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Mar 20, 2024

28 Things That'll Prevent Messes

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Now when you say it, it'll just be a humble brag.

BuzzFeed Contributor

The set comes with a 2-inch flat brush, a 4-inch flat brush, and a round brush. The drill isn't included, but you can grab a basic Black and Decker one ($27.83 on Amazon) that'll do the trick.

Promising review: "I thought my hard water stains would never come off my shower doors, but I bought this awesome brush set, and it's amazing! I’ve tried all the hacks — drier sheets, clean erasers, lemon, vinegar — nothing works like this brush! I used Zep shower cleaner with it! In the picture, the side on the right is the part of the door I cleaned, and I still have to clean the left side." —Traci D.

Get it from Amazon for $18.95 (available in six colors and stiffness levels).

Poketo is an LA-based, Asian-American-owned lifestyle shop from husband-and-wife team Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung.

Get it from Burke Decor for $38.

Promising review: "This is a wonderful product. I have an older dog who can't always wait until I get home from work so accidents occasionally happen. I have a Hoover Rug Scrubber and this product is very easy to use with my machine. Carpet Miracle works amazingly well on stains and odors, even those that have set for a while. I did the carpet in the 'room of shame' twice just to be sure, although for normal soil and odors once should be more than enough. It leaves behind a wonderfully clean, fresh scent, and the carpet feels and looks wonderful. I plan on continuing to use this product to keep my carpets clean and my home smelling fresh." —Vicky Faurot

Get it from Amazon for $19.97.

Promising review: "This product is exactly what I'm looking for. My closet feels more organized, and I can layer the purses based on most used. I love how sturdy it feels." —Li Luong

Get it from Amazon for $10.73+ (available in five shapes).

Promising review: "Pros: Fits under bathroom sink; all items fit well in the basket and on top; drawers make finding items in second self easy. Cons: the holes in the mesh drawer allow things to fall through; if items fall through, it prevents the drawer from moving freely, (line it with something, or only store large items)." —Mea

Get it from Amazon for $24.97 (available in two colors).

Promising review: "I've used these over the door organizers for summer sandals in the past and they'd always end up tearing either at the pockets or along the top by the metal grommets. I'm giving this organizer all it can handle and then some without any issue. Pockets are very sturdy (I wear size 10 women's sandals lol) as well as the material at the top where the door hangers are located. When the season is over, I'll put all of my sandals back in a tote and give this organizer a break. Excellent value and excellent price!" —Amy B.

Get it from Amazon $8.87.

Promising review: "Very sturdy. Very easy to put together. I like that you have everything you need to hang it over the door or attach it straight into the wood. Perfect size. It even has a soft coating on the inside of the handles. I was going to put my boxes of Ziploc bags in there but they don't fit. That would probably make the basket protrude too far anyway though." —Gretchen

Get it from Amazon for $16.97.

Promising review: "This is the best closet organizer. I originally bought a similar item that doesn't adjust, but this is 100 times better! Not only does it adjust vertically to fit whatever length of clothes, but it also adjusts its width, making it extremely functional no matter which closet you may want to use it in within your house. This makes it possible to switch and organize basically any closet!" —Cicee

Get it from Amazon for $16.97.

It has a cooler, two side pockets, a front pocket, and a place for tissues.

Promising review: "This is a great space-saver. I had a full-size floor version of this but when I had my second child I just didn't have the room for it. This is the next best thing — it adjusts to fit any seat, has a wipe holder, holds several bottles of water (or milk) — and keeps them cool in the summer. Holds snacks, gloves, baby books, or any number of small items in the other compartments." —Robert Weinberg

Get it from Amazon for $11.99.

Just measure your sink before buying!

Promising review: "I bought it. Got it yesterday and I love it. Expensive, yes.....worth it? Yes yes yes!" —Ctabanca

Get it from Amazon for $139.99.

Promising review: "Our new house was short on storage space and this really helps. It goes right between the refrigerator and the counter where the stovetop is located. I keep canned goods and other food items that will need the stovetop. It holds plenty of cans and with smaller cans, I can stack them two high. It pulls out easily." —Kathy G. Guevara

Get it from Amazon for $36.99+ (available in three sizes).

It fits up to 100 standard-sized tea bags!

Promising review: "It holds so many, the storage capacity is wild! It was able to clean up all of our various types of tea boxes and slim down the space. I should have bought this sooner." —BB

Get it from Amazon for $29.99.

You can also use it in your bathroom, bedroom closet, or office.

Get it from Amazon for $16.87 (available in two colors).

