23-03-2025
If Your Home Were A Business, These 31 Products Would All Be Up For Employee Of The Month
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.
Time to start crafting a tiny comemorative plaque for the water-absorbing crystals that brought your houseplant back to life.
1. Ceiling fan carbon filters because I KNOW you've been slacking when it comes to dusting up there. Now you can do the opposite of kicking up a dust storm when you turn on the fan. The carbon filter pads snag dust, pollen, mold spores, smoke, dander, and other allergens right out of the air.
Just swap out the filters every 1–3 months. Barnakl is a small business.
Promising review: "I wasn't sure what to expect when purchasing these, but now they are a staple in every room of our house. Within three days the air smelled more crisp and was easier to breathe in our home. So simple and effective!" — Haylee Marez
Get a three-pack from Amazon for $19.99.
2. A set of massively popular moisture-wicking double-brushed microfiber sheets so soft and cuddly, you'll feel like you're staying at a 5-star hotel. You'll forget aaaalll about thread count when you slide into these sheets.
LuxClub is a small business that specializes in soft, durable, luxury-style sheets.
P romising review: 'LOVE THESE!! I was searching for a sheet set that would help me sleep more comfortably at night and found these. I have terrible hot flashes with night sweats and get up in the morning, just miserable. Of course, these do not eliminate my hot flashes as no sheets will, but they definitely make my nights much more comfortable by eliminating wet bedding, and I definitely appreciate that! Aside from their moisture-wicking abilities, they are very soft, easy to look a,t and launder extremely well. I would highly recommend these for anyone shopping for sheet sets and especially for anyone experiencing night sweats!! ' — Shannon Warfel
Get it from Amazon for $29.71+ (available in sizes Twin–California King, with deep pockets, and in 40 styles).
3. A pack of Monkey Hooks to hang just about anything on drywall WITHOUT tools. Push the monkey tail-shaped hook into the wall and twist — you'll have a sturdy hook for hanging picture frames, mirrors, and plants faster than you can peel a banana.
Promising review: "Ordered these to hang a mirror for my daughter. She has the tendency to want to change things around in her room, and these hooks caught my eye. They are well-designed and easy to use. No tools needed. The little plastic install guides help keep the hole straight but is not required. They are removable and reusable, which serves our purpose well. They are low impact and create a small hole that is easier to patch than some of the screw-in or hammer-in type wall anchors. Would recommend!!!" — JP21
Get a pack of 30 from Amazon for $13.49.
4. A mesh screen cleaner with two handles so you can actually see out of your screen door again. Oh, look! New neighbors. The pad can be used wet or dry and has long fibers that deep clean in between the gaps in the screen.
Promising review: "This thing is the greatest invention since sliced bread! It actually works! Works great at cleaning all my screens, from the small home screens to our large patio screen. We live in southern Utah, where red dirt/dust is everywhere, and this simple tool takes the work out of cleaning screens. My secret to using this tool is to have a bucket of sudsy water to dip the head into occasionally as you run it up and down and side by side. No streaks, no dirt, no fuss; plus, it's gentle on the screen. I definitely recommend this product and seller." — KarenLynn
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
5. A pack of carborundum sponges — YES, the stuff they make bulletproof vest plates out of — because tough jobs require tough solutions. Just dip one of these in water and start scouring — the nano-particles will get to work scraping off stubborn stains in your kitchen, garage, or outdoors.
The high density sponges are squishy on the inside with an emery layer on the outside. They can be cut into smaller chunks for cleaning nooks and crannies.
Promising review: "Nice and thin. You'll find so many more uses for these around the house than just getting stuff off the underside of cookware! I had hard, scaly water deposits on the glass surrounding our powder room faucet (one of those fancy, highfalutin modern-looking things). I've tried everything for four years to get this stuff off. One day I thought, maybe i'll try my sponges. Took it all off super easily!!!! Faucet looks like new. My only rec is to spot-test your item first before using it because it will scratch certain surfaces if you scrub too aggressively (for example, it gets the burned-on, weird stuff off of the bottom of my fave Our Place pan, but I rubbed too hard in one spot and it took the color right off lol)." — Hoarder
Get an eight-pack from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in two sponge thicknesses).
