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    32 Practical Things For The Renter Who Likes To Be Prepared

    Gather 'round the campfire and listen to the tale of a renter who was refused their security deposit because of a dirty oven.

    1. "Bacon Bin" everyone can pour leftover bacon grease into for later use in whipping up some delicious food. What a cute way to prevent sink plumbing problems!

    bacon grease being poured into the red bacon bin, which is next to a plate of bacon
    Amazon

    Check out a TikTok of the bacon bin in action. 

    Talisman Designs is a small business that specializes in at-home cooking and entertaining products. 

    Promising review: "This little piggy works perfectly for storing or discarding the grease created from cooking. You can either store the grease/ lard in the container for future use, or as I do, pop the pig in the freezer for a bit, then dispose of the solidified grease. Would buy again." —Amazon Customer

    Get it from Amazon for $20.99.

    2. A bag of FryAway cooking oil solidifier that'll transform used oil into a solid that's super easy to throw in the trash. Again, let's not pour that stuff down the drain!

    A before and after pic of oil that got solidified
    A bag of powdered fryaway

    FryAway is a US-based small business specializing in planet-friendly cooking waste solutions. 

    Promising review: "I will always keep this stocked in my house! My husband sent me a TikTok, I know I know, and I thought it couldn't hurt to try it out. I loved after the first night! I could easily remove the hardened oil and throw it out." —Roberta

    Get it from Amazon for $12.99

    3. A jar of the The Pink Stuff — a TikTok-famous cleaning paste made to handle all kinds of sticky, stuck-on situations like this nasty-looking kitchen faucet. This'll seriously come in handy even if your roomie has gotten better about cleaning as of late. Sometimes you just need a new product to get halfway excited about doing chores. 

    Promising review: "I need this in bulk!! I have tried so many cleaning solutions to get out hard cooking stains on my stovetop and nothing worked! This stuff took it right out without a problem!!" —Micaela Gunderson

    Get it from Amazon for $5.97.

    4. Green Gobbler Drain Clog Dissolver that'll do a far better job of clearing your bathroom or kitchen drains than the super well-known brand you usually grab. Because clogs never happen at convenient moments. And sometimes your landlord or super can't stop by to help out when you need it. 

    My bathroom sink tends to stop up far too easily and this does a drastically better job of clearing the gunk than Drano or Liquid Plumbr. I also love that it's noncorrosive (I live in a pre-war apartment building with old pipes) and odorless (no one loves feeling like a bug being fumigated in their own home)!

    Promising review: "OK... So I have to do a little review on this product BECAUSE I have had a stopped-up kitchen sink and have LITERALLY tried EVERYTHING down to the industrial products with NO luck. I decided to go on Amazon and read a few reviews. This is the one I decided to go with. I only used one chamber, let it sit for an hour, and then used boiling water. My sink is NO LONGER stopped up!!! I saved a plumber bill and this was $11.97. HUGE win for this woman!!" —Tabpeach

    Get it from Amazon for $11.97.

    5. Fridge bin liners can absorb extra moisture in an effort to keep your produce fresher for longer. PLUS, they'll catch the brunt of messy spills and will be so much easier to clean than taking a drawer out of the fridge and awkwardly scrubbing it down in your sink (or the dishwasher you do NOT have). I've done that before and it's not great!

    crisper bin in a fridge with the liner in it
    Amazon

    Promising review: "Keeps my refrigerator looking clean and fresh. Especially like the gray pattern which goes nicely with a stainless steel refrigerator. When something spills, It's much easier to wash these pads than scrub your refrigerator. The pads don't last forever but they can be washed three or four times before I recycle them into cleaning rags." —CardFan133

    Get a three-pack from Amazon for $9.49.

