buzzfeed Press
28 Problem-Solving Home Products You'll Wish You'd Had 10 Years Earlier
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We hope you love our recommendations! While every product is independently chosen by our editors, BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. You can read more about how our affiliate partnerships work in our Editorial Standards & Ethics Guide. Future-you is gonna be so glad today-you got these helpful things. PSA: There's a chance that the included Velcro-like adhesive can become dirt-traps when the filters are removed. Also, some reviewers wrote that the adhesive peeled the finish off their fan during removal. If you’re scared of that happening, you can install these filters with Command strips instead! 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 $22.99 (also available in a five-pack as well as a "Pet Fresh" and "Ultra Fresh" style). Promising review: "This thing is a game-changer. Ever since moving to Texas, I have suffered from terrible seasonal allergies. I never have in my life until now (turns out I'm allergic to a handful of trees that are native around here). For the past few weeks, my mornings have had me waking up congested and unable to breathe, blowing wads of snot out of my nose (sorry!), and with an itchy/scratchy sore throat. Then I found this little guy. I woke up this morning with NO allergy symptoms. None. No congestion, absolutely clear nasal passages, and NO sore throat at all! I'm blown away." —JJ Get it from Amazon for $84.99+ (available in two colors). Promising review: "I'm in love with these; they helped me get organized with all my bedding! A set of sheets fits perfectly. Easy to assemble, durability is great, easy to clean, and a huge value for the price." —Christy Hawkins Get a six-pack from Amazon for $29.98+ (available in eight colors; also available in a nine-pack). Promising review: "I was surprised by the difference these new shower curtain hooks made. They slide SOOOO much better across the shower curtain rod than the ones I had previously. There are also two hooks (one on each side), making it a breeze to change out or wash the shower curtain liner without removing the shower curtain. This saves so much time and aggravation!!! I will be purchasing this type from now until forever!" —MaryMaryinLA Get it from Amazon for $6.45+ (available in 17 colors). Promising review: "Holy crap, this stuff works, and the name speaks for itself. I’m a big cleaner, and I always clean my jetted tub after every use. We rent our house, and when we moved in, I used bleach to clean out the lines. Recently, though, I noticed a bit of mold in the jets, so I snagged this. As soon as the water hit the first jet, I started to see 'sludge' come out and start to clump. As it reached higher, I was mortified. Once I turned the jets ON, dear lord, it was over. I wanted to throw up. This stuff WORKS, and I will forever buy it until I no longer have a jet tub." —Charlie Promising review: "Doesn’t disrupt nearby plants. For weeds with long roots like bindweed, follow along the weed's root. You’ll get a feel for it with practice. The tip has a sharper angle than my last one, so it's good for cutting the roots of shallow-rooted plants. It’s a game-changer, for sure. Good, sturdy, well-made, and has a comfortable handle." —Hanna Grampa's Gardenware Co. is a family-owned small business that makes products that make gardening, weeding, or harvesting your land a little easier. Promising review: "Oh my god, I friggin' love this tool. I bought this on a whim, given that my husband and I bought our first house and know nothing about caring for a yard, and boy, has it come in handy. Our new house had a ton of weeds in the front yard, and this tool helped me get most of them out in no time. In fact, the process of yanking out the weed was strangely satisfying! I don't think anyone can say that weeding is fun, but this tool made it as close to fun as you can get." —JG Promising review: "My screen had tiny holes in it, and flies were finding their way through. When I cut a piece of this screen repair it actually stuck to the screen and stopped all the bugs! I had used other products, and they always rolled up and fell off! This repair hasn't moved and is still stuck on the screen! Even the sun hasn't dried it out!!! I recommend this tape to all reading this message!!!!" —Maureen D Get it from Amazon for $8.79+ (available in three sizes and two colors). Therapy Clean is a family-owned small biz using safe-for-you ingredients to make cleaning products. Promising review: "I can happily say this cleaner truly does leave a streak-free finish and polish. I also like that it’s a plant-based, solvent-free, and cruelty-free cleaning product. Considering all the boxes it checks, it’s a good investment because it works so well. It cleans and polishes with ease, is quick-drying, and leaves a