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Professional-level fixes and upgrades that make a noticeable difference.

If you're anything like me, you're looking around your home, wondering when your couch got that saggy, your shower ended up so scummy, and your gorgeous leather ottoman accumulated so many stains. Wasn't all new like just a couple years ago?? Wait, you mean 2019 was SIX YEARS AGO? If this is you, too, the solutions to all kinds of conundrums like these will help restore a bunch of your favorite things around your home to their rightful glory. 

It's basically a piece of thick foam that you insert into the bottom of each cushion to plump up all the other layers, and a piece of thin foam that goes near the back of the cushion for extra support. So your couch will feel equally comfy but look brand new.

Promising review: "This is actually a great product! I have a 2.5-year-old couch I bought from a reputable furniture store, and the cushions never were very great — I was to the point of taking them all to an upholsterer to have restuffed, and then saw this item in a BuzzFeed article and tried it. It’s made all the difference in the cushion I had the most trouble with. The best part is that it doesn’t make the cushion any more or less firm, but it does provide noticeable support for the cushion stuffing so that it compresses appropriately." —bmwAggie2017

Get them on Amazon for $34.99 per kit; each kit fixes one cushion.

And it works on sweaters and clothes, too, of course!

Promising review: "I bought this on a whim in last attempts to save my favorite duvet cover. The pills had gotten to the point where it was seriously uncomfortable to sleep with them getting all up in my leg space. I thought I was going to have to get a new duvet cover entirely. Along came this li'l baby. Not only is my duvet cover basically brand new, but I have found a new hobby. I’m depilling everything. Sweatshirts, leggings, blankets, socks, anything that looks like it needs some love. It does the job quickly and leaves everything looking fresh." —Dena Jensen

Get it on Amazon for $14.99+ (available in two colors).

BuzzFeed Shopping editor Maitland Quitmeyer swears by hers! She writes: "Like many of you, I've been living in sweats and PJs during this year+ of WFH full time. And it's made me revisit the state of some of my loungewear. Take for example, this college sweatshirt I wear all the time — as evidenced by the rather EXTENSIVE pilling all over it. So when I saw this pumice-esque sweater stone (it's made from upcycled car windshield glass — how cool is that?!), I decided it was worth the try. We've featured electric pill removers (mostly the fan-favorite Conair one) many times, and they really work. But sometimes you're looking for a little more detail or control — that's where this stone comes in handy. I was able to navigate around the contours of the logo on my sweatshirt with ease, removing pills using the corner or the entire flat bottom in a few quick strokes. It truly took no time at all — the sweatshirt was done in mere minutes. The only thing I would note is that particles do 'fall out' of the stone, so do your pill removing on a surface that's easy to sweep or vacuum up at the end."

Promising review: "Love, love, love these soft velvet pillows! The velvet is very smooth and even and doesn’t look sparse or cheap at all. They feel expensive and look like high-quality pillows. I also love the soft colors with contrasting trim, it’s very whimsical and cute. And the cats’ hair doesn’t clinging to the pillows so that’s an added bonus. Overall very happy with my purchase!" —NG2

Get the pack of four from Amazon for $29.50+ (available in eight sizes and ten color combos).

Promising review: "I’ve never heard of this stuff. Most of the time, when I hear people rave about a product, it never works as well when I get it home. This stuff was different. Made a small paste, covered the bottom of a stainless steel pan. Using an abrasive pad, cleaned the bottom in a few minutes." —Dr.MikeRobe

Promising review: "Like a hot knife through butter for built-up hard water stains on my glass shower doors. I've tried everything and this stuff worked in two minutes. Made me a little embarrassed it took so long to find something so effective. I haven't tried it on anything else yet but I guarantee I'll be reordering just to have extra. Just can't have enough of a good thing." —Ron

Just make sure to use them only on surfaces you're pretty sure they won't scratch! You can alway test in a discreet area first to be sure.

