31 Products To Help With Seemingly Impossible Cleaning Projects

31 Products To Help With Seemingly Impossible Cleaning Projects

BuzzFeed-Shopping·2021-03-22 05:04

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

1. A reusable pumice stone to quickly have your toilets, sinks, and tubs looking like new — no unsightly rings in sight.

amazon.com

Promising review: "When we bought our previously owned condo, all three of the toilets had a permanent dark ring. I must have tried at least six different cleaning products that claimed to eliminate rings. None worked. I was actually considering buying new toilets as the ring was embarrassing to me. A friend recommended the pumice toilet bowl ring remover and I was prepared to be disappointed again. But it worked perfectly. The ring is gone on all three toilets and it only took a few minutes per toilet. I don't know when I have ever been so totally satisfied with a product. It just saved me a whole lot of money and I am no longer embarrassed by the appearance of my toilets." —lynn mcdonald

Get it from Amazon for $11.51 (also available in packs of two and six).

2. An Angry Mama microwave cleaner that, when filled with vinegar and water and popped in the microwave, will get so mad she'll have to blow off some steam and get your microwave squeaky clean in the process.

amazon.com

Promising review: "My daughter cooked ramen noodles for three minutes without any water. Needless to say it was burnt and almost caught fire. I have scrubbed the microwave and couldn’t get the horrible smell out to the point it was giving me a headache. After several days I decided to order this before buying a new microwave. I got it today and used it. I am shocked it actually pulled most of the odor out that’s trapped in the upper vent. This $10 item saved me $200 to $400." —Angela D.

Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in three colors and in packs of one or two).

3. A pack of bottle-cleaning tablets to remove stubborn stains from the walls of metal tumblers and impossible-to-clean water bottles with NO scrubbing required!

amazon.com

Promising review: "What is this sorcery???? I have had my metal tumbler for four years now and no amount of scrubbing or scrapping has been able to remove the stains from my tea! Seriously though, this is my dedicated teacup and it had four years' worth of tea staining/buildup. I won’t lie, it took four tablets and I used boiling water and let each tablet soak overnight over the course of four days but my cup now looks brand new again. So glad I found these! Now I know exactly how to take care of my cup and it will never get back to the way it was before!" —Chrystal Mayo

Get a 12-pack from Amazon for $8 (also available in packs of 36).

4. A dishwasher cleaner because (to my shock and horror) you actually have to clean the thing that cleans your dishes. Fortunately, this makes it as simple as...well...running the dishwasher.

amazon.com

Promising review: "We have been in our apartment for almost a year and every appliance is gross so I wanted to try this because our dishes were coming out with a rusty water on them and kinda smelled so I hoped this would make it a little better. We used it once as per instructions with no dishes and when we opened it I was amazed. It’s because I’m 30 and this is what amazes me nowadays but every time I open our dishwasher I am blown away by how clean it is and how new it looks. I’ll probably buy it again when it starts looking dingy again but it’s been a few weeks and so far so good." —Gabi

Get it from Amazon for $4.99.

5. A natural glass cleaner with simple yet effective ingredients that'll cut through the greasy fingerprints left behind on your mirror, without leaving behind streaks that might interfere with the view (you).

Pardo Naturals

Pardo Naturals is the brainchild of Rita Pardo, a Black mother and entrepreneur who, inspired by her daughter's medical needs, developed a line of natural products for the body, hair, and home. She specializes in products for people with issues related to sensitive skin and can even customize orders to avoid certain allergens and irritants.

Get it from Pardo Naturals for $8 (available in four scents).

6. A pack of lifting pads to remove evidence of all the tipsy wine stains and pet accidents on your carpet without even having to touch it. Simply set the pad, stomp, and let it sit.

amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising review: "These things saved me from replacing my entire upstairs carpet! We had already replaced one section before finding these and were worried we’d have to replace another section at a cost of $3,000. Stomp and leave it for 24 hours and I was amazed to see my carpet was its original light cream color. I now stock a box of these and have told every one of my pet-owning friends about them. I’ll never spend hours scrubbing the floor or carpet shampooing again!" —findingk8

Get a 20-pack from Amazon for $24.99.

7. A plant-based stainless steel cleaner that'll get rid of all the streaks, smudges, and grubby fingerprints that are making your appliances look not as Architectural Digest-worthy as you'd hoped.

amazon.com

It also comes with a microfiber cleaning cloth!