long-lasting, beautiful streak-free finish. Our appliances finally have their streak-free shine and polish back as though they were brand new again." —Feathered Nest BuzzFeed writer Heather Braga says it "works wonders." Check out her full The Pink Stuff review! Promising reviews: "I'd left an old pan in the sink for a day or two, and the water caused it to rust and leave an ugly rust stain in the sink. I tried EVERYTHING. I scrubbed and wiped, and nothing worked. Legit, two seconds into scrubbing with this, the stain came off. I swear, it's worth every cent! It doesn't leave any gross smell, and it's real quality stuff. My sink looks perfect now!!" —Alexis "I was trying to get adhesive off of drywall, and nothing was working. THIS WORKS on everything! It easily took off the adhesive. Then I had Corningware with a stubborn stain; I had tried everything. Then I tried The Pink Stuff, and it easily removed the stubborn stain. I will now always keep this on hand!" —David C. Rein Promising review: "This product works really well on black stains in a 10-year-old washer. Be sure to leave it on overnight to give it plenty of time to work. Also, it takes several rinses to completely remove it. Excellent outcome with no scrubbing." —Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in four sizes). Promising review: "I have a GE combo washer/dryer that, every now and then, would leave oily spots on my clothes. After digging through the internet, I saw this could be due to a dirty washer. And even though we run the self-clean option a lot, I figured I’d give this a try. Once it was done, I checked the barrel to make sure no residue was left, and it was definitely clean! Tossed in some rugs to be safe, and they came out great! Decided to do my hoodies that always have the spots on them afterward, and they came out perfect! Highly recommend! Simply pop a tablet in and run the wash cycle (self-clean if your device has that option). Very effective!" —Anthony B. Get a pack of six tablets from Amazon for $11.98. Promising review: "I LOVE these little fish. I’ve been using them for about 2.5 years now, and I truly believe they help keep the humidifier and water cleaner. People don’t realize all the nasty mold and bacteria that can be growing in their humidifier and then be released into the air in their room! I’ve noticed a huge difference in mold growth when I use these fish." —Shelly 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 in the house toolbox." —BBP623 Get a three-pack from Amazon for $12.49. Promising review: "One day, I will be the happy owner of a flat surface oven/stove top! But until then, these are the best at keeping your stovetop free from food and grease spills and caked-on messes. They're cheap, so cleanup is a breeze. When it's dirty, just remove it, throw it away, and replace it with a new one. It makes cleaning the stove top so easy!" —Melanin Monroe Get a pack of 50 from Amazon for $11.99 (also available in two styles and in a pack of 100). Promising review: "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 YouCopia is a woman-owned small business that specializes in home storage solutions. Promising review: "This is hands down the best product on Amazon for organizing spices! This liner is a thick, high-quality liner that you cut to fit your drawer size, and it’s incredibly easy to work with. The spice bottles stay put and don’t roll around, making the drawer much more functional." —Arpita Get a 10-foot roll from Amazon for $19.99 (available in two colors). Promising review: "My shower drain is the absolute worst! I live in a really old house, and the twisting and turning of the pipes makes it ridiculously difficult to snake or anything like that, so I have to resort to using Drano-like products. Speaking of Drano, I have used every single one of their products out there, and nothing works! I’ve tried really expensive hair de-clogger products. NOTHING has worked until this!! Seriously, I can’t believe I’m writing this detailed review on a liquid/gel hair clog eliminator, but I’m so amazed at how quickly this product works at unclogging my drain. Fifteen minutes later, and no more water above my ankles. Yes, I do have to redo it every month or two because, of course, it gets clogged again with new hair and gunk. For the price, I’m willing to pay for it monthly forever to keep the problem abated." —Weston16 Promising review: "These are the only dryer balls I've found that actually made me not need fabric softener sheets. It cuts down on static, and I don't find pet fur clinging to my clothes when I pull them out of the dryer." —Bumblebee33 Get them from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in four styles and larger pack sizes). Promising review: "This stuff is banging. It looks like normal grout after it dries. If you have areas of your grout that have faded, become discolored, or are moldy, this really brightens up those lines and brings your bathroom back to life. I used this all over my shower, and the difference is night and day. Can't go wrong for the price, IMO. A DIY dream." —Rytaco Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two tip widths and a variety of colors). Promising review: "This is now my go-to pet hair remover. I have a long-haired golden retriever, and my girl SHEDS a new dog's worth of hair almost daily. I've tried heavy-duty tape rollers, rake-style pet hair removers, but the ChomChom beats them all." —alw91 Check out our ChomChom pet hair remover review for more deets! Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in three colors and in a portable style for on-the-go use). Promising review: "I could hardly believe my eyes. In just a couple of minutes, with very little effort on my part, my gritty cast-iron skillet was clean! Shocking because so few products live up to the promises of their sales pitches. On top of that, the chain mail is comfortable, even pleasant, to hold. Made me think of my childhood Slinky." —Diane BuzzFeed writer Sally Elshorafa has this and loves it. Check out her Bissell Little Green Machine review! Promising review: "Wow! Bought this little steamer and am really impressed. I did one go on my brothers' couches, and [there's a] difference. It could use one more go to get to the 'looking like brand new,' but this is amazing!!! When you watch the video in the product description, there is something oddly satisfying about watching the dirty water get suctioned in after spraying the surface you are cleaning, but I must admit I didn't believe it would work that well. Well, it does!! Just like advertised! I am so impressed. If you are considering this cleaner, get it; you will not be disappointed." —edina bajraktarevic Get it from Amazon for $129.99 (also available in a Mini and Deluxe style). Promising review: "Your search for door screens stops here! I initially purchased two previous screens from other companies. The first one kept flying open with the slightest breeze. The second one had a rip in the seam when I took it out of the box! I almost gave up, but decided to give this one a try! It’s a WINNER! It was simple (that’s saying a lot for me) to hang. It has tie-backs, which I use when my door is shut/blinds open, so I am not looking at the screen. I purposely didn’t tie it back one night to put it to a high wind test, and it passed with flying colors (never flew open)!!!!! I purchased a second one for a friend. I love this screen!" —Karen Get it from Amazon for $26.99+ (available in five sizes). Slobproof is a woman-owned small business! Promising review: "It's nice to have a way to touch up the paint in my house without having to pull out a full can of paint and a paintbrush every time. It is also a great option to get into tiny places as you're finishing a larger paint project. Definitely a great option if you have kids in the house and you need to touch up more often. I could see me using these while crafting, too." —LG Get a pack of two from Amazon for $14.99 (also available in a larger pack size). Promising review: "I’ve been using this for a few months now, and it has truly revived all of my leather items! It’s easy to apply, and a little goes a long way. My leather furniture, shoes, and car seats look richer and feel so much softer. The results are incredible — no more cracks or dryness, just beautiful, conditioned leather. Definitely recommend it!" —Charles Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in three sizes). Promising review: "Love this for socks and underwear. It enables me to find what I want quickly. I used to spend a lot of time digging through piles to locate what I wanted. No more. I love this product. It fits in the drawer perfectly." —Sandra Hunter Get the pack of two from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in two sizes, six pack sizes, and 12 colors). Promising review: "I have a ridiculously small bathroom and a super small vanity. After too many instances of my dryer and straightener falling to the floor, I went searching for an option to get them off the nonexistent counter and onto the towel holder next to my sink. This product has done the trick — it helps me keep my counter space organized and provides me with a great, heat-resistant holder to place them in while I'm working through my hair. Highly recommend!" —Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $18+ (available in five colors). Or, check out an over-the-cabinet-door styling station. BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way. Taylor Steele is a staff writer on the BuzzFeed Shopping team who focuses primarily on practical and problem-solving products (although you can also catch her writing about cute, fun, and ~weird~ products, too!). The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.
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