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34 Practical Home Items You Probably Don’t Think About A Lot But Should Absolutely Have On Hand
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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. Not to sound dramatic, but these detergent cup holders are gonna change the game. There's a cutout that allows you to run the water with the mat in place. And when you're done, roll it up and stash it away. Promising review: "This is great! The time it takes to pull it out and put it back is worth the whole 10 seconds in the time and aggravation it saves me getting ready. Whether I’m using it for my makeup or hair routine, it gives me a lot more space without dropping things into a wet sink. It’s sturdy enough to hold all my individual pieces or my hair dryer and brushes. Not sure of the heat proof, so I don’t recommend laying a curling iron on it or right next to it. The provided cutout hole still allows access to the faucet should you need water. Cleans very easily. I use makeup wipes to get any makeup smears, residue, or powders that get on it. I highly recommend this great find if you have a single sink to not only expand your work surface but to help your getting-ready routine go much better and faster. Oh, and there is a front and back. So take note when laying it out. The more flush side is the front and makes cleaning it off a lot easier as the ridges aren’t as deep." —Holland Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in nine colors and two sizes). It can fit detergent spouts that are 1.7" in diameter. Promising review: "I love these. I wish I knew about them sooner! I was always keeping towels under my laundry soap for when the soap would drip. But now I don’t need to. Must buy." —Amanda A. It comes with a reusable filter, coffee pod adapter (so don't worry, it will fit your K-Cups), and drip tray — they're all dishwasher safe too! Promising reviews: "This single-serve coffee pot is easy to use, easy to clean, and it has worked flawlessly so far!" —kayakfisherwoman "Love it, so simple, looks cute. Coworkers say it makes good coffee, price is great. Don't pay more for needless features, buy this." —br9503 Get it from Best Buy for $38.99+ (available in five colors). Promising review: "OK, so these cleaner pods are awesome! I didn't know how gross our Keurig was until today. The big mason jar on the left is when I actually ran the cleaner through plus one rinse cycle. The middle one is another rinse cycle and the last one, on the right, is the last one I did. So yes, I would suggest running two or three rinse cycles instead of the recommended one. But it's still an awesome product for the price! I have a 2.0 and I had no issues." —Mads0421 Get a pack of six from Amazon for $9.99 (also available in packs of 12 or 18). Promising review: "Two weeks ago, I didn’t even know stone bath mats existed! But wow! What a game changer! I’m one of those people that avoids my cloth bath mat when it’s wet. Because eww! Now, I can take a shower right after my husband and not have to worry about stepping on a wet bath mat. The stone absorbs the water so fast! Can’t wait to upgrade my other bathroom mats." —Angela Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (also available as a two-pack). Check out a TikTok of the foaming pink drain cleaner in action. Promising review: "Wow! I don't think I've ever been more excited to use a cleaning product before. Who knew you could get so much satisfaction from a drain cleaner. I could probably make an ASMR video and post it, as it is that satisfying! Even though I had to angle this over my sink drain, to avoid the low faucet, it worked perfectly. The foam went down the drain and up through the overflow, bringing lots of black, yucky gunk with it. I have used lots of drain cleaners before, but not one that actually came up through the overflow. I'd never even considered what stuff was in there. It did a great job of cleaning everything out and it left the sink smelling fresh and clean as well." —Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $15.98 (also available as a two-pack). It measures 7" x 6" and provides guides for cooking over 120 foods across five different categories! Promising review: "This air fryer guide is so useful that I purchased several for family members. They really like it too. It has all you need to make air-fried foods a success. It is easy to read and understand. I like that you can wipe it off. It stores conveniently on my refrigerator by the magnet on the back." —Spindoc16 Get it from Amazon for $8.87 (also available in Instant Pot and keto-friendly versions, and in bundles). 