Promising review: "We got this product because, while stainless steel appliances look so nice when you first get them, as soon as you start using them you get fingerprints galore. All of the 'home remedy' tricks we tried were annoying, or so labor-intensive as to be overly frustrating, so this product has been wonderful. It takes only a few minutes to clean all the appliances and make them look brand new again — great for when company comes over and you want to pretend like you always live in a magazine spread for home rather than the comfortable way you normally do :-)" —Anton Stocker

Get it from Amazon for $15.49.

8. A dryer vent cleaning kit – it attaches to your vacuum to suck lint and other debris (aka major fire hazards) from the narrowest of crevices.

amazon.com, amazon.com

The entire set comes with a plastic hose, a Holikme adapter, and a vacuum hose for use with most any vacuum. Plus, a flexible lint brush!

Promising review: "I love this dryer lint extension for the vacuum. I wanted to try a cheaper option first before I spent way more money having someone clean the lint trap deep down. So much lint came out of my dryer, it was wild. I'm very good at cleaning it after using the dryer, but inevitably there's always more that we can't see or reach because it's too deep. It's a great way to keep it clear of lint to increase the efficiency of the dryer, which will save money from electricity and extend the life of the dryer, and prevent possible fires." —Cat Landis

Get it from Amazon for $12.95.

9. A makeup brush cleaner that will whip and whirl your brushes around until nary a speck of makeup is left.

Tap to play or pause GIF Tap to play or pause GIF

Amazon, youtube.com

This set comes with the brush spinner, charging station, eight rubber collars, a glass bowl, a bowl splash guard ring, a manual, and a 140-milliliter bottle of the makeup cleaning solution.

It's just three easy steps to cleaner brushes: 1) dunk your brush in water and cleaning solution; 2) spin to rinse; 3) spin to dry. The base is rechargeable so your spinner will always be charged and ready to go.

Promising review: "Works AMAZINGLY well! Had all my brushes clean and looking brand new in the time it normally would have taken to hand wash one brush. If you hate cleaning your brushes, then you need this product. So easy and fun! I only wish I would have bought this sooner!" —Tellie82

Get it from Amazon for $32.99.

10. A jewelry cleaning pen to make all your gems (real or not) sparkle so bright even your Claire's ring from middle school will turn heads.

amazon.com

Promising review: "Don't get me wrong — my wedding ring was gorgeous before. It did sparkle and still made me smile every day. However...after using this Diamond Dazzle Stik...*oh my goodness*! After one use my ring is absolutely breathtaking! I knew my ring got dirty now and then, simply from sweating and being outside in the elements. However, I never realized just how much dinge and schmutz marred my diamond until I cleaned it. It literally took my breath away with its fiery, dazzling brilliance!" —liltreeclimber

Get it from Amazon for $6.99.

11. A TikTok-famous pink cleaning paste to tackle everything from burnt-on food to scuff marks without endless, abrasive scrubbing that might end up doing more harm than good to the surface underneath.

amazon.com

It's made up of cleaning beads suspended in a gel, so it'll grind away at tough stains without damaging the surface beneath. It's suitable for use on most hard surfaces like ceramic tiles, barbecues, pots, pans, and more!

Promising review: "The stains I had on my stovetop would never come out with anything I used, until I got The Pink Stuff. Came in a little bit smaller container than expected but a little goes a long way. I usually just use a clean rag and scoop some on the rag and start rubbing in and in less than a minute my surface is clean. I rinse with water and leaves no residue! Also used to get out the hard dirt stains from the bottom of the built-in nonslip tub and presto, it's white again! Love this and will be getting more." —Judith Bisson

Get it from Amazon for $9.88+ (also available in packs of two).

12. A cleaning brush that can go where no sponge or rag has gone before. Its ultra-thin design can fit into those hard-to-reach window and door tracks and the handle doubles as a scraper for stuck-on debris.

Amazon

Promising review: "This is an amazing set of brushes. Don't be fooled by the low cost. The brushes are soft and long enough to get into tight spots but firm enough to hold up. They work amazing in those hard-to-clean aluminum window runners and sliding doors. I've used them to clean in enclosed fan blades, refrigerator vents, etc. They wash easily and with a bit of TLC they hold their shape. Always nice to find something so simple and inexpensive that works so well." —CNJ

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $6.48.

13. A pack of biodegradable foaming drain cleaning tablets to take care of all the out-of-sight grime clogging (and stinking) up your garbage disposal.

amazon.com

Promising review: "Never thought there was a product out there to specifically clean the disposer. In the past, I would use a lot of soap/cleaners and water, but this works WAY better. You can literally hear a difference in your disposer after cleaning with this product." —CPG RZ Review

Get a four-pack from Amazon for $4.10+ (also available in packs of six).