6. A set of wood repair markers ready to turn back the hands of time to before your cat went to town on all your chair legs. It'll feel like an art project, but you'll end up with refreshed wood furniture.
The kit comes with markers, crayons for deeper scratches, and a sharpener.
Tip: Some reviewers suggest applying the marker and then quickly wiping it with a paper towel to avoid over-applying.
Promising review: "This product did a great job on my severely scratched wood flooring. I used it in a rental home and on our own floors. The markers did a great job on the wood flooring and there are several colors you can sort of mix and match to get the right shade. It dries with a slight shiny, waxy shine. Good value for the money! The wax pencils work OK, too, but the markers did fantastic. They didn't repair the wood but certainly hid some of the damage. To me, well worth the price." — Reviewer
Get a set of six markers and six crayons for $8.88.
7. And Howard Products Feed-N-Wax wood polish and conditioner to give your furniture an impossibly lustrous shine previously never seen in your home. The carnauba wax and beeswax enhance and protect your wood from drying out, so you can keep your great-grandmother's rocking chair in tip-top shape with just a few swipes.
Many reviewers started by using Restor-A-Finsh to blend out minor scratches before finishing with the Feed-N-Wax. It's as simple as wiping on and off!
Promising review:"I got this product a few hours ago from Amazon and now have shiny floors! It gave the really dull hardwood floors of my prewar NYC apartment an impressive shine. Really impressive. A little goes a long way: I used only about two ounces to shine about 500 square feet of clean floors. Before using it on the floors, I tested the polish on an old wooden side table that is scarred and needs sanding. It looked a lot better afterwards." — KindleCustomer2
Get it from Amazon for $10.47+ (available in three sizes).
8. A set of plastic shoe cubbies so you can finally take care of Shoe Mountain. No mystery here: Your guests will appreciate not having to climb over your pile of sneakers, and your boots will appreciate not being squished into pancakes.
Promising review:"I used to have a two-tier metal rack that was nowhere near enough storage space, and there were always shoes all over the floor. I put this together in a rather short while, and now my closet is clean! Totally love this because it is so spacious, and you can build it in any shape you want." — Mama D
Get a 15-cube set from Amazon for $35.99+ (available in two sizes and three colors).
9. Dryer vent cleaners to banish all the dust and debris that's been hiding just beneath the filter that you actually do clean regularly. How sneaky! It'll improve your dryer's performance and prevent fire risks, all without the need to buy a new machine.
Promising review:"I was a little skeptical when I took this out of the package, yet my doubt turned to joy LOL. These are a great buy, and I believe I will serve my dryer well past its lifetime. My dryer is only a year old and I ALWAYS, after every use, clean the lint filter. I was surprised how much settles to the base of the dryer underneath the filter trap. You may have to use this a few times, depending on your machine, to get all the lint out, but at least you'll get results. Yes, I know its easier to use the vacuum to get it out, I prefer not lugging the vacuum out for this and this is cheaper AND I can give one away since they give you two." — P. Andersen
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
10. A power strip with an ultra-thin outlet cover so you can enjoy all your ports without dealing with bulky cords getting in the way of keeping your furniture flush to the wall.
Promising review:"The design of this is great. I always hated putting plugs behind furniture and either not using the plug, or the furniture being inches away from the wall. This is the perfect solution. I have a few of these now behind couches and dressers in the house and they are great. This is more expensive than some other flat extension cords but I think the look and quality of these is worth it." — Adam C.
Get it from Amazon for $23.95+ (available in four sizes and two styles).
11. Erase-A-Hole putty to fix cracks in drywall, plaster, and wood that are giving your place a sorta-haunted vibe. It's as easy as applying ChapStick — just rub it in!
The handheld applicator uses a custom formula that minimizes shrinking and withstands sanding.
