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.
1. A six-outlet wall charger designed specifically for larger appliances, so you can finally use your electric kettle, toaster, *and* air fryer at the same time without having to fight for the only two outlets in your old kitchen.
Promising review: "I was constantly having to unplug something in my kitchen to make room for charging my iPhone or watch or using the slow cooker or any of the other half dozen things I wanted to use at the most convenient spot in the house...the kitchen counter. My 140-year-old house has a distinct shortage of outlets in the kitchen, so this product looked like a good option. It exceeded my expectations, and has made my electronic life much simpler. Features that I love other than the excellent number of outlet options it gives are that it screws into place (so it doesn’t pull out of the outlet when you try to unplug something), the versatility of having the USB ports, and the light feature that I appreciate a stupid amount. Yeah, the light switch is right next to it on the wall, but who wants to flip on a light just to plug something in? So basically the price was great, it arrived quickly, and it looks nice. I have a cordless phone plugged in, plus an Echo Show, my Apple Watch charger, my iPad, and an iPhone plugged in, with outlets to spare. I’ll run out of counter space before I run out of outlets." —HappyCarnivore
Get it from Amazon for $19.97.
2. A fume-free oven cleaner that's gentle enough that you don't need protective gloves to use it, but tough enough that it'll erase the evidence of that time the previous tenants of your apartment fell asleep while cooking pizza rolls.
Promising review: "I saw this on a TikTok. I have used Easy Off in the past but hated the smell. This is so much better and let me tell you I am super sensitive to smells. Works great in the oven, and also as I saw on the video works great in shower stalls and tubs!" —Amy L Viau
Get it from Amazon for $5.96.
3. A power scrubber brush you can attach to a DRILL (!!) that basically does all of the hard grime-busting for you, so you don't have to have sore arms for a week just because you dared to wipe down your grime-prone older shower or baseboards.
Promising review: "I've been eyeing these for a few months and finally caved... Man do I regret not picking them up as soon as I saw them! They work GREAT! We rent an apartment that has a 30+ year old shower/tub. I've used everything from abrasive powders, gels that sit to most recently the bathroom magic erasers and nothing really got the grime out. These WORK and they work fast. Ten minutes with my handy drill and the shower has never been cleaner. I love that I don't have to throw money out on cleaning products anymore and that I can be a little more environmentally friendly with no waste and no chemical cleaners! Just a little dish soap, baking soda and a spin of the brush. If you're on the fence, just buy them!" —Becky Adie
Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in six colors).
4. A bottle of deep stain- and odor-removing "Carpet Miracle" shampoo solution so darn effective at tackling pet stains, ingrained dirt and grime, and food stains that you'll be able to erase all evidence of the humans who lived in your apartment before you did.
You can use this this with carpet cleaners from Bissell, Hoover, McCulloch, Rug Doctor, Kenmore, and Carpet Express, as well as rented machines from stores and steam cleaners.
Sunny & Honey is a US-based, family-run small business that specializes in nontoxic, natural enzyme cleaners.
Promising review: "Worth every penny. I’ve bought this product so many times now I have it on auto ship! Saw the reviews and figured I’d give it a try. My cat likes to pee over the litter box and stained the brand new carpet. I used this in my Bissell and it took all the stain and smell out!!! I’ll never use another cleaner." —Wendy
Get it from Amazon for $16.97+ (available in two sizes).
5. A bottle of wood polish to make all your scuffed-up cabinets and hardwood floors look brand spanking new in mere seconds, even if you're pretty sure the damage is older than you are.
Promising review: "AMAZING product!!!!! My daughter ate a hot bowl of soup on my wooden table and left numerous white ring marks. I tried everything to get them off and failed every time. As soon as I put the product on, it was practically brand-new again. Highly recommend this product!" —Diana V
Get a bottle from Amazon for $8.99 (available in nine finishes).
