buzzfeed Press
If Your Brain Wants A Deep Clean But Your Soul Wants A Lazy Clean, Get These 24 Products
Images
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. Get thorough cleaning results with minimal effort required. I wrote this headline because this is exactly how I feel every time I need to clean my home. I look around and see nooks and crannies filled with grime, toddler-created carpet stains, and hard water and mold buildup in the bathrooms, and my brain says: DEEP CLEAN MODE ACTIVATE!! But my soul, which wants to spend more of my limited free time doing things like taking walks, reading books, and watching TV, counters with: ONLY THE LAZIEST OPTIONS PLEASE!! If you're the same, consider these products the happy medium between the two. Deep cleaning results, with lazy cleaning effort. Promising review: "These towels are awesome for so many things. They are large and very sturdy, so they work well for household cleaning. The real benefit for me, though, is having a wipe that works for things like the grill, the oven, the dashboard of my car, muddy shoes, chairs and umbrellas that go to soccer games and practices, and lawn furniture. I frequently wipe something down, rinse the towel, and wipe again. The wipes are heavy enough to go through three to four rinses and wipes and still hold up. The smell is mild and doesn't linger on my hands or what I've wiped down. Because the canister is heavier than most, and the lid fits well, it's easy to throw one of these in the trunk or cargo area without worrying about leaks. The canister's recyclable when the towels are gone — an added bonus." —COMom Some of the latest and greatest vacs have this built-in — but why not save $ and upgrade the vac you already have with a stick-on version? Promising review: "Best little light for your vacuum you can get. Charge lasts a long time. The adhesive is sooo strong it’s almost impossible to pull apart to charge. That’s actually a good thing. Because then it doesn’t fall off when you hit things with your vacuum. This shows everything you can’t see. So much so, you can’t stop vacuuming because you realize how dirty it all is." —Technical solutions This vac moves between hard floors and low-pile carpets/rugs without a glitch and can pick up all the accumulated dust, dirt, and hair left strewn about your home while you go do literally anything else. The reviewer who took the pic on the right above says that with a goldendoodle in the house, it picks up that much dust and hair EVERY DAY. Omg. Promising review: "Best housekeeping hack! I have to empty it almost everyday because it does it's job so well! I call her Mrs. Doubtfire and may purchase a twin to work upstairs as well. Timer was easy to set after reading the directions. Cleaning her out is a regular occurrence. She rarely gets stuck but usually only if the floor is cluttered worth cords or something. She also stops when she's full and needs to be cleaned instead of burning out her own motor which I think is nice. I have two Great Pyrenees and she handles the hair beautifully as well as the mess I track in from the barn." —Amazon Customer If you're sold on the idea but want to consider your options, here's how to choose the best robo vacuum model. My mom's had stainless appliances for well over a decade and a half now, and discovered this spray from reading our posts, and said it works *wonderfully*, truly 100% better than any other kind of stainless cleaners she'd tried in the past!! So naturally I bought a bottle when we moved to a place with stainless appliances, and I second every word she says. It's fast, cleans off all kinds of stains, and leaves a like-new shiny finish with a simple spray and wipe! If I'm in a hurry, I'll also use it on our granite counters and wood cabinets, and it works well there, too. Promising review: "10/10 would buy again. Works better than any stainless steel cleaner I’ve bought, or any DIY “hack” I’ve attempted. It also smells amazing and leaves my kitchen smelling fresh for a while after I use it. Plus the microfiber cloth is an added bonus and so far is up really well to repeated washes." —Sean Get a bottle and a streak-free cloth from Amazon for $19.95. You do have to let it sit for 4–5 hours (or even overnight), but the results, as proven by the review photos like the one here, are worth it. And spoiler alert: I'll show you later in this post that this cleans the mold in front-loading washing machine gaskets, too! Promising review: "It works! It took two applications to remove some of the mold stains from the silicone sealant/caulk around the bathtub. (Much of it was here long before we moved in.) But the difference was night and day both times. Do put masking tape or something to physically block people from getting in the shower!" —ESL Teacher In my experience it might take a couple of rounds for your carpet to look brand spankin' new, but it's worth it because this particular spray doesn't bleach out the fibers, doesn't need to be vacuumed up or rinsed, and doesn't attract new dirt to the area after you're done. It works well on all kinds of stains, like