Promising review:"I love this stuff! It's super easy to use, and it flawlessly [hides] anything from nail holes to larger drywall anchor holes. Bonus that my walls are white and I can even get away with not repainting if I do a clean job! I hope they never stop making this stuff." — bookworm
Get it from Amazon for $14.89 (also available in multipacks).
12. A Pikk-it tool offering a quick solution to one of life's little miseries: wondering why your vacuum isn't sucking (in a good way) and discovering that the brush is completely cocooned in loose hair. This handy tool will free your roller from its hairy prison so it can proceed up more hair. Bonus: You can also use this tool to pick strands out of your hair brush!
Amazon,
Promising review: "You need this. This is a lifesaver. The amount of time I used to spend cutting out hair from my vacuum brush/roller has been cut by a fraction with this little tool. Wow!" — Holly
"Between myself (medium long hair) and my overly fluffy cat, a lot of hair and fluff was continually getting caught up on the roller brush of my vacuum. I dreaded vacuuming because it took so long to pull and snip the hairs wrapped up on the roller brush out with scissors. Not anymore! This silly, little, inexpensive thing works great! Super quick to remove all the hair/fur — in virtually a minute, then back to vacuuming with my lovely Miele vacuum." — MKS
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
13. Hope's Perfect Sink solution that cleans and then basically creates a water-repellant force field over your sink to protect it from stains and damage. It works on everything from stainless steel to porcelain (along with cast iron, corian, composite, acrylic, etc.), ensuring that your sink rinses clean and shines like new, no matter how many cups of coffee you pour on it. Sue Storm would approve!
BuzzFeed editor Maitland Quitmeyer loves this stain-removing polish: "I bought this for my white porcelain kitchen sink, and I've since texted five people about it, which is really a lot for such a boring grown-up product. It cleans beautifully, but the *best* thing about it is its ability to repel stains after cleaning. You know that thing when you rinse out your coffee cup and the coffee water just lingers in your sin,k and you have to purposefully rinse it out for two minutes? You don't have to do that — the coffee can't stick to the sink and just goes RIGHT down the drain. Time saved, sink clean — this is really a Virgo dream product right here."
Promising review:"Holy banana peppers! This stuff ROCKS! I hate cleaning. You clean, stuff looks okay and smells nice for like an hour, and then it's as if you've never cleaned. We have a deep stainless steel sink that I love, except for the cleaning. It never looks clean, so cleaning it isn't exactly rewarding. I mean, I clean it because germs, pandemic, etc, but I don't like anything about it. I saw this on some BuzzFeed "things you should buy on Amazon" and ordered it. And ignored it. Now, as there's a quarantine, even as an essential worker, I really have no excuse to not clean. Sigh. I splooshed some in the sink, like I did with Barkeeper's Friend liquid, and scrubbed away as usual. However, when I went to rinse, it was all sparkly and shiny and the water beaded up! I seriously made my husband and daughter come into the kitchen to look at my sparkly sink! This is the cleanest this sink has ever been, and I seriously LOVE this product! Off to order more before you all read my review and discover its true awesomeness. I didn't take any pictures before because why the hell would I do that, but believe me, the difference is amazing!!" — Amazon Customer
Get the value size from Amazon for $29.95 or the smaller size for $9.95.
14. A pack of washing machine cleaning tablets designed to attack built-up detergent scum, dirt, and general grossness so your clothes can get as clean as possible. Throw in a tablet, run a normal wash cycle, and congratulate yourself on a chore well done.
Promising review: "I didn't think I would ever be so excited about such a thing as washing machine cleaning tablets. I also never realized how dirty my washing machine was. It now sparkles, doesn't smell musty, and has removed so much gunk from around the drum/gasket. You should get these." — AVDW
Get a pack of six from Amazon for $11.98 (also available in packs of three and five).
15. And a dishwasher cleaner and disinfectant to help make the thing that cleans your clean. Its citrusy formula helps remove limescale, rust, grease, and other nasty buildup so your machine can run more efficiently, and you don't have to pick up the slack.