    6. Some dishwasher-cleaning tablets will get rid of residue that ends up creating odor and buildup on your dishes. You were lucky to score an apartment with a dishwasher but if it's not super effective, what's the use?! These are honestly so cheap that you'll wanna *add to cart* rather than texting your super to come by for a look. 

    reviewer's before pic of inside dishwasher with buildup
    reviewer's after pic of inside dishwasher without buildup

    Promising review: "After using this product, I am happy to report that my $5 investment saved me over $500. I was ready to replace my dishwasher due to super cloudy glasses, residue, and dishes just not getting clean. Then, I became aware that the water softener was no longer doing its job so I had the rental company replace it. Dishwasher performance improved somewhat. I decided to do two more loads before deciding to purchase a new one. Then I saw a product test review for Affresh. I was ordering some stuff from Amazon anyway so I added that to my order. When it came, I tossed one of the tablets into the bottom of the full machine per the instructions and ran the regular cycle. I did not expect the results I got! The glassware that I thought was permanently etched and ruined came out like new. Same with cutlery. The difference is unbelievable. I will use this faithfully every month, as recommended. I can even put it on my subscribe and save order so I will get a new pack every six months. I am amazed!" —Sheila

    Get them from Amazon for $8.99.

    7. A bottle of non-toxic Folex Carpet Spot Remover to make all sorts of horrific stains disappear quickly. *And* there's no rinsing or vacuuming involved. Congrats! That spilled jar of marinara won't impact your security deposit!

    To use, apply to the stain, gently agitate with your fingers, and blot with an absorbent cloth. This is non-toxic and should be non-irritating on the skin!

    Promising review: "I had terrible rust and oil stains all over the seats of my car when I bought it. I tried other cleaners to get it out, but they actually made the stains darker. I took it to the dealership to see if they could get it out and they flat out told me no, so I gave up and lived with it for almost five years. I tried this after it was recommended by a friend. I sprayed it on and literally watched the stain run right off my seat. It was amazing! I thought I was going to have to pay hundreds of dollars to replace the seats in my car because nothing else would work. This stuff really is awesome!" —Brittany

    Get it from Amazon for $6.65.

    8. mold and mildew removal gel that'll reverse the clock on your shower surround in a mere six hours. (Can't wait for Cher to drop that remix.) 

    Promising review: "It’s a little hard to squeeze but that totally makes up for the AMAZING results. I was embarrassed about our tubs because the people we bought our house from didn’t caulk or seal them properly and this resulted in mildew buildup. I tried EVERYTHING until I saw this on TikTok, I believe — MIRACLE FREAKING WORKER. I will be buying more, the only complaint I will ever have is the shipping got mixed up but that is not a problem and was fixed very easily!" —Brooklyn Nguyen

    Get it from Amazon for $14.99.

    9. A pack of reusable produce-saving bags can finally be a solution to keep your fruits, veggies, and cut flowers fresh for much longer — which means you'll actually get to enjoy them before they go bad AND avoid fruit flies buzzing around your cookspace.

    A customer review photo of the green food storage bag wrapped around a banana without spots, next to a banana without that's covered in spots
    A customer review photo of the pack of bags

    Promising reviews: "We decided to do a little test. One banana in a bag and one out, same location in the kitchen. This was after nine days you can see that’s there’s a distinct difference in the bananas. Amazing product!" —Trio Mum

    "Purchased for my 85-year-old Mom. She complained about throwing out produce because she didn’t use it quickly enough. Her friend at senior living uses these bags and swears by them, said lettuce lasts for a couple of weeks and bananas for up to three weeks. Think they will save her money." —melcat

    Get a 20-pack from Amazon for $11.99.

    10. carpet cleaning solution with results so impressive (just cast your eyes below this text!) that you may have to bleep out your own reaction. Remember when your carpet was beige instead of greige when you moved in?

    It's from a family-run small business that specializes in cleaning products, especially ones for homes with pets!

    Promising review: "After reading the reviews I thought I could at least try it, and holy smokes, this is a miracle cleaner!!! I think I have tried every cleaner on the market for pet stains and nothing ever really works on my carpets. Even if I get it off the top, it somehow comes back up. My crazy dogs hate the rain and they have one spot that they always go on when they decide they are not going outside. I have cleaned the spot probably 100 times. I cleaned this area one time with this cleaner and my spot steam cleaner and it is completely gone! The stain and smell are 100% gone, not just covered up like before, completely and absolutely gone. Miracle cleaner for sure!" —PLLane

    Get it from Amazon for $16.97.