grease and oil, pet stains, wine, coffee, rust, food, makeup, and dirt. And, of course, it doubles as a laundry stain remover. I took the pictures on the right, when I melted a chocolate chip into my favorite couch pillow. As you can see, this spray got every bit of it out! So much so that I took pictures of both sides of the pillow because I couldn't find where the original stain had been! You can read more about that experience in my Folex stain remover review. Since having a baby, I've used this stuff on my carpet nearly at least once a week. First it was spit-up, now it's food stains from when he decides to throw pasta sauce or blackberries. (We're working on it.) It works on all kinds of upholstery, carpet, and other color-fast materials that are safe to dampen with water. Wondering if it's safe for your couch? Look at the upholstery tag — if it has a "W" or a "W/S" on it, then yes, it is! "W" stands for, unsurprisingly, "water-based cleaner". You can use it pretty much anywhere except fabrics marked with an "S" only (in which case, you need a solvent cleaner like this one): it's safe on all carpets and floors, plus works well on furniture, clothes, litter boxes, carriers, strollers, kennels, hardwood floors, concrete, and more. Promising review: "All I can say is WOW!!!!!!! I am a total pessimist when I see a product with tons of great reviews I immediately question if it’s true. I was desperate for some sort of solution, though, having tried everything I could find including every DIY hack and nothing was working. I am literally obsessed with this product. I don’t know what the proprietary contents are but I do know that they work insanely well. This far exceeded my expectations." —TW I bought a bottle of this stuff when I moved in 2021 — it was super useful then, and since that point I've used it to clean stubborn grease off of kitchen cabinets and my stove's hood several times, and pulled it out for several other mystery sticky stains and messes. But the move story is the most compelling: Back then, my partner had hung up these posters that used big foam adhesive squares (no, they were not Command Strips), and when we pulled them off the wall, they left a bunch of foam and sticky stuff behind. Goo Gone (plus a plastic scraper) came to the rescue! It took a little patience, but the stuff would never have come off without the Goo Gone. It helped break down both the foam stuff and the adhesive, which came off in little bits, leaving nothing behind. We did then wash off the paint with some dish soap and water — Goo Gone is super greasy — but by the end, you couldn't tell anything had been there at all, and the paint was undamaged. Promising review: "Kid left a sticker on their clothes (track number on jersey) and ran it through the washer and dryer. Tried all the hacks, none worked. This worked in one shot. THEN cleaned some tape adhesive off my softball gear. Amazing. Worth every penny." —Malin77x Get two bottles from Amazon for $15.97 (they also make a spray-on version for $19.98). I've had one of these since 2017 and pull it out pretty much anytime I have a tough scrubbing task! My grout, corners of my shower, edges around my faucets, and all kinds of other small spots get impecabbly clean in no time, using just this brush and a little diluted soap. And it's handy to pull out anytime I have a particularly stubborn, stuck-on mess, like on my stove! Read my full Rubbermaid Power Scrubber review for more. Promising review: "This little tool is extremely versatile. It worked extremely well with my peroxide cleaner to restore my grout. It removed gunk in hard-to-reach places and scrubbed off burnt material on pans. I used it on window tracks and they look new! Best all, it was easy on my hands which are pretty arthritic." —Clawdy Monet It works on both finished and natural woods, including wood floors. Promising review: "Our paneling and cabinets were looking rough. We have two dogs that jumped up and scratched places, we also had an area that was damaged by water spots where our dog bowls were, and several other areas that were just worn from heavy traffic. This stuff was like a magic eraser for water spots, scratches, scuffs, and any other blemish. We simply wiped the product on with a paper towel and let is sit for 20 minutes before wiping it off with a clean towel. Everything looks brand new. I'm buying a couple more so we can finish our cabinets and wood paneling. We're so glad we found this product." —Kris FYI, if you're facing much damage that's a little worse than that, you might want to try their other (also well-reviewed!) product, called Restore-A-Finish, first; it does more to hide minor scratches, white heat rings, deep water marks, and stuff like that. The two products are actually made to be used together! Get that on Amazon for $10.66+. Technically the directions say you actually only have to wait for two hours to get results, but lots of reviewers let it sit overnight! Promising review: "Works so well! Way better than baking soda. I was skeptical at first, won me over on my first use. Before buying this, I used