6. Or a reviewer-beloved bottle of wood polish and conditioner to get your lackluster old apartment floors, cabinets, and closets looking so spiffy that your super will ask where you're hiding the time machine when they see what you've done with the place.
Promising review: "I got this product a few hours ago from Amazon and now have shiny floors! It gave the really dull hardwood floors of my prewar NYC apartment an impressive shine. Really impressive. A little goes a long way: I used only about two ounces to shine about 500 square feet of clean floors. Before using it on the floors, I tested the polish on an old wooden side table that is scarred and needs sanding. It looked a lot better afterwards." —KindleCustomer2
Get it from Amazon for $9.09.
7. A foaming garbage disposal cleaner you can plop into your sink, run a little water on, and let its blue magic fizz its way up to the top while clearing out all the gunk that's collected over time all in one go.
Promising review: "These are amazing! I was skeptical at first but I followed the directions (which are super easy) and was grossed out and satisfied at the same time to see the gunk that was removed. You put the entire packet down your disposal (I read that twice too) and magic happens in under two minutes! That is what I call powerful and successful cleaning! The scent is super clean and light with a hint of lemon. These will definitely be a cleaning staple for me." —KPITT
Get a four-pack from Amazon for $3.98.
8. A set of sound-muffling door bumpers thick and sturdy enough to significantly dampen noise on older doors, but thin enough that they don't affect the way they close or make doors "bounce back" like other versions do.
Promising review: "Best thing I have ever bought for my kitchen. Say goodbye to the heinous noise of slamming cabinets. My mother is notorious for just letting go of the cabinets and letting them slam shut so before she came to visit I installed these and I couldn't have been happier. They keep the noise to a minimum and likely help to improve the longevity of the cabinet doors by reducing the impact. They are easy to install (although time consuming for all the cabinets in the kitchen) and mine have not fallen off after five months of use." —Dave Carlson
Get a set of 100 bumpers from Amazon for $6.50.
9. An Erase-A-Hole putty that's basically an $11 investment in keeping your walls in tip top shape no matter *how* ambitious the previous tenants in your apartment got with their decor. This easy three-step process will have the walls looking brand spanking new in no time flat.
Promising review: "Recommended off TikTok and I love. I didn’t realize how many holes were in the walls until I got this product! Easy to use and good filling. Much better than a tub of spackle for small fixes." —Leigh Helsel
Get it from Amazon for $10.95.
10. A handy fridge deodorizer to finally get rid of that slightly ~off~ smell your fridge has had since the day you inherited it, no matter how many times you went to clown town cleaning it out.
This deodorizer lasts up to six months, and helps keep produce fresher for longer. It's also six times more effective than baking soda — a ton of reviewers mentioned they'd tried the baking soda method and failed, but that this worked like a charm!
Promising review: "OMG THIS THING ACTUALLY WORKS!!! I moved into my new apartment two months ago. When I first moved in I opened the freezer and fridge to sanitize since I have no idea if the previous tenants did, and boy oh boy when I opened it up... I got smacked in the face with the smell of old moldy food! I bleached it and decided to wait a day. Tried again the next day and the smell was still there. I bought some baking soda and put it in the fridge thinking it would solve it. Welp, it DIDN’T! Tried charcoal, tried taking bits apart and deep cleaning them and nothing worked. I got the two-pack and as soon as they came this morning I placed one in the fridge and one in my freezer. In an hour I noticed a difference. Went out to run some errands and when I got back home tonight I opened the fridge and noticed I couldn’t smell anything coming from it!" —Zoraida Gunter
Get it from Amazon for $11.97.
11. A game-changing dishwashing spray that says, "No dishwasher? No problem!!" These powerful spray bottles and formula are designed so you can spray your dirty dishes, let them sit a few minutes, and easily wipe away even the most caked-on food grime with a quick wipe and rinse.
Here's what BuzzFeeder Elizabeth Lilly has to say about this spray: "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. It really does work like I say it does! Like, scary well."
Get the starter pack from Amazon for $17.50.
