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    36 Home Improvement Essentials For Less Than $20 That'll Make A Noticeable Difference In Your Life

    Your place can look like an HGTV after-shot for less than 2,000 pennies.

    1. A swivel grout and corner brush in case you’re tired of getting on your hands and knees to to clean corners and grout line. This handy tool attaches to almost any broom handle, making it easy to reach all those pesky spots without breaking your back.

    2. Stair decals perfect for anyone looking to jazz up their stairs without breaking the bank or committing to a major renovation. Simply clean your stairs, peel off the backing, and press the decal onto the riser. It's that easy! In just a few minutes, you can take your stairs from drab to fab.

    the white and black chevron patterned riser

    3. An all-in-one spackle kit here to fix that hole in the wall you made when you decided to rearrange your whole bedroom at 3 a.m. This kit comes with everything you need to fill, smooth, and repair those pesky dents. Gone are the days of needing to be a DIY expert like Bob the Builder to tackle home repairs!

    4. A kit with power scrubber heads, which attach to your drill to do all the hard scrubbing for you — that way, you can save your elbow grease for popping open a bottle of wine after a long day of cleaning.

    5. A jaw-drop-worthy fireplace cleaner kit that won't make you crawl back under the covers at the thought of cleaning all that soot and grime. With this nonabrasive cleaner, all you have to do is apply, rinse with water, and wipe it off.

    A fireplace before using the kit, that looks like gray brick with a huge black stain from the pit to the top of the mantle. Then after the kit, with red brick and no stain

    6. A roll of vinyl tile stickers sure to brighten up your home and make you feel like you're on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This wallpaper is also renter-friendly since it doesn't leave behind any sticky residue.

    the white and blue Moroccan style tiles

    7. A hard-water stain remover for when you're getting ready for work and step into the shower just to be greeted with a...erm...not-so-pleasant sight. Apply this solution, let sit for a few minutes, and finally scrub away that brown stain that's been staring at you for weeks.

    8. A drawer organizer set capable of working wonders for your makeup vanity that's turned into a junk drawer. With just a little bit of effort, you can turn chaos into a Pinterest-worthy pic.

    the five compartment drawer organizer containing makeup products

    9. A hardwood floor cleaning spray that'll have your floors so sparking clean you could eat off them (please don’t try though). With just a spritz of this magical solution and a quick mop, your floor will shine brighter than a disco ball.

    10. foaming cleaner if “rank” isn’t a strong enough word to the describe the state of your garbage disposal. Not only does this cleanser get rid of that funky smell, but it also cleans the underside of the splash guard, which is often overlooked in the cleaning process.

    blue foaming cleanser pushing its way out of the sink drain
    Amazon

    You just pop the packet down the drain! Can't get any easier.

    Promising review: "Easy to use. I followed directions, and it works just like it says. I only use this once every month now. First use I had to do it twice (which it says if it hasn’t been cleaned in a while you may need to). Weekly I follow up with the Glisten garbage disposal freshener and that keeps my disposal working well and smelling great." —Lostbraincell

    Get a four-pack from Amazon for $8.16.

    11. Some ~vibe~rant color-changing light bulbs to add a little spice to any room with your fingertips. Program them to change with the beat of music and even control the intensity all from your phone.

    12. A set of gold cabinet handles, aka one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to upgrade the look of your kitchen. It's as simple as unscrewing your old boring handles and screwing in your new, elegant golden ones. And at a price point of around $1.65 per handle, you can't beat a complete kitchen transformation for under 20 bucks.

    The reviewer opening their cabinet with the gold handle
    The reviewer's kitchen cabinets with the gold handles.