baking soda and vinegar, scrubbed and scrubbed, and the oven still did not look clean. I used this spray and let it sit for 5 hours. Wiped with a paper towel, and the built-up grease wiped off without effort. I did repeat it two more times to get the end result. Definitely try it out! Smell is not strong and it did not bother my skin." —Fox Note that it's best if your garbage disposal's just generally smelly or dirty and not actually clogged — if it's clogged, definitely call a plumber. Promising review: "After seeing it say it only takes two minutes (mine was closer to four) I thought there was no way it would work. But I can literally hear how much easier the disposal spins. I can see the metal which used to be black. I'm in an apartment where it has probably never been cleaned. I didn't even know the second sink drain was white until this. It had a layer of brown gunk. Simply amazing, I'm shocked how well this stuff works." —J. Peace Get a pack of four uses from Amazon for $3.78. And it takes just 15 minutes to see results; simply run your water, pour in some cleaner, and start your jets. Promising review: "This stuff is seriously amazing! I am relentless about cleaning my tub because I use it so often. Before I purchased this, I used the typical homemade recipe of bleach and powdered dishwashing soap. I’d have to run two or three cycles to get it crystal clear. One cycle with this stuff, 15 minutes, and the results are amazing! I first ran my tub with the solution, then drained it and wiped it down with a sponge. When I refilled the tub up and reran the jets, I kid you not the water was CRYSTAL CLEAR! I’m so impressed!" —Chelsea Get it from Amazon: a bottle good for four cleans for $21.99 ($5.50/clean), two bottles for $34.99 ($4.37/clean), or a gallon good for 32 cleanings for $74.99 ($2.34/clean). This is another product I bought for my move a couple years ago (and my most recent one, but the other story's better): My boyfriend had hung up these posters that used big foam adhesive squares (no, they were not Command strips), and when we pulled them off the wall, they left a bunch of foam and sticky stuff behind. Goo Gone (plus a plastic scraper) came to the rescue! It took a little patience, but the stuff would never have come off without the Goo Gone. It helped break down both the foam stuff and the adhesive, which came off in little bits, leaving nothing behind. We did then wash off the paint with some dish soap and water — Goo Gone is super greasy — but by the end, you couldn't tell anything had been there at all, and the paint was undamaged. Promising review: "I have some three-year-old sticker glue on a stainless steel kitchen appliance. Put a squirt of this stuff on a paper towel, and 20 seconds later, sticker glue all gone! Not really sure if I can give higher praises here." —Berkford Get two bottles from Amazon for $15.97 (they also make a spray-on version for $17.98). Promising reviews: "Bought this after seeing it recommended on BuzzFeed. Our glass shower door was getting harder to clean, with lots of water spots. It took a full week of doing it every day, but my shower door looks brand new. It's great to minimize the amount of scrubbing needed to keep my shower clean." —Ninoska Sohn "Does a FANTASTIC job if used regularly. I love this product. I hate cleaning tubs. This product has made our tubs look new. I don't use it every shower...maybe every third. Just spray down everything after the shower, and forget about it. You DO need to rinse the tub before the next shower due to the product making it slick. I would recommend this to EVERYONE!" —Angela GIllaird Get enough to last 12 weeks from Amazon for $19.98. Promising review: "I never thought I'd be this excited about a clean toilet. I had largely given up on our first-floor toilet; nothing would take out the ring along the water line. But I saw this product on a BuzzFeed roundup and figured it was worth a shot. Tried it this morning and oh. my. goodness. It easily took out the ring, and with some harder scrubbing, the rest of the stains/build-up/whatever the term is for the stuff that made the bowl look gross. It looks just about brand new!" —Courtney Just swish once or twice, let it fizz for about five minutes, then lazily scrub with a toilet brush. You'll probably still need a pumice stone to get it clean the first time, but regular use of these can help keep your toilet hard-water-stain-free for longer. These are both made and sold by Bombs Away, an Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania-based small business that sells handmade cleaning and bath products. Promising review: "Very helpful with hard water deposits in toilet bowl! Thanks for a great product." —Jana Get them from Bombs Away on Etsy for $11.99+ (available in six scents and unscented). If you can't imagine not using your toilet brush, you can use the small remaining bit of gel to scrub down the bowl before applying more. Promising review: "I bought this product after reading about it in one of those BuzzFeed must-have product lists. While it doesn't replace manual toilet bowl cleaning, it