Promising review: "Seriously, I have never wanted to clean our toilets as much as I do now. These little brushes have gotten off years of stains and water scum from our glass shower doors in just a few minutes. I would have never been able to get them even a fraction as clean by hand. We had stains in the toilets from our well water that I thought were permanent. Turns out that they were easily erased with this handy little brush. Our grout is sparkling again and my husband thinks I have lost my mind with the drill. I have actually been walking around the house looking for things to clean with this. They even cleaned our birdcages immediately with just water and no chemicals at all. What a great Amazon find!!" —Happy Yogi

Get them on Amazon for $19.99+ (six bristle stiffness options available).

You do have to let it sit for four to five hours (or even overnight), but the results, as proven by the review photos like the one here, are worth it. 

Promising review: "I’m very happy! I applied it this morning and by noon you could see the difference. The caulking around the tub is so white just like I just resealed it. I’ve tried other bleaching products like Kaboom and Clorox with less than similar outcomes. The biggest difference was the mold spots behind our shower products. Those have been an eyesore for so long and now they’re gone. My only regret is I didn’t do a before and after photo." —CButin

Get it from Amazon: one bottle for $14.99 or two bottles for $26.99.

I've used this stuff on a week-old strawberry smoothie stain (on a blue and white rug), chocolate stains on fuzzy pillows, looots of spit-up stains from my baby on carpet, and other mystery stains, and have seen it for myself — it really does work! It's great for all kinds of stains, like oil, makeup, food, dirt, rust, ink, and wine; even if they're years old. (It won't work on, say, hair dye stains, though. It's a cleaner, not a bleach.)

Promising review: "I honestly can’t believe how well it worked. I had coffee and tea stains that had been sitting in my carpet for almost 10 years — even professional carpet cleaners couldn’t get them out. I’m genuinely shocked at the results. After just a few sprays and a light blotting, those old stains started disappearing right in front of me. When it comes to deeper red stains, it takes a bit more effort (I had to repeat the process a few times), but even then, it made a huge difference. It’s super easy to use, doesn’t leave any residue or strong smell, and truly lives up to the hype." —Nazanin Nazmi

This also works on Durablend, vinyl, compound, saffiano, faux leather, and other leather or leather-like surfaces.

Promising review: "Used the microfiber cloth to apply and after the first treatment noted only mild improvement, but after the second treatment (done just after the first treatment dried), the stain was not visible!! I then did the entire chair and the results are great. Advice: Do not scrub the area hard. This may roughen up the leather. Apply lightly and wipe off with another microfiber towel." —mich

Both my mom and I have used these for years, and they actually do work! Some reviewers mention you can put it with cookies or bread to keep those soft, too. Just soak it in water for 20 minutes, dry the outside of it thoroughly, and put in your brown sugar bag.

Promising review: "I was skeptical, but this bear is magical. I have brown sugar in a glass canister and I was about to throw the whole container out. The sugar was unbreakable (I think my boyfriend was putting his wet spoon in it too...) I came across this bear and I thought it wasn't real. I read some reviews and decided to give it a try. I put the bear in the canister and reluctantly walked away. The next day I was pleasantly surprised to find REVIVED and soft brown sugar!! Great buy!" —S.G.

Promising review: "I got this stuff in order to re-fluff my 8-year-old daughter’s unicorn she got as a baby. It looks nicer in the ‘after’ pictures because I washed and brushed it after removing the old stuffing. It came with a stuffing stick too, which I thought was cool! I put all the old stuffing back in, which filled up the limbs, head, and most of the neck. I only used almost half of one bag to stuff the rest. This is great stuff! I highly recommend it!" —Jordan

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 $9.99+.

They're designed for smaller scratches on wood furniture, wood laminate furniture (yes, that means stuff from Ikea!) and wood or wood-like floors. The kit includes both markers and wax sticks in six colors: maple, oak, cherry, walnut, mahogany and black. And yes, the sharpener for the wax sticks is included, too.

Promising review: "Better than expected. Blends perfectly and leaves a beautiful sheen. Used them on different shades of wood cherry, oak, and mahogany. I blended several shades of markers on each piece. Blended easily and matched perfectly to the different shades of woods. Used on claw foot dining table, Chippendale chair legs, grandfather clock, china cabinet. All look sensational. Covered sweeper scuffs well. They look new now, not touched up. These stain quickly so wear disposable gloves and cover floors where you are working. Excellent results." —PhoebeS

It features rubber bristles along one edge, and if you flip it, a wide rubber squeegee on the other — some reviewers find the squeegee side is more effective on carpet than the bristles, so could be worth a try! Oh, and the handle telescopes 36–60 inches, so you can store it easily but also like, use it to squeegee off high windows if necessary.