It also works on a wide variety of surfaces like granite, steel, fiberglass, marble, chrome, stone, metal, porcelain, brass, aluminum, stainless-steel, and hard vinyl.

Promising review: "Amazing product! This is the absolute first time I have written a review for Amazon and I shop A LOT! I have been looking for something to get the hard water spots off my shower door and this did the trick! I've used it on all my bathroom fixtures and they are sparkling. It makes me want to keep cleaning; it works that well. It's a plus that there are no fumes and it's safe to use without gloves! Product actually smells really good, like toothpaste. I've already told my family about it! Will definite buy again." —loveshoes!

Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

Just drop in a tablet with warm water and wait 15-30 minutes. Wash out and admire your sparkling container!

Promising review: "I actually found this product on a BuzzFeed article on things that you can’t believe you don’t already own. I figured I’d give it a shot as we have plenty of gross looking travel coffee mugs. I was not disappointed, in fact, I was blown away. I was amazed and even a tad disgusted at how gross they truly were." —Nanners1010

Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $8.

Hand and Homes is a small business based in Colorado. Be warned: They don't have a return policy.

Get it from HandAndHomes on Etsy for $44.10+ (available in two colors and three sizes).

Promising review: "I really love it. Living in a shoebox in NY, I constantly look for storage solutions. This design is incredible. It takes up so little footprint and fits perfectly between the toilet bowl and the wall, and is very functional. I hate having to go to the deli store to get a couple of rolls of toilet paper at a time. Now I can get 12 rolls at a time, though if you get the larger rolls, they won't come through the hole on the bottom. You will have to retrieve the larger rolls by removing the top, which is not a big deal. I put a wonderful Olavie diffuser and body scrub on the top, and it looks really nice. It's a must-have for any small apartment living!" —Ken H

Get it from Amazon for $56+ (also available in multiple quantities).

The Roll Keeper is a small biz based in Kelso, Washington that's run by Traci, who has over 40 years of crafting experience.

BuzzFeed writer Mallory Mower has one and loves it. In her own words:

"Before getting this I was driving myself up the wall with my bad folding habits. I basically shoved all my shirts into the storage drawers under my bed, because I have a teeny tiny closet (the picture above gives you a solid idea of how small it is). This has given me a massive amount of clothing storage I didn't have before. The quality is stellar and Traci is 10/10 the most thoughtful person I've purchased a product from!"

Get it from The Roll Keeper on Amazon Handmade for $23.99.

Promising review: "The only review you need to read! So I debated HARD about buying these and now I'm sad I didn't buy the four-pack. I got the two-pack because I wasn't sure these would work on my Swiffer WetJet. HUNNY THESE BAD BOYS ARE THE EFFING BEST THING ON AMAZON! Buy them. Buy them right now. I literally JUST used these to swiffer my bedroom and bathroom. These stuck to my swiffer so well I had to nearly pry them off once I was done. They are so absorbent. I swear those disposable pads will never be bought ever again. I am ordering more of these pads. They even came with a lovely handwritten note from the lady who owns the company. Honestly I have no idea why I waited so long. This was the best Swiffering ever. My floors seriously look cleaner. 20 stars." —ElleSoFresh

Get two from Amazon for $9.91.

You get a caddy with a wand and six disposable sponges. Simply attach the disposable sponge to the wand, scrub around the whole toilet bowl, and pop the sponge in the trash (you never have to touch it!). You can also get more sponges when you're done with the included ones.

Promising review: "So, we have a toilet that belongs to the cats. We don't use it, we don't look at it, we like to pretend it does not exist. Even with semi-regular flushing, cat waste is pretty nasty stuff and built up quickly in the bowl. One of these wands cleaned it up in a single session! Before-and-after pic attached (above)." —Whitney

Get it from Amazon for $11.98.

Promising review: "I LOVE LOVE LOVE these organizers!! I almost did not purchase them due to the reviews saying that larger than a C-cup would not fit into the bra organizer. At just $15 for four organizers I took my chances and ordered two sets of four. I figured, worst case scenario I would have to cut the dividers out of the bra organizers. I wear a 32DD and the bras fit beautifully in the organizers. I am so glad I took the chance and did not listen to the reviews. I would have missed out on the best cheapest organizers I have ever found. I ordered another set for tank tops and other extras I did not think of before. I will also order my boyfriend the brown ones for his drawers. Great product for a great price!" —Elizabeth L. Blackwell

Get a four-pack from Amazon for $12.27 (available in seven colors).

Just wet them and start scrubbin'!