    11. A bottle of leather conditioner to revive your leather goods *even* as large as a leather couch! This'll especially come in handy for folks renting a place that came with leather furniture. 

    a reviewer's couch cushion half clean and half stained
    a different reviewer's sofa half clean and half dirty

    Promising review: "I bought a sorta white leather sectional for $150 stained and dirty but no major wear or tears. Well, the pictures tell it all! It took at least three cycles of gentle scrubbing and wiping off raised dirt and a little extra for bad stains! A lot of elbow grease but holy crap! Super nice couch now!" —iPoutside365

    Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in two sizes).

    12. Some powerful stain remover can erase the likes of spills, wine, and even Sharpie marker(!!!). As you can see, it even works on suede furniture. Now you'll no longer have that "mystery" stain in your arsenal for your next argument. 

    reviewer pic of brown suede couch with black sharpie marks on it
    reviewer pic of brown suede couch cleaned with the cleaner

    Promising review: "My baby niece Sharpied my orange suede couch. Didn’t think it would ever come out. This stuff is amazing." —levi schofield

    Get a two-pack from Amazon for $4.99 (available in various sizes and multipacks).

    13. An expandable under-sink kit that'll fit around awkward pipes in the kitchen or bathroom while giving some sturdy ground to those bottles of cleaner you can quickly grab once a spill or mess happens.

    reviewer's pic of under bathroom sink with jumble of cleaning products
    the same under the sink now organized with a shelving unit

    Promising review: "Great product for a great price. Very sturdy, but lightweight and small — under my bathroom sink is *very* small, and the metal frame is thin enough that it doesn't take up much space, and of course it allows me to utilize the empty vertical space instead of shoving things all the way to the back wall. I might rearrange the shelves, but it's just held with screws on each end so that's easy enough to do-comes with two supports for two shelves, but you can choose from four heights/positions. 👍🏻 Might need to order a second for under the kitchen sink..." —Jennifer Mowry

    Get it from Amazon for $22.87 (available in three finishes).

    14. An all-natural scouring paste here to tackle any sticky and gross surface seemingly beyond help. It works on grout, sinks, tubs, all kinds of icky nooks and crannies. 

    a reviewer photo of a cabinet top covered in a layer of grime and dust and text reading
    a reviewer photo of the same cabinet now clean and text reading
    Danielle Healy / BuzzFeed

    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 $14.35+ (originally $15.95+; available in two sizes).

    15. A no-scrub weekly shower cleaner that you simply just spray on after you shower, wait 8–12 hours while it tackles mold and mildew stains, soap scum, and just about any gross grime without you having to scrub. Your shower may not have been in the best shape when you moved in, but you don't have to live with it. 

    reviewer's pic of a nasty dirty looking bathtub
    same reviewer's tub that's almost completely clean

    Promising review: "This product is so easy to use. As you can see from the pictures, my bathtub was staying pretty good. The guy that owned the house before me used Ajax to clean it so it has almost no enamel left on it and it’s probably the staining and nothing could get it out until I bought this. After 4 8-hour applications you can see the difference. I highly recommend this to everybody and once it’s completely clean I’m gonna go on the once a week application. I actually bought another bottle for my dad and mom." —Domenick R. Stamegna

    Get it from Amazon for $20.52.

    16. A drill brush cleaning kit you can attach to your drill/driver for an informercial-like cleaning sesh at the flip of a switch that'll have you seeking out all the dirty surfaces you've been ignoring.

    reviewer pic of the brush on the drill
    reviewer
    reviewer

    Includes three brushes that'll attached to a standard handheld drill. The white is a soft bristle, best for wheels, carpet, upholstery, glass, and leather; the yellow is a medium bristle, best for bathroom, bathtub, shower, tile, and porcelain; the green is a medium bristle, best for kitchen, stoves, cabinets, countertops, and linoleum; the blue is a medium bristle, best for boats, pools, canoe/kayaks, hot tubs, and plastics; the red is a stiff bristle, best for outdoors, siding, brick, garage, and gutter; and the black is a hard bristle, best for grills, loose paint, furnaces, ovens, and industrial use.