    Promising review: "These look great in my kitchen, adding a nice modern touch to my cupboards. Easy to install and true to size. I never had a single screw that went in crooked or too tight. A great buy for the money and comparable to other handles I've seen at twice the price. Very pleased. Obviously, if you are worried about them being too lightweight, then go ahead and spend the extra 3 or 4 dollars to buy solid handles. Personally, I think these hollow handles look just the same as the expensive ones, and they are sturdy enough to hold up for many years. Thanks Probrico!" —Amazon Customer

    Get a set of 10 5-inch pulls from Amazon for $18.69+ (available in four finishes and 12 lengths).

    13. A sheet of stick-on sound dampeners so slamming cabinets don't expose you during your midnight snack raid. These little stick-ons act as cushions to silence the sound of cabinet doors closing.

    14. Vintage country life-themed peel-and-stick wallpaper for an instant interior design pick-me-up. And the best part is that you can apply it anywhere! Want to add a little charm to your bathroom? Check! Want to give your kitchen a cozy farmhouse feel? Double check!

    15. An automatic scrubbing brush that's an absolute game changer for scrubbing away the grout between your kitchen floor tiles with ease. You don't have to go full Cinderella mode with a manual toothbrush.

    16. A squeegee broom when it seems like fur is embedded into your carpet no matter how many times you vacuum. This durable rubber head also works on wood and linoleum to attract hairs with ease. Plus, it features a built-in squeegee, perfect for cleaning up any spills or messes your fur baby may have left behind.

    Reviewer using the squeegee brush to clean pet hair off of their carpet

    17. A flexible vent-cleaning brush designed to easily maneuver through the tightest spaces, preventing damage to your dryer and keeping it running smoothly.

    Reviewer's picture of the vent-cleaning brush next to a large pile of lint

    18. A pack of dishwasher cleaning tablets, because you wouldn't shower in a dirty bathroom, so why would you eat off of plates that were cleaned in a dirty dishwasher? Just pop these in and run a cycle like normal, then sit back while it scrubs away all the gunk and grime.

    Promising review: "My brand new LG dishwasher has stopped draining on several occasions. I recently noticed that there was an egg-ish odor and I had no clue how to fix this without hiring someone to come out for a service call and drop a minimum of $100. I bought this product, used once (put on very bottom of dishwasher) and ran without dishes. Very happy to see that the water was gone and my machine smells great. DEF worth buying because I think it unclogged pipes or something." —rebecca cohen

    Get a pack of six tablets from Amazon for $8.95.

    19. And some for your washing machine in case the same machine that you use to clean your undies and the pee-drenched doggy bed could use some TLC. Trust me, you won't regret it.

    20. A multipurpose cleaner that'll be endlessly useful all around the house. Think: floors, counters, walls, windows, tubs, sinks, literally any surface you can think of!

    three bottles of the cleaner in scents frankincense and myrth, sandalwood, and nag champa

    21. Light-dimming sheets made to cover overly bright LED lights on your appliances and power strips. No more squinting or shielding your eyes when you're trying to relax in your dimly lit room.

    22. A grill scrubber that doesn't require hours of elbow grease to remove BBQ remnants from last year's Fourth of July.

    Close up image of the scrubber cleaning a grill

    23. A jar of top-selling lemon-scented toilet bombs with the power to do the dirty work for you, bubbling away at that yucky ring until it disappears before your eyes.

    the jar and round toilet bombs

    24. A bottle of plant-based Therapy Premium Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish if you're tired of seeing handprints, paw prints, and everything else all over your stainless steel appliances. Just a few swipes of this is all that's standing in between you and smudge-free surfaces.

    BuzzFeeder before and after photo showing a stainless steel fridge, with one door covered in streaks and fingerprints and the other looking streak-free after being cleaned
    BuzzFeeder holding a bottle of stainless steel cleaner
    Britt Ross / BuzzFeed

    You'll also get a large microfiber cloth with the bottle.

