We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A tub of The Pink Stuff which can clean anything you throw at it, be that pots and pans, stove tops, dusty range hoods, or grease-splattered backsplashes.
Check it out on TikTok here! And see what Shopping Editor Heather Braga has to say:
"After hearing what incredible things The Pink Stuff can do, I finally ordered it and tried it for myself. Honestly, wow! It really does work wonders. I tried it first on my Le Creuset cast-iron pan and really was amazed at how just one pass with The Pink Stuff (and a scouring brush) took off almost every stain! I can't wait to try it on literally everything in my home that needs a deep cleaning."
Promising review: "I finally decided to try The Pink Stuff after reading about it everywhere, and let me tell you, it lives up to its 'miracle' name! I've used it on everything from scorched pans to bathroom tiles, and it works like a charm, scrubbing away dirt and grime with minimal effort. It has a pleasant, not-too-chemically smell and you only need a small amount, so this tub is going to last ages. Plus, it’s pretty satisfying to see surfaces gleam after a quick go with this paste. It's become a staple in my cleaning routine and I've already recommended it to all my friends!" —Stan Da Man
Get it from Amazon for $5.97+ (available in two sizes).
2. A Dawn Powerwash kit to help cut through grease and caked-on messes. If you have a tendency to let things "soak" overnight, gift yourself a bottle of the good stuff.
What's included: One reusable spray bottle and three refills.
Promising review: "This is a wonderful cleaning item. I use it in my kitchen for pans and also on my granite counter tops and it works like a charm. I've also used it for sticky spills on my tile floor and it gets it right up with just the wipe of a paper towel. If you have an area that is hard to clean, this will do the trick." —Kindle customer
BuzzFeed Shopping editor Elizabeth Lilly says: "I live in an apartment without a dishwasher, and I honestly use that as an excuse to order takeout food instead of cooking. But, as soon as I got my hands on a bottle of this stuff (regular Dawn is my go-to dish soap, BTW), I put it to use on both a saucepan I used to make homemade enchilada sauce *and* the casserole dish I baked those enchiladas, which had a ton of caked-on food from sitting overnight. It really does work like I say it does! Like, scary well."
Get a set of four from Amazon for $16.63.
3. An Angry Mama microwave cleaner that, once filled with water and a dash of vinegar, will steam clean the grimiest of appliances. Hot Pocket grease, butter splatters, and burnt popcorn smells are no match for her.
4. Some Goo Gone kitchen degreaser sure to come in clutch when you finally work up the courage to clean behind your oven.
Promising review: "Works like a charm. The new design makes it much easier to spray a surface as it has almost a weight to the nozzle trigger so there is more pressure. Great product that I use for my kitchen. Excellent at removing sticky grease from cabinets, under the microwave, etc." —Josh S
Get it from Amazon for $14.65+ (available in three sizes and packs of one or two).
5. A pouch of foaming garbage disposal cleaner to eliminate the special stank that can only be produced after years of shredding up meat, produce, and whatever that mystery blob was that came out of your long-lost Tupperware.
Each pouch of lemon-scented formula gets you four uses. Dump a pack into your disposal (while off at first!), run the water just a bit, and then start it and watch as the blue foam gets to work eliminating odors and loosening up nasties that have been caught down there for who knows how long.
Promising review: "This disposal cleaner works like a charm. Gets rid of the nasty smell and cleans well. I know it's doing a great job cleaning because I can see the blue foam in both my sink drains during usage. I let the blue foam sit in the sink drains for 5 or 10 minutes before rinsing it. I just prefer to do that because I feel it makes the cleaner more effective. After doing so I just rinse the sink and disposal with fresh hot water and everything (including my stainless steel sink) looks and smells great!! I highly recommend it and will continue to use and buy as needed!!☆☆☆☆☆" —Natalie
Get it from Amazon for $3.78+ (available in packs of one, two, three, or six).
6. A tub of Scrub Daddy's PowerPaste — a naturally abrasive clay-based cleaning compound that can tackle dirt, lime scale, grease, food residue, soap, and whatever else is plaguing you.
PS: It comes with a Scrub Mommy so you don't have to purchase a sponge separately.