    Drill Brush is a small business based in New York!

    Promising review: "I’m in love with this. I manage many apartment properties and finding people to do the cleaning has been tricky business, so I end up having to get in and clean these horrendous filth pods tenants lived in and left me to deal with when they move out. 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! I still had to get in with a putty knife on some of them but it really cut down my elbow-grease time. If it wasn’t for this drill attachment, I think my arms would have just fallen off trying to clean it 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." —alicia haats

    Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in six bristle types).

    17. An MVP-worthy pet urine stain–removing spray so you'll turn back time on that ancient stain in the hallway outside your bedroom. You love your puppy roommate, but TBH, they're wreaking havoc on your carpet. 

    Reviewer image of a stained carpet
    Reviewer image of same carpet now clean

    Rocco & Roxie Supply Company is a family-owned small business established in 2013 that specializes in pet odor eliminators, pet toys, pet snacks, and pet accessories.

    Promising review: "I don’t know how I ever survived without this. There’s tons of 'pet stain/odor remover' products out there, but this by far is the absolute best. I cringed paying the $20 for it when others are between $5–$10, but I have NO ISSUES paying now. I foster dogs, some puppies, some older, some not house broken and every room in my house is carpeted except the kitchen which means I have lots of accidents. I spray enough to saturate if it’s a lot of urine, let it soak for 10 minutes then wipe it up with a hand towel. Then I put a larger towel on top of it if it’s in a high-traffic area until it’s completely dry. It’s taken out every stain and more importantly the odor is gone! I will never stop buying this product. I recommend it to everyone who has dogs!" —Shelley

    Get it from Amazon for $19.97.

    18. A bottle of Goo Gone foaming spray to help you win the good fight against the greasy spillage from that frozen pizza your roomie left in the oven a bit too long. 

    Reviewer photo of dirty oven before using Goo Gone cleaner
    Reviewer photo of dirty oven after using Goo Gone cleaner

    Promising review: "Wow! A degreaser that actually works! I love the foam, which starts to work immediately on my stove top as well as cookware and other kitchen surfaces." —P. Webb

    Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in two sizes).

    19. A "Shower Cat" just might be the fun new TikTok find that'll convince your roommate with flowing mermaid-like locks to clean up after themselves on hair wash days. You simply place loose hair in it and then easily toss later. 

    A small bristled silicone attachment on a wall with white cat-like ears
    Reviewer using the device to put hair in and pull it out

    Shower Cat is a small business established in 2021 specializing in products to prevent shower clogs. 

    Promising review: "I first saw this product on TikTok and I knew immediately that I needed it. I just moved into a new apartment and I didn’t want to be how I used to be, where I’d just let hair go down the drain and plug it eventually, or peel it off of the drain after each shower. It works great but I probably need some practice with it. I currently just floss my hair through it so it will hold them and there are a few stray hairs that don’t stick. I would recommend to anyone who is tired of putting your loose strands of hair on the shower wall." —Cari Schwartzkopf

    Get it from Amazon for $14.95

    20. And a good ole TubShroom that'll catch any hairs that escape your grasp. 

    reviewer pic of hair and lint caught on the TubShroom
    another reviewer's pic of all the hair pulled off the TubShroom

    This little wonder fits inside of the drain and you can easily remove it and pull off hair at least once a week. You'll even enjoy how grossed out seeing all that hair makes you!