    My former colleague Britt Ross says, "I don't know what kind of fairy dust this plant-based spray is hiding inside, but it made my mucked-up fridge sparkle within a MINUTE! I was skeptical when I first sprayed it onto my fridge because it took a second for the streaks to start fading, but lo and behold, there was *zero* residue left behind after a super brief wipe sesh. Once I saw how downright dazzling my fridge looked, I decided to put it to the ~real~ test — my filthy dishwasher. Again, a minute of buffing with a microfiber towel was enough to make it look like a brand new appliance, and it worked wonders on the greasy stainless steel edges of my oven, too. Oh, and it legit smells like lavender, which makes me look forward to cleaning! I can confidently say I will never be without at least two bottles of this magic spray in my house for as long as I live."

    Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in two sizes and a two-pack).

    25. A set of microfiber cloths to quickly dust down any visible surface without leaving streaks. You'll be left with a sparkling clean home in no time!

    26. Howard Products wood polisher that'll restore your wood surfaces to their natural beauty, which keeps your entire space looking fresh, clean, and sleek.

    Reviewer image of stained wood without use of polish and clean wood with use of polish

    27. A broom and mop organizer, aka the missing piece to your cleaning puzzle. This handy little contraption is a game changer for anyone who wants to keep their cleaning tools organized and easily accessible. No more digging through a pile of brooms and Swiffers to find the one you need.

    reviewer photo showing the organizer with a broom, Swiffer, and even a drill attached to it

    28. A tub of internet-beloved The Pink Stuff all-purpose paste, capable of cleaning and removing stubborn stains and dirt from surfaces such as sinks, cookware, tiles, and more WITHOUT the need for elbow grease. Using The Pink Stuff can restore the shine and cleanliness of your home, making it look newer and fresher.

    29. A powerful cooktop cleaner kit that'll make your glass top look like new with just a little elbow grease. With the help of the included razor and a non-abrasive cleaning pad, you can scrape and buff all the crud away, leaving a sparkling flattop behind.

    Reviewer
    Reviewer
    Reviewer photo of the three-piece cleaning kit

    In addition to a heavy-duty cleaning solution and polish, this set includes a non-abrasive cooktop scrubber as well as a cooktop scraper that reviewers say is the *game-changing* element of this kit (and won't scratch your stove's surface).

    Promising review: "I really didn’t think that there was much hope for my stovetop to look good again. It had years of burnt-on grime that no other cleaner could touch. I read the reviews for this product and decided to give it a try. Well, I am blown away! It does everything it says in a matter of minutes, and with minimal effort! My stove top is gleaming, just like in the product picture. Note what others have said, unscrew and turn the blade around if you use the scraper. It did not scratch the surface at all. I couldn’t be happier!" —Wisegirl

    Get it from Amazon for $19.98.

    30. A stackable cutlery organizer to turn chaos into order faster than you can say "spork" 🙌🏽. No more knives mixing with forks, spoons hiding in the shadows, or trying to figure out where the heck your chopsticks are.

    Reviewer photo of cutlery neatly organized

    31. A roll of vinyl contact paper that can give your basic apartment a luxe top-floor penthouse feel. And! You can rest easy knowing your new look will last, because the paper won't bubble up on contact.

    32. Some waterproof screen repair tape here to fix any hole, big or small. Even if it starts raining cats and dogs outside, your screen will stay intact.

    33. A convenient cable management sleeve because nobody wants to see a bunch of cords just hanging out. (It's like trying to watch a movie, but all you can focus on is the mess behind the TV.) This sleeve unzips so you can wrap it around your bundle of cords, making your space look sleek and tidy.

    34. A drain snake that can pull out enough hair to make a wig. You, my friend, just saved yourself a FAT plumbing bill.

    35. A wood repair kit because no one has the time and money to constantly replace furniture. Not only does this magical elixir make your wooden furniture look shiny and new, but it also acts as a protective coating. That means you won't have to worry about pesky scratches or water stains running your beautiful pieces.

    36. A door draft stopper made to fit snugly at the bottom of your door, sealing off any cold air that dares to disturb your cozy, warm sanctuary. It's like a little security guard for your home's comfort.

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