Promising review: "1,000% worth it! Ya'll. I read about this on BuzzFeed and had it on my wish list for a few weeks. When our 9-month-old black Lab came back from the trainer, I knew it was time to get something to help the mountains of hair. I got this in today and tried it out. I didn't think it would get much, I swept last night. Oh my lawrd. The hair it picked up was ridiculous! If you have pets and hardwood floors, you need this. Life changing! So glad I bought this!" —Katherine Burch

Get the original version from Amazon for $18.99 (also available with a collapsible handle).

Promising review: "Works really well! It's easy to use, can be done with or without dishes in there. It REALLY helped clean the dishwasher and now I use one each month as suggested to keep it clean. The glasses don't have that "film" anymore (and I always used a rinse agent too, but we have a lot of lime in our water). I feel like the dishwasher is working better too, not that it had any problems before but it seems quieter now. I'm very satisfied with these." —BH

Get a pack of six tablets on Amazon for $8.98.

Plus it'll reduce the amount of dirt and bacteria that tend to accumulate on makeup tools over time. (Oh, and it's cruelty-free.)

Promising reviews: "I clean my brushes every so often (not as often as I should) and I have NEVER gotten this much gunk out of my brushes with regular soap. This stuff is amazing, takes almost no scrubby effort and my brushes are the cleanest they have ever been. Definitely recommend." —Melissa

"Well, I am seriously impressed. All of my sponges of various colors look almost brand new after using this. Even my white sponges look only faintly tinted in comparison to what they used to look like. It does seem like it takes quite a bit of product to do each sponge, but it definitely gets the job done. I'll certainly order another bottle when I run out." —G.T.

Some reviewers even use it to redo their countertops or sinks, although you might want to use an acrylic sealer afterward if you decide to do that! It's fantastic for vintage appliances too, according to one reviewer.

Promising review: "Oh my goodness! This stuff is amazing! I remodeled my bathroom and the washer and dryer looked terrible. One coat of this and they look brand new! I’m going to add another coat today just to make it extra durable." —L. Hornberger

They're removable, so it's renter-friendly — yay! That involves heating it with a hair dryer to loosen the adhesive, slowly pull it off, then using something like GooGone ($15.89) to clean the residual glue. But maybe it'll look so good your landlord will want you to keep it!

Reviewers say you'll also need a level, sanding block and sand paper, measuring tape, ruler, screwdriver to remove outlets, and utility knife or scissors.

Promising review: "These are great and easy to install. You have to cut the first section. I did put them on a textured wall and have no issues with them peeling off. I made a mistake and had to pull some of them off and they came off with no problem. They are sticky so I did have to pull a little bit, no damage to paint or wall though. You will need a VERY sharp knife and a pair of scissors. I used a metal carpenter's square as a straight edge and it worked nicely. Nice upgrade to my little kitchen. I needed about 30 tiles and I had to buy 40 for cuts and mistakes. You can't reuse the sheet if you pull it off. I found that if you have to cut the tiles, make sure you have the "grout" on the cut, it makes it easier to align and hides small mistakes." —Tricia Hendrickson

Get a pack of 10 12"x12" sheets from Amazon for $26.99+ (available in four colors, and in dozens more designs and colors on the Art 3D Amazon Store Page).

The listing has two different options: the set of 32 windows and the set of four hinges and two handles. You do have to buy the set of windows and two sets of handles to get the full look above! 

Promising review: "OK, seriously, these magnets are fantastic! We are in shock that they look as good as they do. Our neighbors thought we bought a new garage door, and the 'windows' add the perfect pop to the garage without overdoing it. The magnets are excellent quality and stick to our door." —Scott Teichert

Get them from Amazon: the windows for $26.99 and the hinges for $12.99. 

