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. Revive worn-out wood surfaces like cabinets and floors with some wood polish and conditioner. Those cabinets may have decades of wear and tear but they don't have to *look* it.
Enhances the natural beauty and depth of grain on finished *and* unfinished wood. For use on antiques, dining tables, kitchen cabinets, wood doors and trim, etc.
Promising review: "I have tried numerous products on my wood kitchen cabinets, and nothing has worked. You can see from the photos that they were in really bad shape. I applied this product and let it sit for 45 minutes before I wiped the cabinets down. I can’t believe how well it worked! If this didn’t work, I figured I would have to refinish or paint the cabinets because they looked so bad. I’m so glad I tried it! It has saved me a lot of time and money!" —nicole feather
Get it from Amazon for $8.47.
2. Plus wood scratch cover to hide all those dings and scrapes on the original trim and doors that've been around longer than you, and have SEEN some things. The room's trim and doorways also show a lot of use, but this can help turn back time.
Promising review: "I can't believe how well Old English works! I recently purchased a home where a dog previously lived and had horribly scratched the woodwork. I thought I may have to sand and refinish the woodwork around two doors. Old English saved me a lot of work! " —Behold Behold!
Get it from Amazon for $5.34.
3. Scrape away and lift any leftover crud by the previous tenants or owners with the help of a jar of the The Pink Stuff. This TikTok-famous cleaning paste is made to handle all kinds of sticky, stuck-on situations like this nasty-looking kitchen faucet.
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 $9.99.
4. Use significantly less elbow grease on said cleaning with the investment of a drill brush cleaning kit you can attach to your drill/driver. It'll give you an informercial-like cleaning sesh that'll have you seeking out all the dirty surfaces lurking elsewhere in your place.
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 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." —alicia haats
Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in six colors and stiffness levels).
5. Keep seasonings within reach when you cook with a magnetic stove shelf that's the perfect amount of room to keep your most-used spices so you don't have to go digging in your cabinet while the oil is literally poppin' on your stove top. It's an open storage option, but *very* orderly.
StoveShelf is a small business, and these shelves are built to last a lifetime.
Promising review: "This is an excellent buy. The shelf helped me declutter my cabinet, and it is an awesome storage space for my more often used spices. It is sturdy, easily installed, and attractive. I recommend this shelf." —Pamella R.
Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in six types and three sizes).
6. String up some (truly easy) under-cabinet lights to bring a modern touch to any outdated cabinets that you wish you could replace. This'll instantly make your kitchen look *so* expensive.
7. Protect your kitchen essentials from unnecessary wear and tear with some cabinet and drawer liners — even if your kitchen cabinets seem to be older than your grandma.
8. Give yourself some more countertop space (plus a nicer view) with a slim, slide-out caddy that's skinny but tall enough to place in the weird little space between your fridge and kitchen cabinets. This is also perfect for the stuff you put in the fridge but you don't really need to stash in the fridge.
9. Use some stove burner covers to help you catch the mess right away on gas stove tops. Or just cover up some chipped or sorry-looking stove tops. (I live in a rental with a white gas stove top that def has some unsightly chips on it, so I can relate!)
10. Fight the good fight against greasy spills and messes with a bottle of Goo Gone foaming spray. Your oven is about to part ways with some burnt-on cheese from your frozen pizza habit.
11. Or if you'd like to support a small business, use a 100% natural oven cleaning kit that comes with an oven scrub, all-purpose cleaners, and a metallic sponge that'll make your old oven look like you got a new one.
Cleaning Studio is a Fairfield, Connecticut-based Etsy shop filled with natural cleaning products and tools.
Get it from Cleaning Studio on Etsy for $39.99 (available in three scent options).
12. Erase years of build-up from nasty kitchen spills with an incredibly powerful grout cleaner.
Promising review: "We moved into our house a year ago and I’ve been on a quest to clean the grout next to the stove ever since then. As a last resort I got this and holy cow! I left it on for three minutes as a spot test at first and I could already see a huge difference. I then did two more rounds letting it sit for five minutes each. The scent's not bad, it was fine if I had the window open, it was just being down close to it that got me. Seriously, stop looking and buy this." —Britney Phillips
Get it from Amazon for $19.95.
13. If the grout stain remover isn't working out so well, use a grout pen to fake some squeaky clean, stainless grout. Grout takes up a teeny bit of space but, as you can see from the pics, makes a huge impact!
