, carpet, upholstery, glass, and leather; the yellow is a medium bristle, best for bathroom, bathtub, shower, tile, and porcelain; the green is a medium bristle, best for kitchen, stoves, cabinets, countertops, and linoleum; the blue is a medium bristle, best for boats, pools, canoe/kayaks, hot tubs, and plastics; the red is a stiff bristle, best for outdoors, siding, brick, garage, and gutter; and the black is a hard bristle, best for grills, loose paint, furnaces, ovens, and industrial use.
Drill Brush is a small business based in New York!
Promising review:"I'm in love with this. I manage many apartment properties and finding people to do the cleaning has been tricky business, so I end up having to get in and clean these horrendous filth pods tenants lived in and left me to deal with when they move out. The ovens and stove tops are usually the worst, and I absolutely hate cleaning. I came across this drill attachment set, and let me tell you, it helped me tremendously! I still had to get in with a putty knife on some of them but it really cut down my elbow-grease time. If it wasn't for this drill attachment, I think my arms would have just fallen off trying to clean it as good as I did! My only con would be that it doesn't have any extension of any sort, so I really had my drill all up in that oven, but well worth it." — alicia haats
Get it from Amazon for $18.95 (available in six bristle types).
21. A Dash mini rice cooker can easily make a hearty and filling side to go with that last piece of salmon or chicken you have in the fridge. But! It can also whip up oatmeal, stew, soup, quinoa, rice, and pasta. So that opens up all sorts of easy meal possibilities. Plus, it's small enough that you'll definitely find room for it on your one-bedroom apartment's kitchen counter.
Promising review:"I bought this for my daughter for her dorm at college. She loves making flavored rice and warming up soups and things. She likes it so well that she brings it home from college with her on breaks. It is especially nice that it has a removable pot, which makes it so much easier to clean or keep leftovers in. Would definitely buy again, don't waste your money on a slightly cheaper one that does not have a removable pot." — midohtree
Get it from Amazon for $21.95 (available in five colors).
22. A Mr. Coffee 4-in-1 coffee maker with a built-in milk frother that'll brew up a single serving of ice coffee, hot coffee, and an iced or hot latte. So you've got options for a pretty small footprint on your kitchen counter. (I should know because I've owned this machine for about a year and can't say enough great things about it.)
Amazon
This coffee machine is sitting on my kitchen counter! I use it all the time and LOVE that it comes with an iced coffee cup so I'm not forced into doing math to figure out if a cup I have in my kitchen cabinet will house all my delicious iced coffee.
Promising review: "What an easy machine to use! I love that you don't have to use K-cups, and is still so easy to clean. The coffee you use is key. If you use espresso coffee you can get similar results as an espresso machine. The fact that you can get frothed milk and at the same time as your coffee brews is exceptional. Not to mention hot or cold foam. A valid purchase for sure. A quality product. The cold cup that comes with it is perfect for iced lattes with cold foam. Love the pre-measured scoop that snaps into the side makes using the machine even easier. Range of 1–10 I give it a 9. The price was a bit steep but that's made up for in quality. I would highly recommend this machine." — Stephanie B.
Get it from Amazon for $149.
23. Some sheet fasteners if that the fitted sheet won't stay put on your mattress, and you end up in a sheet burrito. These are exactly how they sound, so no matter how much you toss and turn, your fitted sheet won't come loose in the middle of the night and require an extra pair of hands to put back in place.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
See them on TikTok here.
Promising review:"I love these! Since I started using them my sheets haven't popped off once and that used to be a several-times-a-night problem because I toss and turn when I sleep. Thank you, TikTok!" — Gabby
Get a set of four from Amazon for $8.99 (available in three colors).
24. A set of safe-locking magnetic duvet clips to keep your duvet in its proper place, instead of loose and saggy inside the cover you couldn't resist from Urban Outfitters. These work for duvets up to 10 pounds and then use a magnetic key to remove the clips on laundry day.
Amazon
Checkout a TikTok of the duvet clips in action.
Pinion Pins is a small business specializing in home improvement products.
Promising review:"I was super worried about if I would have enough of the Pinions, and I totally do! My duvet is kinda thick and the Pinions pierced through with no problems! Plus with a little extra room if I had some extra layers. I REALLY like how you have to have the magnet tool to pull them apart. Absolutely no moving! Don't walk, RUN TO BUY THIS. I also like how unnoticeable they are." — Abigayle Mishler
Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $17.95.