Promising review: "I'm in college and live with 13 other people, so our house needs cleaning all the time. I use the Power Paste and scrubber for everything! It comes with so much paste I feel like it'll last forever. I use it in our showers, sinks, stoves, and more. Works like a charm and I don't have to use 100 rags/paper towels, I only use this. HIGHLY recommend getting this!!" —Target Reviewer
7. An ~eco-friendly~ option with a blend of plant- and mineral-derived purifying and disinfecting ingredients including eucalyptus, lemon, and peppermint oils, pumice stone, and baking soda.
Everneat is a Fairfield, Connecticut–based all-natural cleaning shop from Claudia and Angelo Zimmermann. Their oven cleaner comes with a professional-grade metallic scrubber you can use to scrub your appliance before wiping it down with a microfiber cloth.
Promising review: "Like many I moved into a house with a used oven. Keeping the typical grease and cooking messes at bay over the years has been a challenge. Saw this product online and liked the non-chemical ingredients, and decided based on the reviews that it was worth a try. It's not cheap, but this is the only thing that got almost all the residue off my oven surfaces. Nice smell and didn't leave any scratches or marks. I highly recommend rinsing thoroughly and drying with a microfiber cloth for best results." —Irish Eyes
Get it from Amazon or from Everneat on Etsy for $19.99+ (available in a plastic or glass container).
8. A touchless vacuum you can sweep debris right into. No more song and dance with your dustpan trying to sweep up every last speck of dust.
Promising review: "I hate cleaning. I hated using the dustpan to sweep things up as I always seemed to leave behind residual particles. I bought this to help me keep the kitchen floor swept and it works like a charm. It is powerful and sucks up all things placed in front of it. It's making my life easier." —joy
Get it from Amazon for $140 (available in nine colors; clip the coupon for $20 off this price!).
9. A pack of Scotch-Brite stainless steel scrubbers that'll get you a whole lot further than a normal ol' sponge when it comes to scraping off all that black stuff on the bottom of your (uncoated, plz!) pots and pans.
Promising reviews: "I bought these to use after making Einkorn dough as it is super sticky. Does a great job! I’ve also used it on anything stuck on my stainless steel and works like a charm. Much more durable than S.O.S Pads." —Melise
Get it from Amazon for $2.62+ (available in packs of 3 or 24).
10. A set of reusable microfiber mop pads (yes, they're compatible with your Swiffer) so you can say goodbye to those single-use ones that are 1) expensive and, 2) not great for the planet.
They can be used wet or dry and on basically every type of flooring and even drywall if you're so inclined. Since they can be thrown in the wash, one microfiber pad can replace up to 100 single-use pads.
Promising review: "Works like a charm. I was looking to buy the disposables when I happened upon this and decided to give it a try. Wow. Does a great job on our hardwood floors. Afterwards, just wash it and you’re ready for the next time. Well made and durable, too." —Smiley
Get a set of two from Amazon for $7.99.
11. A pack of Affresh dishwasher tablets ready to cut through lime and mineral build-up like no one's business. Used once a month, the septic-safe formula will keep your dishwasher blissfully clean and odor-free.
Promising review: "I started getting white streaks all over my dishes. That never happened before. Thought it was my detergent and changed it, but no difference. I kept getting clean dishes with this weird white film on them. I'd wash them by hand, then put them back in the dishwasher, and white film again! Then I did an internet search to figure out what was going on. I found these tablets and gave them a try! And now my dishes are back to being spotless!" —Carey Holzman
Get six tablets from Amazon for $8.50.
12. A 20-pack of melamine sponges that may not have a fancy brand name, but clean just as well as their competitors. Simply wet the nonabrasive sponge, wipe down whatever kitchen surface needs some TLC, and then rinse it to use again!
Promising review: "I’ll honestly never buy the brand name ones again. These are half the cost and they last at least twice as long. They’re much thicker and I feel like they don’t shred as easily even when you have to use a lot of pressure." —Fabian
Get a 20-pack from Amazon for $14.95.
Want to know more? Read a former BuzzFeeder's full review of the sponges.
13. A drill brush kit you can attach to your drill/driver for the most REWARDING cleaning sesh ever — no elbow grease necessary.
Useful Products is a US-based small business established in 2007 by car wash owner, electrician, and former bodybuilder Anthony LaPolla that specializes in drill-cleaning brushes and attachments.