12. A TubShroom, a little gizmo you can stick in your shower drain to catch all your hair before it clogs up your older pipes and becomes a living nightmare (using traditional pipe cleaners can be *super* rough on old pipes). The hair coils around it to make it even easier to remove, making it both handy *and* semi-horrifying!
Promising review: "I hardly ever write reviews but this thing is so amazing I had to share. With every shower I take, I shed a TON of hair and (as you can see from the picture) stick it to the wall so that no hair goes down my drain. I thought this method was working out well but my drain was continuing to stop up. I figured it must be my sister's fault since I was so good about not letting any hairs go down the drain, but I went ahead ordered the TubShroom after seeing advertisements on Facebook. I got this thing and after only two showers, it collected a crap ton of my hair that I didn't catch. It really is so easy to install and wipe away the hair, exactly like the videos. Awesome invention and I'm super happy with this purchase!" —Megan K.
Get it from Amazon for $12.78 (available in five colors).
13. Or if it's entirely too late for that, a drain snake you can funnel into your shower or sink drain that honestly works a little *too* well at unclogging hair in older sinks and bath tubs, pulling it up in one (semi-horrifying) go before you have to resort to potentially pipe-damaging traditional drain cleaners.
Promising review: "I have tried everything I could think of to unclog my tub drain, all the nasty chemicals, plunging, auger, and then I came across these plastic strips with evil teeth LOL. They arrived today, didn't come with instructions, not that you really need any. I worked and worked and pulled out the horrific, nasty, slimy hair clog. It even pulled out a plastic razor cap (thank you teenage daughters). Mind you, that clog didn't come out in one full piece (gag), but in many pieces at first, the appetizers if you will. Finally, the main course reared its ugly head. Gross. These things work and work well. A little elbow grease and will power and voilà. My tub drain completely drains now. I couldn't be happier!" —GaPeach
Get a set of three from Amazon for $6.22+ (available in two lengths).
14. A heavy duty grout cleaner you only need to let sit for 10 minutes before you scrub the dirt and grime from all those sneaky crevices on your older floors like it's your superpower.
Promising review: "I never leave reviews on Amazon but this grout cleaner definitely deserved a review. I tried three other cleaners before buying Grout-eez and they did nothing but waste my time and money. Grout-eez got my grout perfectly clean in no time, plus it was easy to use and no odor. I'll never use another grout cleaner." —Tyler
Get it from Amazon for $19.95.
15. Plus a grout pen for all those tricky areas where all the cleaning supplies and scrubbing in the world won't fully get the job done — this lets you restore your floors back to their fresh grout glory in the nick of time.
Promising review: "These things are awesome! I cleaned my bathroom tile grout first because the lady who lived there before me really let it go. A few places stayed stained and I was worried it wouldn't cover them, but all grout areas are bright white and look new now!" —Donna Cook
Get it from Amazon for $8.99 (available in four colors).
16. An over-the-door shoe organizer for anyone whose old apartment comes with a very special surprise — absolutely *no* reasonably-sized drawers or closets that make architectural sense!! This is an easy way to store miscellaneous items without playing a rousing game of "what cleaning product is going to fall on my head today?"
Promising review: "Love it! Love it! Love it! I bought it for my cleaning supplies. My door was not wide enough for the organizer, so I just folded one column behind the other. Perfect! And I love the clear cover so I can see exactly what is in that pocket." —Zsuzsa C. Lovasy
Get it from Amazon for $9.97.
17. A slim cutlery drawer organizer to significantly lessen the amount of space you're using in your drawer to store your utensils — a godsend when you've got an older apartment that barely has drawers to begin with.
Promising review: "Love this item. It really cleaned up my kitchen drawer. Everything is its place now. I loved it so much I bought another one to help take care of some of the bigger items in my drawer. It's perfect for smaller knives and childrens spoons and forks too. Just really love it can't go wrong buying it." —Fran B
Get it from Amazon for $9.59.