Promising review: "I own a cleaning business and have spent a small fortune on the name brand. I clean everything from condo rentals to long term lease/residential rentals and I have had to clean unimaginable NASTY, I mean 'pics or it didn't happen' kind of nasty and these cut right through it. They work just as well as the name brand, if not better, and they seem to last a little longer!" —Keisha Marie

Get a 20-pack from Amazon for $13.95.

Promising review: "Goo Gone is one of those things that I somehow had never heard of until this year (though others have apparently had it in their households for years). When I saw it in this BuzzFeed post, my life was changed forever. I couldn’t believe I had lived for so many years without this stuff. So many presents were ruined by price stickers that wouldn’t peel off properly and so many reusable glass containers thrown away/recycled because I couldn’t get the sticky label off of them.

When I got my hands on a bottle, I immediately put it to test. A couple of days ago, I bought a really cool glass milk saucer from the MoMA store, but the product label left an ugly and sticky residue on it (why do shops allow stickers like this?!). I applied the Goo Gone, washed with soap and water, and voilà — the adhesive came right off, leaving my saucer crystal clear. Then, I cleaned off an old soy sauce container and turned it into a flower vase. And it can do so much more than just removing price stickers; the product description says it’ll work on candle wax, permanent marker, crayon, glue, gum, tape residue, adhesive, paint, tree sap, tar, etc. It’s also surface-safe and can be used on carpet and upholstery, clothing, and any hard surfaces — including glass, laminate, metal, wood, plastic, vinyl, windows, ceramic, granite, flooring, countertops, tile, and wood. And bonus: It smells nice and citrusy!

Since purchasing Goo Gone, I’ve cleaned off several candle tins, a Trader Joe's growler, and a kimchi jar previously marred by sticky labels — they can now be reused as pen holders and food containers! In fact, now I'm constantly looking around my apartment to see what I can Goo Gone (yes, I'm using it as a verb) and reuse. Definitely one of my best household purchases EVER." —Yi Yang, BuzzFeed Contributor

Get it from Amazon for $8.46.

Promising review: "Holy cow this is magic. I have a 230 pound mastiff. I have purchased any and everything claiming to get dog hair off car carpet. I have used at least three different vacuums and attachments. Lately I have been using a microfiber towel because it had some grip. Then this piece of magic arrived. It gets every single hair no matter how embedded. There were hairs I had a hard time removing with my fingers. The Fur-Zoff pulled them right out. This has cut my hair removal time in half! Thank you for this savior of a tool." —David R.

Get it from Amazon for $11.99.

These work on almost any surface: leather, fabric, furniture, hardwood, pans, metal, WHEREVER. And they'll clean up grease, oil, tar, dirt, ink, lipstick, nail polish, food, and a whole lot more.

Promising review: "I wasn't expecting much from these, but I'm pleasantly surprised. I work on cars a lot, and I don't like wearing latex gloves like so many others do. As a result, my hands get DIRTY. I usually use the orange stuff, but I got tired of the grit and having to wipe it off with paper towels (I don't have a sink within easy reach). So I thought I would try out these cleaning towels. I have to say, I'm impressed! They don't have any 'grit' on them per se, but they are just rough enough that they easily scrape off whatever grease I have on my hands. I'm sold on these." —thatguy

Get a pack of 90 from Amazon for $14.94.

Promising review: "THESE ARE LIFE-CHANGING. They even give you a hand pump to use in case you're taking the bags camping or just don't have a vacuum handy. I tested the pump to see how well it works, and it worked perfectly! Works just as well as a vacuum, just takes a little more effort pumping out the air. Using these bags, I got half my closet back! I used three bags to store ALL THE items in my closet including three large pillows and several thick blankets and comforters. I will most definitely be buying more; these are fantastic!!!" —Knastay

Get a six-pack from Amazon for $46.99 (available in five sizes).

Promising review: "I am in love with my magnetic spice jars! I recently moved to a small apartment and don't have the counter or wall space to store spices or a spice rack, so magnetic jars it was! I love how these have a decorative feel while providing a secure way to store the spices. Unlike other magnetic spice jars I feel that these add an extra flair to displaying your assorted spices" —rae.m.wri

Get a 10-pack of small jars from Amazon for $70 (also available in 24 small jars, 12 large jars, and 24 large jars).

Promising review: "Amazing product! I had bought this for a really good friend of mine as a gift and while it took awhile to come in (100% understandable given COVID), the sellers were amazing at responding to my questions and emails. The package came in and in excellent condition and very carefully wrapped so there were zero damages!" —Jade O.

Get it from Amazon for $87.99.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.