Each of the different brush colors indicates which tasks the brushes are meant for based on their bristle type, so be sure to check which one is best suited for whatever you need to for! Yellow is the “all-purpose” medium bristle, but some are softer and harder depending on what types of surfaces you’re cleaning (but none of them will scratch!).
Promising review: "I’m in love with this. I manage many apartment properties and finding people to do the cleaning has been tricky business. The ovens and stove tops are usually the worst, and I absolutely hate cleaning. I came across this drill attachment set and let me tell you it helped me tremendously! If it wasn’t for this drill attachment, I think my arms would have just fallen off trying to clean ovens as good as I did! My only con would be that it doesn’t have any extension of any sort so I really had my drill all up in that oven, but well worth it." —Faedaa
Get it from Useful Products on Amazon for $18.95 (available in six colors and stiffness levels).
14. A 10-pack of ultra-absorbent Swedish dishcloths that can replace rolls and rolls of two-ply paper towels. After you've wiped up the man-made (err, dog-made) pond next to their water bowl, just toss the cloth in the wash and it'll be ready for another go.
The cellulose and cotton cloths are soft when wet and slightly abrasive when dry so you can even use them to scrub down particularly stuck-on messes.
Promising review: "Incredible product! Go buy this now! I bought the product as a test drive to find ways to 'go green' in our household and was so pleasantly surprised! These are super tough on dishes and countertops but also so easy to wring out and keep using again! The hardest part is breaking the habit of reaching for a disposable paper towels! When they have been through enough just toss them into the washing machine and keep moving! Love, love, LOVE this product!" —Nichole Talarczyk
Get a pack of 10 from Amazon for $17.25+ (available in eight colors).
15. A stainless steel cleaner and polish sure to eliminate doggy nose prints, grease, and streaks from the outside of your appliances. They put in a lot of hard work so the least you can do is keep 'em shiny.
Promising review: "Amazing is all I can say about this product. I moved into my home with a stainless refrigerator as part of the sale and it had water spots, discoloration, and other film on it. This cleaner, after two applications, completely removed all of the mentioned stains and discoloration. My wife was very happy, and if she approved of this product then I had to write this review. Buy it now for all your stainless steel appliances." —G. Snow
Get it from Amazon for $19.95.
16. Or a pack of pH-neutral stainless steel wipes so you can ditch paper towels. Just 🎶 wipe, wipe, wipe it down, wipe 🎶.
Promising review: "I bought these last month to see if I would like them, they are my 32,393,657,697,047,241st product I have purchased for stainless steel in my kitchen. Hahahahaa not really, but I know I have bought over 100 products and none ever do what they say they will. ENTER WEIMAN STAINLESS STEEL CLEANER WIPES! This product is EVERYTHING and more. I have no streaks, no hand prints, just gorgeous shiny and clean stainless steel. You have made my life so much easier with these wipes. I am so thankful I found this product." —jaguar
Get them from Amazon for $4.98.
17. A biodegradable vegan dish block that can cut through grease and grime all over your home. Use the sudsy, dye- and fragrance-free formula to wash your dishes, spot clean your carpets and laundry, remove adhesive residue, and more. A single bar can last more than a month!
No Tox Life is a mother-daughter Etsy shop from Sandee Ferman and Callie Milford. Their Etsy shop currently only sells the vegan dish block, but on their website, you'll also find other vegan bath and home products.
Promising review: "Transitioning to more sustainable products isn't an easy process, but this Dish Block is so incredible. It's even better than traditional plastic bottled dish soap — very sudsy — a little goes a long way! I use this dish block with with a bamboo bristled brush and bought a bamboo block to put it on." —Daniela Velez
Get it from No Tox Life on Etsy for $13.98.
18. A nonabrasive cooktop cleaner with a cleaning pad and scraper that can get rid of burnt-on food, water stains, and persistent grease splatters.
The heavy-duty formula works on glass, ceramic, induction, radiant, and halogen stove tops.
Promising review: "When we moved in to our current rental it was clear that the previous tenants didn’t maintain the glass cooktop of the stove. I’ve tried many other products and a lot of elbow grease to clean it myself but nothing has helped, until this product! I saw it featured on a recent BuzzFeed article about superior cleaning products and I’m so glad I did. This is the only thing that worked removing years of baked-on filth." —James
Get the kit on Amazon for $16.48.