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!!!! The 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). Promising review: "This is the definition of "product you didn't know you needed because you didn't know it existed." I was FOREVER pulling the wrong chain on our bedroom ceiling fan. (Want the light off? Oh no...now the fan's on high. Need to change the fan speed? Eek... now you're in the dark.) They're a much better quality than I expected. They're actually quite heavy-duty pull chains, and they add a bit of fun to the decor. (When you notice them — most of the time, who even thinks about a ceiling fan pull chain?) As an added bonus, my infant daughter loves staring at them while I change her diaper or jammies. I tap them to make the chains swing, and it's instant fascination, which helps make my job easier!" —LHD Get it from Amazon for $5.68+ (available in two sizes and three finishes). Insert your preferred blade and lock it into place, add your veggie, close the lid, and chop your heart out! Check out a TikTok of the veggie chopper in action. Promising review: "This is one of my absolute favorite kitchen tools! This is right up there with my stand mixer. I save hours a week using this for dinner prep. I HATE cutting up veggies for dinner and this makes it fast and fun! I can’t believe I didn’t buy one years ago. This is worth every penny. Easy to use and I can just throw it in my dishwasher for clean up. I’m obsessed. I will be buying these as gifts. This is an absolute must-have for everyone." —Reviewer Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in four colors and six sizes). Promising review: "Bought this shelving to hold all my spices and have their labels visible. Holds everything securely and the magnetic strength is exceptional. A very good buy." —evrhandyman Get a set of two from Amazon for $21.99 (available in several colors and in sets of four or six). Bed Corner Labels is a woman-owned small business based in Hermosa Beach, California. These labels can be left on sheets while they're in the washer and dryer. They can also be detached and reattached a limited number of times. Promising review: "They're easy to attach to sheets and look better than the safety pin I was using to designate the long side of my king-sized sheets." —ESimms5555 Get a set of four from Bed Corner Labels on Etsy for $11.69+ (originally $13.75+; available in larger sets and eight styles). It comes with two strong adhesive pads for an easy installation process. It's also fully rotatable with an adjustable viewing angle to prevent glares while you use it. Promising review: "The heating element works great, the fog goes away in around 30 seconds to 1 minute. The perfect shower mirror. It works on USB-C charging and it has nice heft to it. The mirror is clear and it's big enough to get my head and some of my chest. I used double-sided 3M tape to mount it to my shower." —Zayaan Get it from Amazon for $32.99 (available in black or white). 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 Powerstone Pumice is a small business offering home cleaning products. Promising review: "TikTok made me buy this. This thing literally scoured away hard-water stains that I have been trying to get rid of for years in less than 30 seconds. 10/10 recommend." —Tleary125 Get it from Amazon for $13.99+ (also available in multipacks). This is IP44 waterproof certified, meaning it can withstand splashes of water, so don't put it directly in the stream of your shower or anywhere where it can fall into the water! Promising review: "I bought this for my bathroom because the one light is super bright and it's too much in the mornings. I still needed some light, so I looked into a lamp like this over some kind of night light or plug-in lamp. I bought this because the reviews were promising, and so far I'm really happy. I charged it when it arrived a week ago, and haven't needed to charge it again yet. I love the warm, but not yellow-y light it emits. The lamp also seems really sturdy, like if I knocked it off the counter, it would be fine. The dimming function is great, no flickering, and I'm really happy the lamp 'remembers' the brightness level it was last on. It says waterproof, and I haven't tested that, but the charging port plug seems to seal really well, so I'm not nervous to have it on the bathroom counter or right next to the shower. My one complaint is that the wood grain color appeared different on my computer than in real life, and it's a little more reddish in person. However, I like this lamp so much I've been moving it to my desk to use in the evenings, so I may just buy another one that matches my bathroom better and leave the wood colored one at my desk." —Syd Smith Get it from Amazon for $33.43 (available in five colors). Sagely is a family-owned