14. Repair chips, dents, cracks, and other eyesores in your floors with a set of 50 wood fillers. Dog scratched up your hardwood floors because he hears you dumping food in his bowl? NBD.
15. Tidy up your windowsill with a hanging planter that'll fit in your window so you won't have to crowd out essential countertop appliances for your kitchen herb garden. (Or possibly stain your windowsill with your her planters.)
Promising review: "Love it for my kitchen herb garden. Great when you don't have a lot of space." —Tuesdai Hill
Get it from Amazon for $33.70+ (available in five colors and two styles).
16. Organize your hand-washing essentials with a corner sponge organizer because you need 'em within reach... might as well make 'em look a bit tidier! Also, having them *right there* versus stashed in your under-sink cabinet will help motivate you to get to any hand-washing ASAP.
17. Apply some peel-and-stick backsplash "tile" on a blank wall for a fraction of the price of *actual* tile installation.
18. Graduate from your mismatched collection to a set of silicone-coated kitchen utensils that are nice-looking but neutral enough to blend in a bit with everything in your kitchen.
19. And also improve the look of your kitchen essentials with a seven-piece set of mixing bowls that'll take up less room in your cabinet and look dang good doing it.
And they're dishwasher-safe!
Get it from our Goodful shop for $70 (available in four color combos).
20. Become a kitchen rug person with a *vinyl* runner that looks like a vintage Persian beaut but'll easily wipe up because spills WILL happen.
21. Stash all your plastic bags (hey, they make great bin liners plus you have to pay for them now in some cities like NYC, where I live!) with some plastic grocery bag wranglers light enough to hang on a hook on your wall *or* inside your kitchen cabinet. Just saying, these would look real cute in your pantry.
22. Tidy your kitchen drawers without sacrificing a bunch of your utensils with a slim cutlery organizer here to prove that, yes! You do have room for all your cutlery in your tiny kitchen drawer! Scoot over, forks. (Yeah yeah yeah, your drawers are *hidden* but they still make such a huge different in your kitchen!)
I have VERY narrow kitchen drawers in my NYC one-bedroom apartment kitchen and buying one of these organizers has transformed my cutlery drawer. I'm able to safely reach in and grab whatever I need (like a manual can opener for tuna salad or a mini whisk for a hot chocolate) without having to sift tools around.
Get it from Amazon for $11.99.
23. And bring some order to your junk or kitchen tool drawer with an adjustable drawer organizer and movable organizers so you can update your organization as you lose or gain new kitchen tools.
24. Invest in an expandable under-sink kit to fit around awkward pipes underneath your kitchen sink while giving some sturdy ground to those bottles of cleaner. No more cabinet avalanches!
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).
25. Mount an unassuming broom organizer as your new organization station so you don't have to lean a broom in the kitchen corner or shield yourself from a falling mop every time you open the pantry.
26. Customize your kitchen wall storage sitch with moldable glue because you might as well customize your stuff in a way that works for you instead of deigning to use ugly organizers that sorta meet your needs.
27. Cut the clutter in your cabinet where you stash your tea with a tea bag holder that'll save you some space, *plus* look nice enough to leave out on the counter for company when you offer up some coffee or tea.
Promising review: "This is an amazing tool to organize, declutter, and gain accessibility. I used to have a shelf of boxed teas that I had to rummage through when I wanted to make a cup. Now I can see what I have, I save cabinet space, and it is easy to store along side my kettle. I loved it so much I ordered a second one for my office. I get many compliments." —D. Burks
Get it from Amazon for $16.60+ (available in three colors and three styles).
28. Spiff up stainless-steel appliances with a plant-based stainless steel cleaner and polish spray (that comes with a microfiber cloth) for a low-lift transformation. You lucked out with stainless steel-appliances in place — which so happen to be $$$. Their upkeep shouldn't be!
29. If you pine for stainless-steel appliances, you can cop the look with some stainless-steel-effect contact paper to get you the modern look of fresh appliances for chump change. OK this takes a little more work, but look at that payoff!
30. If you're working in a small space and prefer a hidden trash can, a small compost bin/trash can will easily hang on a cabinet door for easy hiding and use. The lid lifts up *or* flips over for easily dumping as you food prep. In fact, I bought this for my tiny NYC apartment kitchen as a trash can and adore it.