14. A set of slim cleaning brushes for thoroughly scouring the inside of each and every reusable straw in your arsenal. No more weird day-old smoothie bits, please and thank you.

Streel Straw / Etsy

Max and Julia are co-owners of Steel Straw, a small biz covering all your reusable straw needs.

Get a five-pack from Steel Straw on Etsy for $5.75 (available in two sizes).

15. A microfiber window blind cleaner with three blades so you can clean the tops and bottoms of two blinds at once, which seems a lot more effective than the current strategy of quickly running a regular feather duster against the blinds and calling it a day.

Amazon, amazon.com

This set includes four microfiber dusters and a tiered plastic base.

Promising review: "OK I'll be honest, I ordered this because of the price. After reviewing several other options and having been disappointed with previous dusters I've had, I figured why spend more money on something that isn't going to work? So I ordered the least expensive option but WOW does this little tool rock!!!! It's very easy to use and clean. It does a fantastic job of cleaning and dusting the blinds and gets ALL of the crud off of them. My blinds haven't been this clean since the day they were first installed. VERY happy with purchase." —Amazon Shopper

Get the six-piece set from Amazon for $8.99 (also available in green).

16. A flexible drain snake that might trick you into thinking you're a plumber with its "micro-hook" head and rotating handle for 360-degree removal. Just keep a barf bag nearby for when you pull up the wet, hairy clog living in your pipes.

Amazon, amazon.com

This pack contains a reusable handle and five single-use heads that you just remove and dispose of after handling your clogged pipes.

Promising review: "Wow. Best thing ever. Seriously. I have had tweezers and sticks and plumbers and chemicals trying to get my master sink to drain. Plumber even said I need an entirely new faucet to get the drain plug part because they don't sell those separately. Well, I have two sinks, a tub, and shower that all match so that was not a valid solution. Doubt I can find the same model. So I bought this thing. Stuffed it down, pulled up hair, and black muck. Did it about eight times quickly, ran the water, went right down the drain. Seriously. This is the best tool ever and the best $12 I have ever spent. Everyone with a sink needs this tool. Seriously." —juliejules

Get a five-pack from Amazon for $17.95.

17. A portable Bissel SpotBot for tackling all those "I'm never going to get this out" carpet stains brought to you by potty training puppies, cat vomit, and too-full coffee mugs.

amazon.com

This handy cleaning assistant has preset cleaning cycles that automatically spray, brush, and suction tough soaked-in stains. It's equipped with two hands-free cleaning modes, quick clean for fresh stains and deep clean for set-in stains, so you can just push the button to clean and go on with your day. It also includes a hose attachment if you really wanna put some elbow grease into it.

Promising review: "I was getting frustrated with my dog, (a 9-month-old Cane Corso...Google them, they are massive!) Anyway, he would run around in the yard and then immediately jump on our light gray sofas as soon as he got in the house! It was a nightmare trying to clean them. My coworker recommended the green machine. Saw this pet model and decided I should go for something a little bit more heavy-duty. It arrived early. Everything perfectly new, no damages I cleaned my sofa quickly and they look like new! The water was BLACK from all the dirt that came up. I LOVE this machine. I will be using it regularly for our sofas and may even use it to clean my car seats. If you are a pet owner, this should be in your closet." —Almondretto

Get it from Amazon for $179.

18. A fizzing Johnny Drops for when you want to give your toilet a cleansing spa treatment without all that unnecessary scrubbing. It's basically a bath bomb but for your porcelain throne.

JuniperseedMerc / Etsy

JuniperseedMerc is a Colorado-based small biz run by science teacher Tiffany Norton who creates all-natural cleaning, skincare, bath, and body products.

Promising review: "This is my second purchase of these so you can tell I totally love them. They work great and I just store them in a jar on the back of the toilet. Definitely can't say I’ve ever stored any other toilet cleaner out in the open." —Laura Wick

Get it from JuniperseedMerc on Etsy for $2.50+ (also available in a pack of five for $10).

19. A fume-free oven cleaner to cut through tough, baked-on grease and stubborn stains without making your home smell like a vat of chemicals.

amazon.com

Promising review: "This is great! I cleaned an oven that had not been cleaned in 30 years, and in one application the grime wiped right off!!!" —Sally A. Rossi

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $22.80.