18. A home maintenance checklist to serve as a gentle nudge to check in on areas in your old apartment before they check in on you in particularly annoying ways (here's lookin' at you, batteries in the smoke detector). This is especially handy when dealing with older appliances and issues you might have to take up with the super.
Deep South Stationery is a Louisiana-based, woman-owned Etsy shop established in 2020 that specializes in original art and printables.
Promising review: "Love how easy it was to purchase and can't wait to use it going into 2022!" —marisol castillo
Get the digital download from Deep South Stationery on Etsy for $2.99.
19. A fillable touch-up paint pen so you can make quick fixes on chipped paint in odd spots without going to absolute clown town with a roller and making a whole production of it.
Promising review: "Love this — absolutely perfect for touchin' up little spots that need touchin' up. I have several sets filled with different paints and so far they've stayed usable, without the paint drying out. I rinse the brush really well after each use (latex paints) and recap it. It would be nice if the manufacturer put an area on the pen where you could easily label the paint info, but I use a permanent marker, and it works okay." —Hooked on Amazon!
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $19.99.
20. Or if you don't have the OG paint at your disposal, a paint touch-up that comes in common present wall colors you can match to the shade of yours — especially handy if you're renting and want to make a quick fix to a scuff left by you or the humans who lived there before!
Promising review: "This product is excellent. It goes on easily and covers paint scrapes very well. I used it on a door frame that had been chipped. Now the chip is practically unnoticeable. I asked for a sample of colors before buying and received a color chart promptly. I appreciate the customer-friendly attitude of this company." —Educator
Get it from Amazon for $14.95 (available in eight shades).
21. An insulated soundproofing strip that easily sticks to the outer rims of your door, giving you some much-needed peace and quiet between thin apartment walls while also working to make sure drafts don't get in or out of the room, preserving your heat in the winter and your AC in the summer.
22. A bottle of Goo Gone for banishing all those mysteriously sticky, tough-to-scrub stains left by previous tenants, like toothpaste or shampoo residue or that one stain that you're kinda like "HUH" about but maybe don't need to know the precise origins of.
People also swear by this for removing annoying stickers from new products in their kitchens and bathrooms, too!
Promising review: "This is a miracle liquid. I use it to remove adhesives from plastic and glass containers after removing content labels. I also use it to remove tar from my car (without harming the paint!)." —Stu
Get it from Amazon for $7.98.
23. A set of brush-and-flush toilet tabs made with baking soda that'll fizz up in your toilet for 10 minutes and make it super easy for you to brush away the gunk that older toilets are prone to accumulating.
Pardo Naturals is a Black-owned business established in 2014 that is committed to creating toxin-free products for home, cleaning, and pets, with an owner who specializes in sensitive skin issues and can customize your order based on your skincare needs or potential allergies.
Get a set of six tabs from Pardo Naturals for $10.50 (available in seven scents).
24. And for especially hard stains, a pumice stone that will make the inside of your toilet look brand-spanking-new, even if the rings have already thwarted your efforts with the toilet brush.
25. A roll of clear heavy-duty double-sided removable tape perfect for older apartments that don't have reliable shelves or hooks — this tape truly did not come here to play. People use this for everything from mounting wall hangings and electronics to securing their vases and glass objects to tables to keeping their rugs in place. It's also easily removable and leaves no residue behind!
Promising review: "So, I bought these beautiful acrylic shelves from Amazon and the sticky adhesive wasn't bad, it just wasn't sturdy and one of my shelves fell. Luckily nothing broke, but after that I immediately ordered this tape, which I got in two days, and I installed it as soon as I got it. Beautiful!!!! Works well, very sticky, I love that it's thick because it also helped with balancing. My walls seem to not be completely straight. So with this product I was able to stick the shelves up perfectly without them looking like they are dropping over. And on that note they are great and amazing with the help of this company. Thank you!" —Trinity
Get a roll from Amazon for $12.99 (available in two sizes).