Read our review of Affresh cleaning tablets!
Promising reviews:"I'm so glad I discovered this cleanser. The plumbing backed up…the smell lingered after several cycles with bleach, baking soda, vinegar, and dishwasher detergent. I almost gave in to purchasing a new dishwasher before discovering Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner. It worked after the first use. I now use it monthly." — lejay
Get a pack of six tablets from Amazon for $8.98.
16. A blessedly effective, pet-safe carpet cleaning solution capable of turning your brown carpet into whatever color it was when you bought it without having to invest several hours into a scrub session.
It works with all cleaning machines, even the rental ones from the hardware store.
Promising reviews:"This is a wonderful product. I have an older dog who can't always wait until I get home from work, so accidents occasionally happen. I have a Hoover Rug Scrubber, and this product is very easy to use with my machine. Carpet Miracle works amazingly well on stains and odors, even those that have set for a while. I did the carpet in the 'room of shame' twice just to be sure, although for normal soil and odors, once should be more than enough. It leaves behind a wonderfully clean, fresh scent, and the carpet feels and looks wonderful. I plan on continuing to use this product to keep my carpets clean and my home smelling fresh." — Vicky Faurot
"I wish I could give it 100 stars. I have never really did a review on here but I had to today. This is the best carpet cleaner I have ever used hands down, love it." — cliffcharles
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
17. A luxury-scented candle that internet sleuths figured out smells just like the way pricier Le Labo Santal 33. It has an impressive throw, meaning you can actually fill your home with its calming jasmine, oud, and sandalwood scent instead of having to stick your nose right up to the flame.
Amazon
If you're wondering what oud is, think of the smell of fallen trees in the woods after a hard rain.
Lulu Candles is a US-based small business that specializes in scented candles and perfumes.
Promising review: "I have been searching high and low for a good candle that's reminiscent of Le Labo's Santal 33, and this is it! And for a fraction of the cost. This will definitely be a repeat purchase, please don't ever discontinue this scent!" — Lindsay
Get it from Amazon for $19.95+ (available in seven sizes, in gift box options, in packs of two, and in a variety of scents).
18. A Chom Chom pet hair remover if you'd prefer your furniture to be fur-free. It has a sticky roller (no wasteful adhesive strips) that clings to hair and deposits it into a built-in compartment. You can tell Fido to stay off the couch all you want, but dogs don't speak Human! Instead, use this reusable roller to reclaim your seating.
Promising review:"Where has this been all my cat-loving life? Sticky rollers work fine for clothes, but this is the only product that has ever COMPLETELY removed all the cat hair from my bed. I have a long-haired 20-pound tabby, and if you run your hands up his back a few times and fling the hair everywhere, it looks like it's snowing — he never stops shedding no matter what I do. After using the ChomChom, I can put on a black dress and roll around on my bed and not get a single hair on me. It's absolutely amazing. Everyone is getting one for Christmas, even if they don't have a pet. I don't care — it's THAT good." — DH
Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in four colors).
19. A tea bag organizer for avid tea drinkers who are sick of getting hit with an avalanche of boxes every time they open their cupboard. This slim device can fit up to 120 standard-sized bags.
This is brought to you by the small business YouCopia.
Promising review:"It holds so many; the storage capacity is wild! It was able to clean up all of our various types of tea boxes and slim down the space. I should have bought this sooner." — BB
Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in two sizes).
20. A bio-enzymatic odor and stain spray to help with accidents that happen sometimes. The formula creates a nice, deep-cleaning lather, so pee spots, vomit, and stubborn stains can be easily and thoroughly erased.
Promising review: "This pet odor eliminator is a game-changer! It effectively neutralizes unpleasant smells, leaving the room smelling fresh without a harsh chemical scent. Easy to use, it works on everything from furniture to carpets, tackling both surface odors and deep-set smells." — Dan Kline
Get it from Amazon for $15.96.