    Promising review: "I was skeptical, but for a few bucks I gave it a go. I'm lazy and I live with two ladies (who are also lazy). The tub drain doesn't get addressed nearly enough. I'd usually be the one pulling nasty balls of long hair out of the drain catch just so the tub would actually drain during a shower EVERY DAY. With this bad boy, once a week and you don't even notice a slow down in the drainage." —Jason

    Get it from Amazon for $12.67+ (available in six colors; also in a sink version).

    21. A reusable pet fur remover might just have you tossing your old sticky roller after you see how much fur this reusable one (it has a sturdy brush system) picks up off your beloved couch that both you and your cat roomie basically live on.

    GIF of reviewer using the chom chom roller to remove fur from a couch
    reviewer image of a chom chom roller open to reveal all the collected pet hair inside

    Promising review: "I have a golden retriever and the shedding is out of control. My fabric sofa is constantly covered in hair and I finally decided to try this after reading an article about popular TikTok products. The reviews do not lie, this thing works magic!! I wish I had taken a before and after picture because the difference is noticeable. I watched the video tutorial before I tried it to ensure I was using it properly and everything he says is true, you do really have to put your arm to work with vigorous back and forth movement! However, I find it's a great arm workout and it works wonders." —Joanne Ertel

    Get it from Amazon for $28.95

    22. And a rubber squeegee broom (with a telescoping pole) to get DEEP down into the pile of your carpet to unearth pet fur. TBH, this sounds like work but once you get a couple of passes in and it starts to unearth all the fluff you're going to go IN on it for some super satisfying results like this.

    Promising review: "We got a mature golden retriever last year and were told he didn't shed. Then in the spring he started shedding badly. I found this product on a whim one day and ordered it. It was tough at first. The bristles pulled the hair up but then caught the tufts and spread them around. I found that using short, quick strokes with the rake turned upside down got the best results. The backside is more like a squeegee and helps pull the hair up in long rolls and keeps the hair in one big pile." —Nick V.

    Get it from Amazon for $16.98.

    23. Stove counter gap covers to keep pesky crumbs within sight instead of down between your cabinets and appliances. Let's avoid future bug problems if possible. 

    close up of the black strip on the edge of the stovetop that blends in with the black oven
    overall pic of a stove top with the strips in place and blending in with the convection stove top

    Promising review: "This product serves its purpose, keeping spills and crumbs from settling in between my new cabinets and stovetop. Only issue I had is my clearance between the two is barely enough space to seat the lip underneath to keep product in place. In front I have enough clearance, but about midway stove and back I have no clearance. Ended up having to cut the lip off underneath just to get it to lay flat. That’s not the products fault, it was the countertop installers that made it a little too tight. Easy to cut these to length, and they look nice next to the stovetop." —Flwrchd

    Get them from Amazon for $8.92.

    24. And stove burner covers that'll do the same for you up top. And you can even run them through the dishwasher!

    Promising review: "I've used these for several months and love them even more! Stainless steel stoves show every little spatter, but they disappear on these burner covers. The covers are very easy to wipe off. They're also durable; I only have had to replace one after spilling wax on it. Highly recommended." —Mary R.

    Get an 8-pack from Amazon for $13.99.

    25. Non-stick oven liners can clean up spills without *actually* having to clean your oven.

    view of oven with grease from pizza dripping onto the liner
    Amazon

    Anything that prevents your smoke detector from *rightfully* going off is a gift from heaven. It's really starting to annoy your dog.

    Promising review: "I have a non–self cleaning oven for the first time in decades. After having an apple pie spill over and spending more than an hour cleaning it up, I purchased these oven liners. What a time saver. The are easy to cut so they fit perfectly. Because I have a visible heating element, the liner goes right on the oven floor, under the heating element." —Kimberly Barnes-O'Connor

    Get a three-pack from Amazon for $12.99.

    26. A ~streamlined~ door draft stopper that'll keep seasonal gusts from coming in under the door so you can better regulate your interior temps (which is a good idea whether you or your landlord foots the bill for HVAC). Plus, it'll help block out some noise that your live-in landlord or neighbors may complain about. 

    reviewer pic of white door with barely noticeable door draft stopper at the bottom
    reviewer's close up of white door draft stopper on the bottom of the door

    Promising review: "So easy to set up! All you do is peel tape and adhere to a CLEAN and DRY door. Also looks great, I don't even notice it. I had a huge gap under my door. I could smell and hear everything from the hallway. Smells, drafts, and sound all are less of an issue now." —Brit B.

    Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in four colors).

    27. Plus an insulated soundproofing strip to help muffle sounds. OK this isn't revolutionary but it'll feel like it once you realize it would've improved your quality of life drastically if you bought it a year ago.

    A reviewer's door with the strip already installed on the edges
    A close up of what the strips look like in the middle that shows the foam part

    It *also* keeps cool air in your room!

    Promising review: "Product works really well! I needed a quick fix to my home office situation, I live in an apartment in Manhattan and never noticed how much sound comes in and out, until I had to be on conference calls working from home! This little tape made a big difference, took me a couple of minutes to install." —Sandra Revueltas

    Get it from Amazon for $7.97+ (available in four colors).

    28. A window film to provide some privacy and still let in SO much light. No need to drill into your wall to gain some privacy!

    I did this to my bathroom window and congratulate myself for it every day. It does take a little patience, but no hammering or drilling! I'm glad I did it every time I see it.

    Promising review: "I have a weird skinny window in my house where no normal window covering works. People walking on our community trail can see up into our upstairs bathroom when the light is on and it's dark outside. Not a good plan at all. So I used this window film and cut different-sized circles and placed then on this window to interrupt the view into the house. Worked perfectly! Very easy to use." —Marsgard

    Get it from Amazon for $9.98+ (available in six sizes).

    29. Or a set of NoNo Brackets, aka curtain rod brackets that fit onto your existing blinds for new window treatments.

    A customer review photo showing a close up of the bracket on the window
    A customer review before and after photo showing their window with vertical blinds and then with curtains

    Promising review: "This bracket is awesome and was extremely easy to install. We were able to hang curtains over our vertical blinds in just a few minutes and didn't even need any tools. Great product!!!" —Amazon Customer

    Get a set of two from Amazon for $14.95 (also available in brown).

    30. Shower curtain holders can keep water *inside* the shower instead of all over your bathroom floor — thus preventing all kinds of messes and accidents.

    hands slipping shower curtain into a white square that's mounted on tile surround
    Amazon

    Promising review: "Thought these would be silly, but they are great. Have a lot of trouble with leakage around my tub when I shower. Tried double liners and magnets but curtain still blows enough to leak onto the floor and from there through the ceiling of the dining room downstairs thanks to an infinitesimal gap between flooring and wall. I was desperate, so I gave these a try. Problem solved. Liner stays tight against the tile and can be freed for cleaning." —D Polsky

    Get a four-pack from Amazon for $8.99.

    If you're a renter, it's a good idea to adhere these with water-resistant removable strips instead. Get a four-pack from Amazon for $4.28.

    31. Shrink wrap window insulation – it could help you keep from spending more on AC in the summer or jacking up the heat in winter so you can sit in that lovely well-appointed living room with the breezy windows that let LOTS of natural light pour in.

    reviewer pic of window before 'shrinking' it to the window
    reviewer pic of window looking normal with shrink wrap applied

    Promising review: "My husband and I put this kit on all our windows in about one hour. I was afraid it would look terrible having plastic on the windows but after you shrink and trim it is not so noticeable and it does keep out any draft and the stink bugs. I am going to try putting on the outside this summer on the cat door window to keep out the lady bugs and stink bugs which are terrible in our area." —Kat M.

    Get it from Amazon for $15 (available in four sizes and two styles).

    32. An adjustable window screen can fit a variety of window widths to help facilitate a crisp breeze... without the bugs.

    Promising review: "Adjustable, portable, and lightweight, this window screen is well made. You can paint the wood to match your window. Now I can have nice cool air circulating in the house during the fall and winter months in South Carolina." —Maria

    Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in 10 adjustable sizes).

    Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.