26. A set of discreet, dimmable strip lights so you can actually, uh, see the knife you're using to chop veggies — as cute as old kitchens can be, the lack of overhead lighting in some of them is no joke. Bonus — these come with a mini remote to control the intensity of the light!
You can easily install it with included adhesive that won't damage cabinets, no tools required!
Promising review: "Awesome product!! I love the ease of installation, extra pieces for a good fit. Perfect for adding some much needed light to my dark kitchen. Dimmable and comes with a remote! There's no downside!" —Breezy Lady
Get a set of six from Amazon for $17.84 (available in "white" and "warm white").
27. A rechargeable, flameless electric lighter for those of us whose pilot lights are not so trustworthy in our gas stoves anymore — this is a much safer option than matches, and way more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than getting long-stemmed gas lighters.
It comes in other pretty colors, but I am especially partial to this one because I bought it for my parents (their kitchen is entirely pink and one of my favorite places on Earth), and this was SO EASY to use — not to mention super safe! It worked like a charm on their stove, which needs to be lit by hand. I use it all all my candles now too. I'm a big weenie about fire (lol, self-preservation) so I've always stuck to extended arm gas lighters, but this is much better for the environment (plus cuter), so I feel a lot better about using it.
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in five colors).
28. A pair of damage-free broom grip holders you can easily install with Command strips to make the most of out of your old apartment's deeply disappointing closet space — now you can devote more of the closet floor to a jungle of shoes, the way the apartment gods intended.
Here's what BuzzFeeder Elizabeth Lilly has to say about them: "I've been in my apartment for years and had all but resigned to having extremely disorganized cleaning supplies...that is 'til a whole bunch of them tumbled in an avalanche on top of me one day when I opened the closet. There's something about a broom handle smacking you square in the nose to serve as a wakeup call. I easily mounted both of these to a closet wall, where they now hold my broom and Swiffer. They do a good job *keeping* the grip on the handles when I inevitably bump into them. The cleaning tools may sway a little bit when bumped, but just a teensy bit. I cannot believe I waited so long to make the (v small) investment in these, but I'm glad that I finally did."
Get them from Amazon for $13.99.
29. A moth trap for your old pantry, so you never again have to wage war with them for the sake of your hard-earned Ritz crackers.
Promising review: "Dr. Killigan’s works better than any of the other moth traps that I have tried. Each year I’m amazed by how many moths have been caught in the traps. I have an old house with a moth problem and can’t imagine the amount of clothing damage that I would have had if we weren’t using Dr Killigan’s. I use the traps for pantry moths but have found that they work beautifully for clothing moths." —Elizabeth Prokop
Get a set of six from Amazon for $16.97.
30. Plus an effective fruit fly trap for anyone who is sick and tired of bringing home a few extra flying roommates every time they buy a few bananas (pay rent, why don't you??). Each of these traps lasts up to 45 days, so you'll finally get some peace in your kitchen once and for all.
Promising review: "Our home was infested with fruit flies. As a household of minimal fresh produce and a mostly nitrate rich menu, we were confused and horrified when these tiny, evil monsters took over our house. These apple jobs are LEGIT. Within an hour or less they had captured a good amount of flies. I just bought more." —MotherofChaos
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $5.88.
31. A small lightweight Bissell vacuum that can handle the nooks and crannies of smaller and older apartments easily *without* being so annoyingly large that you have to rearrange your whole closet to make it fit.
Promising review: "Purchased this vacuum to use in a small studio apartment where a pricey vacuum would have been overkill. I am very happy with the quality for the price. There is a small filtering cup that is included. It fills very fasts. It is not a filter needed for heavy duty vacuum jobs, but it is perfect for my small studio (carpets and hardwood floors). And I am happy with the ability to break the stick down into smaller pieces for a variety of chores. It's perfect. An excellent price for a whole lot of cleaning power. Also the perfect size for storing in limited space." —Denny Cormier
Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in two colors).