21. A set of paint touch-up pens for when you start to notice scuffs on your walls but don't want to commit to a full paint job. Just fill the pens up with paint, and you can forgo the whole roller brush entirely. This is also ideal for hiding any oopsies from your landlord when they do a walkthrough, looking for excuses to keep your security deposit.
Slobproof,
Slobproof is a small business that specializes in home improvement products.
Some reviewers use these for detail work on designs and murals. As an added bonus, these are totally airtight, so the paint in them won't dry out if you don't finish up the paint in the pen all at once.
Promising review:"These are genius! They work so well and make it no hassle to quickly retouch small areas that get scratched up. Never knew something like this existed, and now am in love with them!" — Jeff
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $14.99 (also available in packs of five).
22. And a WD-40 pen that provides all the same benefits as the spray can (quieting squeaks, lubricating hinges, preventing rust, etc.) but now with an easy-to-maneuver, precise pen tip. You could just walk around your home, touching up every hinge you see!
Promising review: "I love WD-40 products and use them for everything. I spray on shovels to keep dirt or snow from sticking, spray around windows and thresholds to deter bugs, clean Sharpies off wood and walls, and, of course, stop squeaky doors. These small direct-point application pens are great. Keep one in the glove box, my kitchen 'junk' drawer, and the house toolbox." — BBP623
Get a three-pack from Amazon for $12.99 (also available with a trucker hat for some reason).
23. A pair of fan light pull cords so you can finally know which turns on the fan and which turns on the light. What an ~illuminating~ product!
Promising review:"I'm pleased with the length and how easy it was to adjust and install. The pieces feel solid and not easily broken." — AHMH
Get them from Amazon for $5.88+ (available in two lengths and three finishes).
24. A silicone freezing tray that lets you section your leftover food into perfect frozen portions so you don't have to unfrost your entire vat of black beans every time you want a single serving. It's also oven-safe up to 415 degrees so you can bake little slices of brownies or bread.
It comes with a lid to help maintain freshness and keep out odors. It's made of food-safe silicone that's BPA free and dishwasher safe. It's great for little sides of beans, sauces, soups, and more. Souper Cubes is a small business that also sells cookie trays and stoneware.
Promising review:"So happy that I found these. I'm the only one in my household who enjoys soup year-round. Have you ever tried to make homemade soup for one? I say it's impossible! But no longer. I can brew up the stock pot with bone broth or my favorite home soup. Fill up my Souper Cubes, freeze, pop out, store my goodies in a freezer bag, and I'm ready for the next batch!" — Debbie R. Texas
Check out my colleague's Souper Cubes review.
Get it from Amazon for $19.95.
25. A rust-removing gel spray – you may be tempted to say "abracadabra" as you use it. It's that magical! The powerful gel clings to rust on contact, so you can watch stains start melting off your tiles immediately; no scrubbing needed.
Use this for cleaning bathtubs, showers, toilets, colorfast fabrics, vertical surfaces, and hard-to-reach spots. It's nonabrasive and made with a nonhydrofluoric acid-based formula.
Promising review:"Holy wizardry! Seriously, it was more work to clean the mirror over the vanity than to use this product. With almost no effort, this made my dark orange, iron-water shower stall white again. I definitely suggest wearing a mask or bandana and running the ventilation fan if spraying in an enclosed area. Great product!" — Jessica B
Get it from Amazon for $11.35.
26. A pack of Miracle-Gro water storing crystals that'll prevent both under- *and* over-watering, which I believe are the top two killers of plants. When you water your houseplants, the crystals retain the moisture and release it as the soil dries.
Amazon,
This works for both indoor and outdoor plants.
Promising review: "I have deck rail flower boxes and they get full sun most of the day. I filled in the drain holes to hold more water and added these to the soil. Both made a huge difference in the quality of life for the plants. They were and still are gorgeous even if I couldn't water every day. I do have to admit I used more per planter than the recommended amount." — Pattijwr
Get it from Amazon for $10.28.
27. The Pink Stuff, an all-purpose paste that you can use to clean basically any surface — it works on everything from marble and wood to rubber boots and car steering wheels. Wasting time scrubbing will be a thing of the past. And the future? Sparkly clean items as far as the eye can see.