20. A bottle of Goo Gone because no one should be subjected to scraping a sticky label off of the bottom of their brand-new mug. My heart and fingernails simply can't take it!

amazon.com

Goo Gone is safe on hard surfaces, carpet, and fabric! And it's not just for adhesive labels, but works as a scuff eraser, window sill cleaner, tar cleaner, crayon drawing eraser, and glue remover (aka anything sticky).

Promising review: "If you think you can just stick to using rubbing alcohol like I used to, worry no more! Just buy a single bottle of this miracle fluid and your life will never be the same again. I keep this in the bottom kitchen cabinet for removing those pesky low-quality labels that companies still like to use for some reason. Highly recommended! No, I'm not a robot. Just a really excited fellow human being who is totally not a robot." —Andrew

Get it from Amazon for $7.21.

21. A pack of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers you can use virtually anywhere to make your walls, tubs, windows, floors, and more look like new again. Now, that's a neat magic trick!

Amazon

Promising review: "This is as magical as unicorns!!! Buy NOW! I use it everywhere — walls, baseboards, mirrors, window panes, cupboards, floors, lamps, glass, faucets! Everything looks brand new. Just got red hair dye that had been there for over a year off the wall in a minute. Made shower glass look brand-new after five years of hard water stains. This is the cleaning magic wand you’ve always wanted." —Michela

Get a pack of 10 from Amazon for $12.48.

22. A fast-drying grout paint pen that'll help you cover up years of dingy staining in your tile cracks. Think of it like one of those adult coloring books — fill in the lines and bask in your ~artistic~ sensibilities.

Amazon, amazon.com

Promising review: "Holy cow! I never thought my stained grout would look so good! These pens are so amazing. After a little priming, they go forever! They cover very well and are super easy to use and cover the darkest of stains! I am buying four more to cover the rest of the house. The tip does not get into the very end of a line due to the border but I prime it a bit for excess paint and push it in with my finger. Also, this is great for those deep small holes or grooves that are in the tile that leave dirt spots that are almost impossible to get out. Just prime it over the hole and rub it in with your finer and wipe off the rest. I have very light beige tile and the beige color pens blend perfectly. I would NOT recommend white unless you have very white tile. This beige will blend well with white as well. Cannot beat it for the price and the amazing job this pen does. One pen will cover about a 3-foot-by-20-foot area, no problem." —NatJH

Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (available in additional colors).

23. A biodegradable liquid whitening detergent that'll brighten up your dingy white shirt without any dyes, artificial fragrances (just natural essential oils, here!), chlorine, and other harsh chemicals that are bad for the planet and sensitive skin, alike.

PUR Home

Founded in 2017, PUR Home is a Black woman-owned small biz run by Angela Richardson. Angela's own eco-journey led her to develop a line of non-toxic detergents, dish soaps, and other cleaning supplies all with the values of sustainability and minimalist in mind. All PUR Home products are plant-based, biodegradable, sulfate-free, non-toxic, and Leaping Bunny Certified.

Get it from PUR Home for $15.99 (available in three scents).

24. A hard water stain remover that'll take care of the questionable film making your shower glass look permanently foggy. Side effects might include running into your nearly invisible shower door — it'll be that clean.

amazon.com, amazon.com

It also works on a wide range of surfaces like stainless steel, brass aluminum, hard vinyl, chrome, and more.

Promising review: "I don't write reviews. Sorry just can't be bothered. But I have to speak about this product. I continue to be amazed at what it will clean...still finding new uses. Glass cooktop with burned-on food, tried all kinds of combinations of scrubbing implements and products. A few minutes with Bio Clean and the top looked like new. Professionally cleaned shower door, not soap scum, I thought it was acid etching. A few minutes and the glass is radiating clean! Inside of a well-cooked-on oven glass door, scrubbed for days...so, so. Few minutes with Bio Clean...shining almost like new. I am determined to inform those I know in the professional cleaning industry of this product. Absolutely worth every penny and I have just scratched the surface of what it can and will do in my home. Of that I am sure. Thanks for a wonderful product!" —Bb

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $29.97.

25. And for your kitchenware, a dishwasher boosting powder to prevent you having to dole out the usual disclaimer to guests of "I know that cup looks dirty but it's clean, I promise."

amazon.com

Promising review: "We have black dishes that are shiny and we live in Florida where the water is so hard you can practically sit on it. Anyway, we struggle with water spots. Our dishes were looking absolutely disgusting. I found that Bar Keepers Friend would take the hard water stains and marks off the dishes but then I was having to hand wash them. Ain't nobody got time for that! I am a busy person. I have a dishwasher for a reason. So I decided to give this stuff a go. Literally, the first time we used it every dish, bowl, and glass came out perfectly! We ran out of this stuff and once again the spots came back. So I ordered it again and now we have shiny dishes that not only are clean but actually look clean. And I once again have time to watch cats being startled by cucumbers on YouTube. I told you I'm a busy person." —Trishymania

Get it from Amazon for $5.97.