32. A bottle of Bar Keepers Friend soft cleansing liquid and scouring cloth to quickly take care of even long-term, caked-on stains on everything from steel appliances to pans to stove tops to sinks — *without* scratching surfaces.
Psst — people also mention using this on their showers, tubs, and bathroom sinks!
Promising review: "I bought this product to clean old grime in cooking and baking pots and pans. With time, some of the fats and oils have baked into the pans and were impossible to clean. After just one cleaning with Bar Keepers Friend the pans became significantly cleaner. There are not spick and span, but much, much better. I am satisfied with this product and am pretty sure that it will continue to work a little better every time." —Carlos
Read BuzzFeed's full review of Bar Keeper's original formula and the soft cleansing liquid for more deets!
Get a bottle + a scouring sponge from Amazon for $24.99.
33. A roll-out over-the-sink dish-drying rack that might just become the MVP of any kitchen low on space and without a dishwasher — reviewers praise this not just for washing and drying dishes, but as extra cooking counter space. Its heat resistance means you can pop hot pots and pans on it in a pinch.
Promising review: "I have a very, very small kitchen in my studio. Used not only for dish drainer, but washing fruits and veggies, and as a platform when putting groceries away." —Champagne Alley
Get it from Amazon for $15.97.
34. A hanging tiered fruit and veggie basket for anyone whose tiny old kitchen looked back at them and said, "Counter space? Never met her."
Promising review: "I bought these baskets when I moved into my new space. I'm in a small studio and needed a way to store fruits and veggies without taking up my very limited countertop space. These baskets have worked out great. They are well constructed and look really nice." —Toni L. Fader
Get it from Amazon for $14.97.
35. A handy dish squeegee for anyone who is constantly at the mercy of their dirty dishes because they don't have a dishwasher or a garbage disposal — this cuts through crusted on food with ease so you can slide it into the trash before hand-washing (and is also super tiny, so it won't take up much room!).
Bonus: one side of it is curved so it'll work on bowls as well as plates.
Promising review: "This product is AMAZING. We live in a studio apartment with a small kitchenette. Our sink likes to spray everywhere, and we don't have a garbage disposal. This product is not only fantastic at scraping food off of our plates (so it doesn't go down the drain), but it helps to squeegee the countertop when water has sprayed everywhere!!" —Elizabeth
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
36. Plus another "no disposal" fix-it — a silicone sink strainer to prevent leftovers you're scraping off your plate from clogging your sink. The flexibility of it makes it *super* easy to pop food scraps into the trash without digging deep into the yuck, and the silicone makes it super easy to clean (and won't scratch up old sinks!).
Here's what BuzzFeeder Elizabeth Lilly has to say about it: "I own this and have NO dishwasher, so I do a whole bunch of hand-washing at my sink. This does a fab job of catching all the food bits (including the ones I thought I'd already raked into the trash) so they won't go down the drain. And the silicone construction makes it easy to pop out and violently beat the metal part of the drainer against the side of my trash can to get out the food bits. Of course, I'm wearing dishwashing gloves when I'm doing this. But I still don't want to touch the old gross food! Even through the gloves. TL;DR: your sink could really use this."
Get it from Amazon for $9.95.
37. A gallon of self-priming paint as an easy fix for dreary apartment walls that demand *immediate* sprucing up. Clare has beautiful cool, warm, and neutral tones to choose from, all of which are dirt-, grime-, and mildew-resistant. They even offer $2 paint swatches for anyone who wants to test their colors before taking the plunge!
Clare is a Black woman–owned business established in 2018 run by interior designer Nicole Gibbons that specializes in self-priming paint in designer colors.
Promising review: "BEST PAINT EVER! I absolutely LOVE this paint! The color is amazing and the coverage even more so! So easy to apply, dries quick, covers beautifully!" —Angela P.
Get a gallon from Clare for $64+ (available with or without the 5-piece paint kit).
38. A reviewer-beloved high pressure showerhead to replace the old model that's just *not* quite cutting it — this one's got five easily adjustable spray settings so you can get the water pressure juuuuust right, and installation is so easy that you can pop it in without any tools.