You simply squeeze a little of the patch/primer mix out of the tube, level it off with the scraper end, let dry, then sand with the cap! I have used these in two recent moves (in June 2021 and February 2024) and let me tell ya: it works exactly the way it says it does. Each move, I had several small nail holes from hanging pictures, plus six larger drywall anchor holes from a shelf. This made it easy to fill each one and scrape off the excess, then after it dried, I sanded using the little cap and couldn't even tell the holes had been there! Needless to say, I got my entire security deposit back *both* times, no worries at all.

Promising review: "This product is genius! Worth every penny to patch nail holes without the mess and time of traditional drywall patching. Worked exactly as described and one tube was more than enough to patch throughout an entire home." —Jaclyn A.

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $13.59.

They work like little syringes to neatly suck up the paint from the can. Because they're completely airtight, the paint lasts for years without drying out! They *are* refillable, despite what some reviewers claim; here's how.

Promising review: "Love this — absolutely perfect for touchin' up little spots that need touchin' up. I have several sets filled with different paints and so far they've stayed usable, without the paint drying out. I rinse the brush really well after each use (latex paints) and recap it. It would be nice if the manufacturer put an area on the pen where you could easily label the paint info, but I use a permanent marker and it works okay." —Hooked on Amazon!

Get a pack of five on Amazon for $24.99.

You can use it to bond glass, ceramic, wood, metal, and most plastics *and* to bond all of those surfaces to most walls. It slowly cures from malleable glue into a tough silicone rubber overnight.

Promising review: "This stuff is the solution to so many challenging repairs that it’s well worth keeping a supply of basic colors on hand in the fridge at all times. Example: After various glues failed to reattach the black rubber trim that holds the rear windshield onto my car, Sugru was the only thing that did. With no garage parking, this repair has survived 75-mile/hr winds, freezing temps, heavy rains, and 100-degree heat for well over three years and counting. And the repair fills the gap so perfectly that only a well-trained observer would ever detect the repair." —No BS Reviews

Get an eight-color pack on Amazon for $26.35 (also available in packs of four other color combinations, including all black or all white).

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!

Promising review: "Perfect cleaner for my new Whirlpool stainless appliances. It also seems to make it a bit fingerprint-resistant as well. Since I cleaned my fridge down a month ago, I haven't had to do it again yet. I'm sure if I had kids it'd be a little different, but this stuff is where it's at. I've tried cheaper big-box store cleaners and they all take a lot of arm work." —W Fish

Get a bottle and a microfiber cloth on Amazon for $19.95.

Note that it's designed for rust stains that come from having hard water; it won't do anything for, like, a rusty metal towel holder.

Promising review: "Can’t believe we finally found something that works! When we bought our home there was no water softener and years of iron build up. We tried so many things on our shower. Nothing worked. We were convinced we’d be stuck until we renovated, but the Iron Out worked wonders. I still can’t believe it. We let it sit for about an hour. It then dissolved and wiped right off. Definitely use in a ventilated area if possible." —M. Gilardi

Get a bottle from Amazon for $6.88. And if you also struggle with rust in the toilet or staining your white laundry red, try the same brand's rust-removing powder for $21.86.

It has two slots: coarse for sharpening dull and damaged knives, and fine for polishing a knife or giving an already-sharp knife a quick touch-up.

Promising review: "I use this on my high-end German knife and it performs as well as any expensive sharpener. If your 'good' knife requires some fancy sharpener, perhaps the knife is the problem. I use this on three large kitchen knives as well as paring knives, and it keeps them all in tip-top shape. I do a lot of chopping, so having every knife tomato-ready is great. If you want an expensive sharpener, be my guest; for me, I'd prefer to spend my time USING sharp knives rather than adding undetectable macho sharpness I don't need. Find a couple of good videos before you start — the instructions are OK, but don't actual demonstrate all the features!" —Pete

Elizabeth, one of our editors, owns one of these and loves it — you can read her full knife sharpener review for more!

You just insert it down your drain, twist it a few times via the handle, let the grabby micro-hooks on the tip (similar to Velcro) do their work on the stuck, clogging hair and debris. Then pull it up, and your sink will drain like it's new!