26. A nontoxic ink remover that'll expertly take on fabric's worst staining enemy — permanent markers.

amazon.com

Promising review: "Amodex took ink out of my expensive scrubs. A pen leaked in my pocket and made a thick glob of ink stain on the scrub jacket and a little on the pants. After using the Amodex and washing in cold water, there is no evidence of a stain and the fabric looks exactly how it looked before the stain. There was no damage or discoloration of the fabric. Thank you, Amodex. This product just saved me the $75 that it would have cost to replace the scrubs." —Michelle hammer

Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (also available in packs of two or three).

27. A jetted bathtub cleaner because have you ever thought about the gross grime hiding in your Jacuzzi jets? Now that you've been cursed with that thought, you're probably going to want to give your tub a rinse. Just fill it with water, pour the cleaner in, run your jets, and let the "yuck" seep out.

amazon.com

Promising review: "This stuff is seriously amazing! I am relentless about cleaning my tub because I use it so often and always get grossed out if I don’t. 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! The first photo (above) is with my tub running with the solution. Then I drained it (second photo) 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! See for yourself in the last photo! I’m so impressed!" —Chelsea

Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

28. A pack of Sticky Stakes to trap all the fruit flies, fungus gnats, and other bugs attacking your houseplants — and your sanity.

Amazon, amazon.com

BuzzFeed editor Heather Braga swears by these. In her own words:

"There is NOTHING more irritating than gnats or any other tiny insects invading your home. I have these Sticky Stakes in every potted plant I own and they actually really work! Each pack comes with seven traps, so feel free to stock up."

Get a pack of seven from Amazon for $6.99.

29. A powerful all-purpose cleaner concentrate that can be used to clean floors, clothes, cars, tubs, sinks — you name it! Just follow the included instructions and dilute with water accordingly. One bottle, endless possibilities.

Good Vibes All Purpose Cleaner

Good Vibes All Purpose Cleaner is a Black woman-owned small biz founded by Ymani Efunyale. After her own son suffered an asthma attack after accidentally ingesting a so-called "natural cleaner," Ymani went to work creating her own highly-effective, eco-friendly cleaners, which has grown into the business she has today.

Promising review: "Don’t be fooled by the beautiful, gentle scent, this cleanser is tough on grease without being harmful to the environment. I really didn’t expect such cleaning power because it smelled so good!!!" —Victoria Pantalone

Get it from Good Vibes All Purpose Cleaner for $10+ (available in two sizes).

30. A wood polish that conditions and protects wood with a combination of beeswax and orange oil, while hiding dings and scratches so you can turn back the clock on worn-out furniture.

amazon.com

Promising review: "This product is a MIRACLE! I can't believe how well it worked. Seriously unbelievable. One application and my coffee table looks great again. EASY to use, nothing special required. While I was watching TV, I used an old cloth/rag and spread it on. As easy as that. Nothing else worked on my abused coffee table, this stuff did. I HIGHLY recommend this product." —Carol L. Hill

Get it from Amazon for $14.99

31. A wine stain remover spray so you and your favorite blanket can forget all about that little mishap starring a bottle of pinot and an all-day Pretty Little Liars marathon.

amazon.com

This stain remover works on fresh and dried stains without forcing you to bleach anything. Plus, it also works on other tough stains like coffee, blood, ink, fruit punch, sauces, red medicine stains, and even any "accidents" your pets might've left behind.

Promising review: "I fell in love with this product some 15 years ago, and I am so very happy that it's still available in the same wonderful formula as ever. It has a fantastic citrus scent and takes care of any stain (not just wine) so fast and so efficiently, it's become a party trick. LOL. I have seriously poured red wine over a white comforter to demonstrate to a friend how great it is. It is a miracle in a bottle! We use it for all sorts of cleaning on materials around the house, and one bottle has lasted us years! This is definitely a product every home should have." —Melanie N

Get it from Amazon for $13.34.

Heading into the bathroom equipped with your new tools:

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

Make your life even tidier. Check out the best all-natural cleaning products for your home, the best bathroom cleaning products, organization products perfect for neat freaks, and, of course, our ultimate guide to cleaning every single room in your house.

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