small business founded by husband-and-wife team Ellie Glazer and Ivor Miskulin, who spent three years designing the ideal, stress-free pill storage solution. The silicone lids are super secure, but also designed for gentle and easy opening and closing to account for users with dexterity issues. Promising review: "Love this thing!!! I'm only 30 and didn't want an old lady pill box... and this one was modern and cool. The little slots to push in pills are fantastic and the containers are very large. It keeps my huge vitamin pills on either side and could fit over 10 large ones if needed. Love this thing. Worth the price and looks like it'll last forever. I do wish the magnets were stronger. They just keep them in place but will slide off if bumped. I assume this is helpful for people with arthritis. It's an easy fix. I take down one day's worth of pills, set it on my counter, and now I'm not too lazy to take my pills!" —Chicken McNugget Get it from Amazon for $37.99 (available in four colors/styles). 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 $12.49. This works on any type of video or standard doorbell. Stickers are included. Promising review: "Caring for my mom, who has Parkinson's and dementia, I’ve had to deal with startling sounds like the doorbell, which can be really distressing for her. The "Fits Any Doorbell, Rotates-a Dual Purpose Sign" has been a game-changer. This sign is easy to install with no tools needed and fits perfectly on our doorbell." —Donna Southside Plants is a woman-owned small business that was founded in Fort Worth, Texas, by plant-lover Meg Renninger. They create everything from their own potting soil to fertilizer spray. Promising reviews: "I love these wipes for my fiddle leaf fig tree. The wipes are scentless and have a good texture for getting the dust and grime off the leaves of your plants. They’re really convenient, and the packaging is pretty! Highly recommended." —MP "These are amazing, and they look and feel like they should be more expensive, LOL. There are a ton of wipes, and you could honestly cut them in half and do two plants. They stay wet for a long time, so you could wipe each leaf and it will still be damp. I usually wipe with pest prevention spray every six months or so, but this helps keep them clean in the meantime, and the ingredients are actually good for the leaves. Just get it; you'll love it!" —Luke Promising review: "I bought this product in a two-pack for my T-shirts because I hate folding and putting laundry away, and thought it would be a more convenient way for me to keep my clothes organized, and Wow! When I saw how durable and well-made they were, and how much space they saved, and how easy they were to use, I bought more! They also were a great value for the money, and I was able to just walk into my closet and see all my clothes, so they were all visible as soon as I opened my closet, no more searching through drawers. The next two packs I bought, I even used to hang my hoodies; these things are super durable and sturdy. I highly recommend these little darlings for anyone trying to get organized." —Sissy Get a two-pack from Amazon for $13.99 (available in three colors as well as individually and in packs of four). Snug Plugs is a small business that specializes in home improvement products. Promising review: "These are SUCH a game-changer. We rent, so I can't do much about the loose outlets around the house. These have made several outlets usable again!" —Minerva G. Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $10.99 (available in two styles and as a 25-pack). Promising review: "I bought these for a party and it was so easy to prep them and pop them into the fridge with the lid on. Same goes for saving leftovers afterward. It was also great to use for fresh fruit we cut up to enjoy all weekend. Looks lovely and is solid quality." —AmJam Get it from Amazon for $26.83 (available in several sizes/styles). RMR Brands is a small business specializing in professional-grade cleaning solutions for your home. Promising review: "I cannot believe how well this worked. I am a CLEAN FREAK, and my nasty bathtub would literally keep me up at night. I tried every product on the shelf and nothing worked. I literally scrubbed until my fingers were raw and still got nowhere. I sprayed this bad boy TWICE on the mildew stains and now they are COMPLETELY GONE!! I am so happy, relieved, and thankful, but also mad that I didn’t know about this product sooner. I absolutely, 100% recommend, and I would give it 10 stars if I could!" —Mackenzie Mayock Get it from Amazon for $15.99 (available in four sizes and in multipacks). Promising review: "I am constantly retrieving dog toys from under my couch. So often, in fact, I