Promising review: "As someone with long hair, I am constantly having slow and stopped up shower drains. I have gone through so much Draino and still slow. I've tried the plastic snakes and they've done nothing. Then I saw this product on one of those BuzzFeed lists and I thought I would give it a try. OH. MY. GOD. It pulled up a giant wad of hair that looked like a small, dead animal on the first go. I decided to try again just to be sure it was clean and pulled up another small animal's worth of hair. It was pretty gross but now my drain runs better than in years." —S. Gross

Get one with five included refills on Amazon for $19.99.

You simply fill your container with warm water, add a tablet or two, wait half an hour, then rinse. Reviewers say it works best on metal or ceramic (not so much on plastic).

Promising review: "My husband drinks about three or four cups of tea each day. He uses stainless steel mugs that stain horribly. No amount of soaking or scrubbing would get them clean. I set our electric kettle to 200 degrees and poured the hot water over the tablets, filling the mug to the top. I left them in the sink overnight, and all I had to do was dump the dirty water out! No soap or scrubbing at all, and they were like new!" —Rachel

Get a pack of 36 tablets from Amazon for $20.

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

You rub the scrub all over your oven's interior, scrub to your hearts content with a scouring sponge, then wipe off with a microfiber cloth. 

Everneat is a small business based in Fairfield, Connecticut, that specializes in natural cleaning products and microfiber cloths.

Promising review: "This is the first time in my 50+ years that I have actually enjoyed cleaning my oven. And no, I am not joking! This product is effective, easy to work with, smells amazing, AND I only used a tiny amount of product!!! I don't think I could imagine a way to improve this product. Highly, highly recommend it!!! Well worth any wait." —Diane Coury

Get it plus a bottle of surface cleaner from Everneat on Etsy for $30 (available in one scent or unscented; also available in a refill bag for $36). 

This one's two inches thick and has several ~zones~ that theoretically provide different levels of support. It also has over 44,000 five-star ratings, so you know people like it!! 

One caveat: if you're a hot sleeper, you might want to stay away from memory foam toppers and mattresses because they retain body heat. For a bunch of alternative options, including ones that will help with a bed that's too soft, check out the best cozy mattress toppers, best memory foam toppers, and these firm mattress toppers! 

Promising review: "We purchased this to help add a little bit of padding to our aging mattress. This has definitely helped prolong the life of our mattress while increasing our quality of sleep. I was afraid that this would slip around on the bed but we have had minimal issues with that. It stays relatively in place with the help of our fitted sheet. The unique cushion pattern doesn’t seem to do much for us (compared to a non textured mattress pad) but as I said, it is comfortable. In fact, our dog loves it!" —thomas

Get it from Amazon for $37.79+ (available in two colors, two thicknesses, and in sizes twin–Cal king). 

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 on Amazon for $3.96.

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 on Amazon: a bottle good for four cleans for $22.99 ($5.50/clean), two bottles for $34.99 ($4.37/clean), or a gallon good for 32 cleanings for $89.99 ($2.34/clean).

Because it doesn't rely on adhesive paper, you only have to buy it once and use it forever — cleaning the hair off the brush when it gets clogged, of course!

My boyfriend's parents have one these (and a doggie that sheds constantly, and loves pets), so I've used one a bunch over the past year and a half. It really does pick up all the hair easily, use after use!

Promising review: "We live in a household that contains two humans, two dogs, and two cats. It's a real Noah's ark furnished with a black sectional couch. Our dogs hate the vacuum so much so they will attack it even before we power it on. This makes the task of cleaning our couch extremely unpleasant and nearly impossible. Thanks to ChomChom, we no longer have this problem! With a simple, quick, SOUNDLESS sweep, we're able to keep our couch pet hair free in blissful peace. This tool does an amazing job picking up pet hair but not so much with crumbs. We were so impressed, we gifted these as Christmas presents for all of our pet-loving friends." —Magpie

Get one on Amazon for $24.99 (available in four colors).

They're made from cleaner-burning soy wax, come in 21 scents that smell just like normal candles, and will burn for up to 60 hours.

Promising review: "I have multiple dogs in the house and am always concerned that it smells like that to visitors. I have used other candles and melts that add a pleasant smell to the underlying odor, but these candles do better. I can leave the house and return hours later and when I first open the door, I don't smell dog. We recently had a house full of people (many of them pet parents) over for Christmas dinner and it was actually commented, 'Your house smells really nice. How do you keep the dog smell out?' I laughed and told them I was just wondering if the candles were working." —LLL Texas

Get them on Amazon for $23.99 (available in 40 scents).