does a great job at extending the time between the dreaded task. The first couple of times I used this stamp, there was a bit of a learning challenge, but now that I have the hang of it, it is pretty simple to use." —Jane and her Dragons Get enough to keep your toilet clean for up to 20 weeks for $10.98 from Amazon. If you have a longer-haired pet or have someone in your family with long hair, you might also want to grab a Pik-it tool for $8.99, which instantly removes the hair that gets tangled around vacuum cleaner brushes. Promising reviews: "If you're lazy like I am, this hand vac is perfect for making your cleaning routine faster and easier. I have two cats that shed heavily and this device works amazingly for picking up hair and dander." —C-Man "I have an Australian shepherd that sheds like crazy!! This helps combat hair on the couch and the floor. Also great for in my car because of all of the different attachments. It does take a while to charge and power fully, but it’s perfect for a quick daily cleaning. It’s not as loud as a normal vacuum. I’d say it’s about a medium volume level. I’ve had this hand-held vacuum for a year now, and it still runs perfectly!" —Morgan Promising review: "Releases all the built-up fabric softener scum! Have not used a washing machine cleaner tablet like this before and, wow! Really helped release all the interior built-up fabric softener scum! I did two wash cycles in a row due to it being the first time. Photo [editor's note: yes, that's the photo above] is just a few minutes into second cycle." —Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $16.95+ (available in quantities of 24, 48, and 96). Yes, this is the same stuff featured above for bleaching moldy bathroom caulk! Promising review: "We moved into a new house with a front-load washer that clearly had not been cleaned for years. The gasket was full of mold. I put this gel on the mold, waited 24 hours, and the mold had completely disappeared. 10/10!" —Thomas J. Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in three sizes and a two-pack). Promising review: "Hands down the most amazing waterless miracle car wash product I think I've ever used. I definitely agree with the other reviews, there is some kind of magic behind this product. I decided to test it out on my filthy Jeep, starting with the glass. I was blown away that is actually cleaned and left it streak free on the first pass. Then I worked my way down the paint, and I couldn't believe how easy it removed tar and bug droppings and literally left my vehicle looking brand new...all with just a few microfiber cloths! It doesn't just clean, it gave it a deep glossy shine just by wiping, no hose or bucket or messy waxes! You'd think someone spent all day washing and detailing their vehicle. Now I see why the price is so high. It's worth every penny! "Update: Seriously impressed! Even after a week of many highway trips in the rain my vehicle still looks freshly washed. It makes upkeep so easy and the road spray simply wipes right off now. I've even used this on my wheels (tires and rims) and every mirror and faucet in my house! It renews so many surfaces but found it to be especially amazing on glass and mirrors!! No elbow grease required; just a light wipe to clean every surface I've tested it on so far!" —evan Promising reviews: "This product is amazing! It makes cleaning so much easier and takes way less time! I used to hate cleaning my baseboards, but this product has made cleaning it so easy that I actually don’t mind doing it anymore! It is also great for blinds as well! Definitely worth it!" —Julia "I rarely review products, but this little sponge literally changed my life! It picks up EVERYthing in one swipe! Hard water marks on your bathroom mirror, no problem! Hair clippings on your sink and counter, one swipe and they are gone! Dusty blinds? Swoosh, swoosh, swipe! And ala-presto ka-bam, like magic, they are perfect and dust-free! I just need one of these for my floors! I love, love, love how the sponge picks up everything, and with a little running water, all the dust, hair, muck, and guck just rinsed away! This will not disappoint! Thank you!" —DayDreamer Get four from Amazon for $9.99 (available in six color packs and also in packs of two and eight). This also works on durablend, vinyl, compound, saffiano, faux and other leather or leather-like surfaces. Promising reviews: "Was skeptical using this product on my favorite Celine bag, so I tested it out on a stain on the bottom of my bag just in case something bad happened. It quickly removed that stain and I continued to use the spray on a stain I got from my black jeans. Like magic the stain was gone and my bag has been restored! Would definitely recommend!" —Sarah P. Get it and a microfiber cloth from Amazon for $20.99. 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. Natalie Brown, a mom, Senior Editor on the BuzzFeed Shopping team, and BuzzFeeder since 2015, is constantly on the lookout for smart, genuinely effective problem-solvers, especially anything cleaning, home, parenting, fashion, and skincare related.