Promising review: "So I saw this tiny trash can on TikTok, and I was moving into a tiny studio apartment and thought this would be perfect. Turns out it's one of the best things I've ever bought. I installed mine with the over-the-cabinet hooks (also comes with adhesive stickers) on my kitchen island, and it is so convenient I can't even express with words. The lid is on this nifty hinge so you can open it by flipping the lid up, or by sliding it forward and it folds down out of the way. I usually keep it open while I'm cooking but I can close it super quickly if I see the dog coming. There is a little pull tab for easy opening. It is so easy to use and easy to clean. It's also so cute! I use my plastic grocery bags as trash can liners for this and they fit perfectly. It comes with a roll of bags as well. The lid lifts off easily to change bags out. Clicks back on easily over the new liner. Can't recommend this enough!! This is going on my list of 'best things I've ever spent my money on.'" —Ginger
Get it from Amazon for $20.39 (available in three colors).
31. Get your composting situation together (especially if your setup leaves it on the counter) with a colorful compost bin. Oh! And it's dishwasher-safe!
Get it from our Goodful shop for $40 (available in five colors)
32. Make your lower kitchen cabinet a thing of beauty(?!) with an accordion-like pots and pan organizer that'll easily adjust with your growing organizing needs. (Even that griddle pan you just had to buy.)
33. Store your serious cutlery on a magnetic knife strip (it only looks expensive) instead of that clunky old knife block squatting on your kitchen counter.
34. Free up some kitchen cabinet space with mounted wine racks for a storage solution that'll make getting a post-work pour that much easier. Plus it'll be a super easy way to display any especially decorative glasses.
35. Get more cabinet space in an visually pleasing way with a set of adjustable mug organizers that'll help you better use your kitchen cabinet space *and* also keep your mugs safer since they fit on top of a mug, creating a setup where you can safely stack a second mug on top instead of googling replacements.
Elypro is a small business in New York City making clever organization products for the home.
Promising review: "I use these to organize my coffee mugs and my glasses in smaller cabinets. They not only look nicer, they save space without tilting when you try to stack mugs without support. I also use these to stack ramekins and that is also better now. These are adjustable to fit different sizes. I highly recommend these organizers!" —Amazon Customer
Get a set of six (to organize 12 mugs) from Amazon for $24.99 (available in three colors).
36. Loft your farmers market haul and free up some counter space with a charming fruit hammock you can screw onto the underside of your kitchen cabinets.
macraYAYmacrame is an Indianapolis, Indiana-based shop that makes a variety of cool macrame accessories.
My colleague Jenae Sitzes owns and loves this:
"I recently picked up this macrame basket (in the Cactus shade) and *highly* recommend it if you're looking to add a cozy touch to your kitchen. As someone with a relatively small NYC kitchen, I need every bit of counter space I can get, and this lets me keep produce out without having to take up space with a fruit basket or banana stand. I'm a big fan of utilizing vertical space as storage, and this does just that; plus, it allows for ventilation to help your fruit stay fresh for longer. I'm constantly cooking with onions or grabbing an apple as a mid-day snack, and having them right there at an arm's reach is sooo nice. BTW, these come with hooks that screw directly into a cabinet, but if you (like me) want to avoid that damage, I recommend using Command hooks — I'm using four of these small toggle hooks and they've held up the basket *with* produce in it wonderfully."
Get it from macraYAYmacrame on Etsy for $33.
37. Hang tiny Command hooks on the inside of your kitchen cabinet to cease your measuring cups' nasty reign of hogging precious drawer or counter space.
38. Corral your boxes of food wrap and cutting boards into cabinet door organizer to help zero in on what you need so much faster while decluttering that space above your microwave or cabinets.
Promising review: "This organizer is so useful! I recently moved and ended up with a much smaller kitchen, so I've been doing everything I can to make sure there's a place for everything and no wasted space. Luckily, I have pretty wide cabinets, so this works out perfectly. I have one holding my cutting boards (four standard plastic boards) and another holding my foil, cling wrap, and parchment paper boxes. The organizer is super easy to assemble and it's completely versatile. Hang it over the cabinet door or attach it to the wall/cabinet door, which means it's great for renters and owners." —Kerry
Get it from Amazon for $16.97 (also available in a two-pack).
39. Or, if you prefer something that's easier to wipe down, a plastic bag dispenser that'll do the same thing for you. It'll lend an air of "custom kitchen cabinetry" without the price tag.