Promising review:"Oh my gosh — this stuff is a life changer! Used it to get my fiberglass shower totally clean. Nothing else would get it done, and this stuff brought my shower back to near new in one use. We've since cleaned a weird, chalky film off our garage door, removed wall markings, and cleaned my storm door. We'll never be without a jar (or three) of this stuff. Worth every penny." — Nancy F.
Get it from Amazon for $5.97.
28. A pack of disposable shower hair catchers for people who often forget to clean the drain after a shower and too squeamish to maintain a device like the TubShroom. You can just close your eyes and throw these away when they're too hair-infested.
Promising review:"For anyone with long hair, drainage clogging in the shower is a pain. So THANKS to whoever thought of such a simple but clever solution. They stick perfectly and the glue lasts like three weeks. It literally does not let a hair pass, and it's just so easy to place and remove. I wish I had known about this product before! A must-buy." — MER
Get a 25-pack from Amazon for $11.99 (also available in a 50-pack and 100-pack).
29. A Capri Blue Volcano-scented multipurpose cleaner — yes, that's right, the signature Anthropologie scent — to make cleaning feel extra rewarding. Now you can clean and leave behind a luxurious scent that'll have guests looking at your home in a new light. Was it always so chic in here?
Promising review: "This stuff smells SO good! Like a sweet, sugary citrus, but not overpowering so, just a light fresh scent. The smell lasts forever. I used a kitchen towel to wipe my counters down and then hung the towel up and the next day I could still smell it when I walked into the kitchen. For the scent alone, I would purchase this again! As for cleaning ... it is not a disinfectant, it is just a general multipurpose cleaner, so I wouldn't use it to clean toilets or anything like that. It does a WONDERFUL job at cleaning and cutting grime and grease though. It actually surprised me! It doesn't leave residue or streaks but does leave a clean shiny surface. The bottle is plenty big. The only con is that the spray mechanism doesn't work the greatest. Sometimes it sticks. I use glass spray bottles so I just put it in one of those to solve that issue. Overall, definitely recommend!" — Joshua
Get it from Amazon for $15.
30. Dawn Powerwash, an impressive spray-on dish soap capable of giving you those clean swipes through nightmarish messes previously only seen in commercials. Spray this on dishes, but you can also use it to tackle dirty range hoods, backsplashes, bathtubs, grills, or anywhere else with caked-on food or dirt.
Just spray on (don't add water until you rinse!) and wipe.
Promising reviews: "What doesn't it do? I absolutely love this product. It works great on dishes and pretty much anything you want to clean! Soap scum; gone! Laundry stains; bye! Baseboards/woodwork sparkle! Sneakers, yup! I hate cleaning, so anything that makes it easier ❤️." — Kimba
" The only dish soap allowed in my household. 😅 JK, I have used other different types, and this is the only one that has worked amazingly in all my cleaning. Not only do I use it on my dishes but to clean my bathroom, husband's grill, and everything else that needs a good cleaning." — Lizbeth LF
Get the starter kit (with one reusable spray bottle and one refill) from Amazon for $8.44 (also available in other pack styles and two other scents).
31. A rapid egg cooker so you can stop settling for overcooked hardboiled eggs with gross gray yolks. You deserve better. Along with hardboiled eggs, this thing can make omelets and poached and scrambled eggs, all without close supervision.
Promising review:"I was skeptical when I ordered it but use it constantly. I live in barracks and do not have a stove. I bought it for boiled eggs but use it much more for breakfast burritos. Super easy. Butter tray, put in egg and water, press the button, and walk away. By time I'm dressed for work it's ready. Throw it in a tortilla and walk out with it. More nutritious than Pop-Tarts. It does hard-boiled eggs well but don't assume thats all its good for. Great for college kids, military people, traveling workers, or anyone without access to a full kitchen." — a.l.s
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in eight colors).
Check out our Dash Rapid Egg Cooker review for more deets!
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