25. A set of two rechargeable emergency LED bulbs can function like regular ole light bulbs and then when a big storm hits and your power goes out, they'll stay lit for 3–4 hours, which is enough time to help you figure out what you're going to do next without tripping on something and hurting yourself.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "These little guys are so bright!! Got these on a whim after seeing it on a TikTok. These are super bright and charge when the light is turned on. These are worth the price." — Reid524
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in two colors and a four-pack).
26. A self-sealing magnetic screen door to let dogs help themselves out or in the house — so you won't have to peel yourself up from the hammock and leave your Margaritaville day dreams.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "I bought this so my puppies could traverse to/from their backyard pen area...and keep flying insects out. It is AWESOME! The puppies figured out quickly that they could go through the screen — the screen snapped back into a closed state immediately after they got through the opening. If only all things in life could be solved this easily!" — Lynette S Quigley
Get it from Amazon for $21.59+ (clip the 20% off coupon on the product page to get this price; available in five sizes).
27. A Rapid Ramen Cooker that'll transform a brick of noods into the base for a delish meal in just three minutes in the microwave! 'Tis time to put that ramen you've been hoarding the pantry to tasty use and wash the minimum number of dishes possible.
Rapid Brands is a small biz specializing in microwave cookware.
Promising review:"God's ramen cooker. This thing may seem like just an ordinary Tupperware, but I assure you it will blow that thin plastic garbage out of the water. It retains heat amazingly and does not bend or falter under extreme temperatures. I'm a college student and I have never felt such joy from making ramen in my small dorm microwave, for a 900-watt I recommend five minutes. Buy this product if you live and breathe air, because it is beautiful." — Theron
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
28. A game-changing"bed wedge" pillow in a high-density foam and triangular shape to prevent stuff from falling into that gap between the mattress and the headboard. No need to scrounge down there for your phone or other stuff. Totally the stuff of nightmares!
www.amazon.com
There's a lil' side pocket for your phone, glasses, or other nighttime accessories.
Promising review:"I did not realize that these were out there until I watched a TikTok about one. This has saved my pillows. I do have a headboard, but there was about a three-inch gap between it and my mattress. This has stopped my pillows from sliding down in between. I have had no issues at all with it. I did let it sit for almost 72 hours while it was getting its shape back from being in a shipping container, but after that it was perfect!!! I highly recommend." — Miss_Beck
Get it from Amazon for $23.64+ (available in two colors and Twin–California King).
29. A powerful dishwashing spray that, honestly, if you buy anything from this list, this should be it — especially if your old house *doesn't* include a dishwasher. You can spray down that casserole dish caked with enchilada sauce, let it sit, and you simply wipe and rinse away that saucy mess in a few minutes after you've conquered your meal. (Can you sense an enchilada theme here?)
I live in an apartment without a dishwasher, and I honestly use that as an excuse to order takeout food instead of cooking. But, as soon as I got my hands on a bottle of this stuff (regular Dawn is my go-to dish soap, BTW), I put it to use on both a saucepan I used to make homemade enchilada sauce *and* the casserole dish I baked those enchiladas, which had a ton of caked-on food. It really does work like I say it does! Like, scary well.
Get the starter pack from Amazon for $16.88 (includes one bottle and three refills.
30. A clear magnetic refrigerator dry-erase board that sticks directly on your fridge. It's a little bit more aesthetic of a reminder than a series of sticky notes. Feel free to jot down reminders to eat the leftovers that are about to go bad!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
It also includes four dry-erase markers!
Promising review:"Saw it on TikTok being used as a dinner menu for the week! It will help me be more organized and add little chores that needs to completed or important reminders. Love it, no complaints." — Clarince Thomas
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
31. A jumbo pack of toilet cleaning tabs you simply throw in the tank every two weeks to keep your bowl (and bathroom) fresher on the reg.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Effective at keeping the toilet bowl clean and very easy to use." — Amazon Customer
Get a 30-pack from Amazon for $22.99.
32. A handheld steam cleaner (perfect even if you're in a small space and that's how you can afford to live solo) with a nearly 10-foot-long cord to help you get at all sorts of greasy, stuck-on messes sans chemicals.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Cleaned stove top and the hood vents. Then, I had to clean the sticky grease from the sink. Worked very easily and without chemicals. Easy to use and to refill. The attachments make various jobs easy to clean." — Lori
Get it from Amazon for $55.89.
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.