19. Or, if you're looking for something even more convenient, a Scotch-Brite glass cooktop pad you can use daily with just the addition of water. There are no chemicals involved, but somehow this lil' sponge eliminates burnt-on food and hard water stains without the risk of any scratches.
Promising review: "I did not expect these to work as well as they do, removing the glass cooktop mess with water alone. But we've purchased an extra pack to have around if and when the two in this box wear out. For the really bad cooked-on stuff, we still need the clay polish and non-abrasive sponge. But for most every-day cleanup, these work great." —Doug
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $9.48.
20. An easy-wring microfiber spin mop if you're just now realizing that you've neglected to give your floors a proper deep clean since you moved into your apartment, ohhhh, six months ago now?
Check it out on TikTok here!
Promising review: "This mop is super easy to use and works like a charm. It cleans quickly and leaves your house smelling great. Plus, you can add a small trash can or bucket to the mop bucket to keep your clean water separate from your dirty water if you want. Overall, the mop and bucket work great and make cleaning a lot easier." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $34.97.
21. Or a laminate-/hardwood-/tile-friendly microfiber mop with a two-chamber wringer bucket. One side washes your mop pad (a built-in scraper gets off gunk, too) while the other side squeezes it dry — no manual wringing necessary.
It also comes with ~three~ microfiber mop pads so you're never left hanging when one is in the wash.
Promising review: "I was looking for a set like this for a while but nothing looked right. So glad I found this one, it's a very high quality and it cleans very well. The bucket design is awesome, smart for storing, too, as it doesn't take up much space. I love the washing and drying sections, they really do the job right." —Vironika
Get it from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in various colors and sizes).
22. A handy dandy bottle of powdered Bar Keepers Friend that'll cut through years of dirt, hard water stains, and rust with such ease, reviewers say the only explanation is witchcraft.
The hardworking formula is safe for use on surfaces in your bathroom and kitchen — including cookware!
Promising review: "This stuff is like magic! Straight up wizardry. I love it! I initially bought it to clean my sink, which is porcelain and even though it's not even a year old, is just holding on to all the coffee and tea staining. I'd say it took less than a minute after making a paste with Bar Keepers Friend to clean the sink up to a nearly new shine. Taking a look at the can it's easy to find bunches of ways to use this stuff and each application is better than the last. Stainless steel, porcelain, ceramic, copper, brass, fiberglass, Corian, chrome and aluminum. See? Magic! Anyhow, I've used it in the sink, in the bathroom, to clean stainless steel pots and pans on a 17-year-old Revereware tea kettle (which I thought would never be restored to its former loveliness, BTW). This is a product that I will buy again and again and will happily recommend to anyone." —Nicci Stephenson
Get it from Amazon for $5.99+ (available in packs of one, two, or six).
23. An all-natural scouring paste sure to make every surface in your home ✨sparkle.✨I'm talking sinks, stove tops, grout, and — when you're done in the kitchen — even that annoying crevice on the back of your toilet.
Humble Suds is a small cleaning brand run by two moms — Holli Schuab and Jennifer Parnell — in Evergreen, Colorado. All of their products are made from powerful, plant-based ingredients and packaged with recyclable materials. They recommend applying a tablespoon of their scouring paste to a cloth and then scrubbing in a circular motion.
My Shopping team colleague Danielle Healy is a fan (she took the photos above!), saying:
"I recently moved into a new apartment, so lately I've been cleaning A LOT. Shortly after moving in, my partner and I went to store something on the top of the kitchen cabinets only to find them caked in a thick layer of grime 🤢. After going at it with regular multipurpose cleaner (with little success) we broke out the scour paste as a last-ditch effort and OH BOY did this miracle product deliver (pics above). If it can handle that grossness, it's going to have no problem with day-to-day messes like soap scum and burnt-on food. Plus, it smells delightful and comes in minimal, low-waste packaging!"
Get it from Humble Suds on Etsy for $15.95+ (available in two sizes).
24. And an all-natural lavender-scented cleaner that deodorizes and eliminates bacteria just like the best of 'em but without any irritating chemicals.
Reviews in this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.