Check out a TikTok of the plastic bag dispenser in action. Psst — these come with optional sticker labels so you know which size bag you're grabbing!
YouCopia is a woman-owned small business that specializes in home storage solutions.
Promising review: "I like it very much. Not so large. Lightweight. Would look nice on top of the counter. What I like is that you do not have to wrangle the box into the slots. Simply pick up the roll of bags from their packaging and put them in the designated slot." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in three-, four-, or five-slot models).
40. Rid your countertop of snaking cords with a pack of adhesive cord bundlers you can stick on the back of your kitchen appliances.
41. Add some matte-steel cabinet pulls for a modern touch to those cabinets that were likely installed when you were in kindergarten. Even if you don't consider yourself a handy person, this is a super easy DIY.
Promising review: "Can't beat the quality for the price! Solid weight, none arrived scratched, bent or broken. Definitely get the template! It makes installation a breeze! With the template, I had 24 handles installed in less than 45 minutes! Immediately upgraded my cabinets. Very happy with this purchase!" —alexa
Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in quantities 1–60 and in black, gold, or silver).
42. If your kitchen cabinetry is painted and has a missing chip here or there, use a container of touch-up paint to help cover up all those chips and marks that seem to follow you around the room like one of those portraits where the eyes look straight forward.
Promising review: "Rather than ditching furniture into a landfill, which is bad for the environment and one's pocketbook, this product allows you to give new life to existing furniture. Between the Soto touchup and new handles, my entertainment center looks like new....for less than $35. If you can use liquid paper, you can use this. I just ordered another bottle for porcelain. This is a fantastic product. You will love it!" —LexiNYC
Get it from Amazon for $18.95 (available in eight colors).
43. Get to know this marble lookalike of self-adhesive film because maybe a new kitchen countertop is not in the stars but you can fake a new countertop on the cheap. All ya' need is this and a bit of patience. It's also great for bath countertops!
Promising review: "This review is for folks who want to know how well this paper holds up — in my experience: amazingly well!
I applied the paper to my Formica kitchen countertops (see before and after pics) over two years ago. Since then, the paper has not peeled or stained — it looks like when I applied it. Honestly, I'm shocked. I thought the edges would pop up at some point, but nope, everything has stayed stuck. These counters are pretty high-traffic since my kitchen is tiny. To keep the paper nice, I just make sure of a few obvious things: 1) I don't put anything hot directly on it; 2) I wipe it regularly; 3) I keep sharp things away (don't cut stuff on it, duh). The last point I was actually a bit lax on, so I have some superficial scuffs where I dragged a coffeemaker back and forth every day for like a year before I realized I was scratching the paper.
The bottom line is, the paper was only meant to be a temporary glow-up until I remodeled my kitchen, but it's held up so well, I'm fine with keeping it and continuing to save money!" —Juliet Bui
Get it from Amazon for $10.99.
44. And if you want a total kitchen transformation, a kitchen cabinet painting kit that requires ZERO stripping or priming *might* make you wonder if you're in someone else's house before you've had your coffee.
Kit includes low-VOC, low-odor, water-based acrylic paint and primer in one. Requires a one-day application process that dries in a soft, satin finish. Covers 100 square feet of cabinet surface (40 linear feet), which is typical of most kitchen cabinets. Ideal for use on wood, laminate and primed, or painted metal cabinets. Formulated to cover most existing wood finishes and paint in a single coat.
Promising review: "You can see a before and after in my pictures but this paint was AMAZING and a huge transformation to my outdated kitchen.
The Process:
- I started off by completely cleaning the wooden cabinets with KRUD KUTTER PC32 Prepaint Cleaner/TSP Substitute. I read a lot of reviews on this cleaner and heard that is was great for cleaning off oils and dirt and it really did wonders.
- I sanded down the cabinets.
- I then primed the cabinets with a special wood primer.
- Once the primer dried I used the Nuvo paint on the cabinets. I did four very thin layers of paint. It is vital that you keep each layer very thin because it will dry weird. I found that in the corner of the cabinets where paint puddled even a little bit that it would cracker so make sure that you keep thin layers
- Additionally, I ended up purchasing regular brushes outside of this kit. A few blogs said that they used the foam brushes; however I did not like how the paint laid on the cabinets with them." —Danielle Joy
Get it from Amazon for $79.95 (available in more colors).
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.