Want to know even more? Read our Pet House Candle review!

Promising review: "I hadn't thoroughly scrubbed my glass cooktop in years, only wiped down with random multipurpose cleaners which never seemed to do much. Then a friend recommended this product... AMAZING! The included scrubbers and scrapers really make the difference. It will leave your cooktop shiny and new. Even marks that had been on there for years came almost completely off. 98% better. The key is to use very little product. Let it dry to a haze and buff with a clean, dry cotton towel, just like waxing a car." —B. Swartwood

Get the kit on Amazon for $16.98+ (available in three pack sizes).

This pack comes with four specialty kitchen scrubbers infused with Dawn (to help fight grease), four specialty bathroom scrubbers scented with Febreze lavender, and four of the heavy-duty erasers that hold up to all kinds of messes. I've used these many, many times in my life and they work so well, I never like to run out of 'em! You just wouldn't want to use them on something that would scratch, like stainless steel.

Promising review: "It IS magic! Someone who shall remain nameless dropped a bottle of red nail polish on bathroom tile floor. The bottle shattered and generously splattered red polish on nearby hallway carpet and on a white door. A relative suggested Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I thought he was nuts. It took a lot of elbow grease and I went through several sponges, but it actually removed the red stains. I was amazed when it cleaned up the white door but blown away when it removed the stains from the carpet. Great product!" —Grasshoppa

Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $10.96.

Promising review: "I have a 19-year-old master bathroom toilet that had accumulated some nasty stains over time which regular toilet brushes and cleaning products just would not remove. Decided to try this pumice stone, figuring that the worst that could happen would be that it scratched the porcelain and I'd have to replace the toilet. Which was what I would have had to have done anyway, if I couldn't get the disgusting stains out. Pumice stone worked like a charm! Given the nature and severity of the stains, it required some elbow grease, but 10 minutes later I have a new-looking bowl, and I see no signs of scratching. Am very happy with this purchase...well worth the very low price!" —Happy Retiree

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 on Amazon for $15.98 (they also make a spray-on version for $19.98).

Note that depending on your vacuum and how much of the powder you use, you'll want to clean the filter before and after use to keep your vacuum in working order. 

Promising review: "These carpet powders are the best! I always stock up because I’m terrified of running out! Scent actually lasts!" —Shelby Ferguson

Get it from Northern Chics Create on Etsy for $15 (available in dozens of scents). 

Northern Chics Create is a small business in Elyria, Ohio, that features all kinds of handmade items, like soaps, car air fresheners, perfume roll-ons, and this fan-fave carpet powder. 

The smaller brush has tapered bristles and a rubber blade on the end for wiping up grime from super narrow areas, like where the edge of the sink drain meets the sink. And the larger brush is sized perfectly for scrubbing at grout.

Promising review: "I HIGHLY recommend these brushes for grout. If you are on the fence of 'Ehhh do I NEED a grout brush? I could just scrub the floor...' Stop. Get these brushes. They are stiff and cut down the elbow grease time incredibly. Plus you can use them on anything. Pros: sturdy, easy to clean, solid brushes. Con: hands may 'hurt' a bit after use due to elbow grease." —Jennifer

Oh, and you could get a pro to do this, but it's a pretty simple DIY — that's more money saved! Just make sure you get enough rods to extend all the way through your dryer vent in one direction (see below for options) to completely clear the buildup. BTW, several reviewers recommend using duct or electrical tape to secure the rods even more! It has 15 feet of reach.

Promising reviews: "If you have a dryer, please buy this. It thoroughly cleaned out the dryer vent, and my dryer seems to be drying clothes a lot faster. It's a must-have!!" —Louise

"Fantastic! Easy to assemble and with the sections makes it effortless to get the right length. We have a couple of sharp bends in our dryer vent that previous brushes couldn't really push through. This worked amazingly and quickly, cleaning and loosening the lint. I took our leaf blower and blew out the vent, but this brush had removed at least 95% of it already." —DH

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The reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.

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.