think my dog does it on purpose. THESE BLOCKERS ARE AMAZING. Every time she tries to push her ball under the couch, it pops right back. I wish I had gotten these sooner." —Evan Stark Get it from Amazon for $12.98+ (available in various sizes). Promising review: "This is a cute way to keep desk essentials organized. It has plenty of space to arrange pens, pencils, and other items. It spins easily to allow easy access to all the sections." —Slsmej Get it from Amazon for $9.98 (available in six colors). It can hold up to 1.2 pounds of beans or 1.5 pounds of ground coffee. Styled Settings is a small biz that offers a variety of kitchen essentials. Promising review: "I love it! The white and gold looks so classy and elegant on my counter space in my kitchen. It gives aesthetics. It feels sturdy, well made, and easy to use. Whether you’re storing beans or grounds, this one is a must have. I’m using it for grounds. ☺️" —Felicia Watkins Get it from Amazon for $27.98+ (available in three colors and as a two-pack). These come with a Velcro-like adhesive that allows you to easily replace the filters. Some reviewers noted that when they removed the adhesive, it peeled the finish off their fans. Consider installing the filters with Command strips if you're concerned about that! 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 as a five-pack). Ya gotta wash it by hand, but that feels worth it! Check out a TikTok of the heated ice cream scoop in action. Promising review: "Incredible product! All you have to do is take the ice cream out of the freezer, and you no longer have to wait for it to melt a little before you can enjoy it. This scoop works instantaneously. If you are a lover of real cream, thick ice cream, you need this product! No more sore wrists or bent spoons trying to dig through a tub of solid ice cream. Quick to charge up as well, and I haven't had to recharge since purchasing. Overall happy with my purchase." —lisbetac Get it from Amazon for $26.99 (available in seven colors). It's machine washable! The seller recommends using a gentle cycle. Hustle & Sew is a Saint Helens, Oregon-based Etsy shop with lots of fun and functional handmade goods like face masks, bags, and stasher scrunchies! Promising review: "This is so great. It works perfectly. No more soggy sink. It is so much easier to dishes now with this around my faucet." —Megan McCartney Get it from Hustle & Sew on Etsy for $13.50+ (available in four sizes and five colors). Promising review: "I am so in love with this. Thick, soft, and doesn't slide all over the sofa. Protects my sofa cushions from my three dogs." —Love my Amazon Get it from Amazon for $26.99+ (available in six sizes and six colors). Promising review: "My blueberries stay fresh and crisp in this container, rather than the familiar fate of becoming soggy and moldy! I love how I can wash the berries in the strainer, pop it into the basket, and then look forward to the BEST blueberries EVER!!!!!" —Anonymous No complicated installation required! Attach the cord organizer to your appliance with a medium 3M Command Strip and call it a day. 3D Home Solutions is a Texas-based Etsy shop that specializes in 3D-printed homewares. Each cord organizer comes with a medium-sized Command strip for easy installation and removal. Promising review: "Received this super fast! And it works amazing!!! I don’t have to worry about my cord to my mixer just bunched up or wrapped around the base. Went on super easy, very durable from what I can tell. And the cord easily clips into place. I love how much this is helping me save space! Thank you again!!" —Cat Cisneros Get it from 3D Home Solutions on Etsy for $8 (available in three colors). Promising review: "I have a tiny camper and needed to store our 1-inch latex bed toppers rolled up during the day. They are 30 inches by 80 inches. I bought two of these storage pillow covers. The mats fit perfectly, and I even have room to spare, which makes the process easy. I love the neutral color and the quality of the materials. With putting the mats in and taking them out daily, I needed it to stand up to daily use. After months, they are holding up beautifully. The zipper is smooth and strong. We need pillows in our camper for back support anyway so these now serve that purpose as well. Great purchase and worth the cost as I avoided getting them custom made like I thought I would need to do." —Harvey Kaplowitz Reviews in this post have been edited for length and/or 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. Courtney Lynch has spent the last three years as a Shopping Writer at BuzzFeed covering a wide range of topics, including but not limited to must-have Amazon products, personal care, home and organization, and more.