Promising review: "Love this showerhead so dang much. I replaced my standard 20-year-old apartment shower head with this and boy oh boy does it feel like a dream. The mist feature (which I’ve never really enjoyed on previous shower heads) is so powerful and relaxing. Great product for the price!" —Maggie
Get it from Amazon for $16.99.
39. A set of peel-and-stick tiles so you can turn your boring old kitchen into a snazzy modern one that will make you want to film a home improvement TikTok. These are self-adhesive and strong enough to stick, but gentle on the walls for later removal!
Promising review: "I loved everything about it. I used this product in my kitchen. I like that they had a protective clear removable film on the front. It looks like real tile and you can feel the different layers of stone." —Danette Smith
Get a set of 10 from Amazon for $25.99+ (available in five styles).
40. A set of two towel hooks you can easily install yourself in outdated kitchens that never got the convenience memo.
It comes with self-adhesive tape and screws, so you can install them whichever way you'd prefer.
Promising review: "I was tired of safety pinning my towels over the oven handle and saw these and decided to try these. I positioned these on each side of the oven door, popped a towel in each, and absolutely love it! Definitely worth buying. Delivered quickly and in perfect packaging. Thanks for a great product." —julesbun
Get a set of two from Amazon for $9.89.
41. An air fryer that will heat up instantly and reliably for small batches of things you don't want to wrangle with your old oven to make — particularly if yours, like my old one, for some reason doesn't have any temperatures on the dial. (Big sigh.)
Y'all, this isn't just handy for old kitchens, but for just about everything — it can cook so many different dishes using the power of rapid air technology that it'll spoil you for other methods of cooking forever. Perfectly crisped french fries, veggies, and chicken wings in less than 20 minutes — no oil required.
Promising review: "I got this mostly because I wanted something that crisps food better than 'oven frying.' It does the job pretty good. I've cooked chicken fingers, fish sticks, tater tots, shake n bake, chicken wings... I even cook those frozen hamburger patties. It does a much better job than the oven. Not quite as crispy as dumping your food into a big pot of hot grease, but definitely cleaner and easier, not to mention healthier. It may take an attempt or two to figure out the times, temps, and technique that suit you, but once you do it makes cooking crispy food a breeze." —Jake
Get it from Amazon for $59.99+ (available in four colors).
42. A tube of door grease you can use to minimize the unholy SQUAWKKK that alerts every single person in the apartment whenever you're trying to grab some Cheetos from the cabinet.
Promising review: "I bought this after looking up how to fix a squeaky door hinge. The article said not to use WD-40 because it's only a temporary fix and they said to use this product. I used it on the door I wanted to fix, WOW it is amazing — the door makes no noise other than the latch and the air it pushes. NO MORE SQUEAK! I then used this on every door hinge in my house — seven doors, three hinges per door, so 21 hinges! And I still have 95% of the tube still left (I was being very generous with each hinge.)" —AmazonDOG
Get it from Amazon for $5.49.
43. A silicone ice mold so you'll stop having ice cube-related FOMO anytime you see a friend with one built into their fridge. This one pops out ice cubes efficiently and quietly, *and* comes with a lid to prevent spilling and make it easier to store in your freezer.
Promising review: "Flexible and easy to clean, these trays make many small little cubes. Perfect. They are exactly as I had hoped they would be. I like smaller cubes much better than the big boxy type. The trays have lids to make stacking easy and are very clean. The best part is how easily the cubes are released. Terrific purchase." —C. Lee
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $13.98.
44. A eucalyptus lavender pouch for your shower, bath, or bathroom sink that will give you the decadent ~spa vibes~ you deserve in older bathrooms that have otherwise seen better days (read: the '60s).
Psst — a lot of people use eucalyptus for allergy, congestion, and even anxiety relief.
Eucalyptus Blooms is a North Carolina-based, woman-owned business that specializes in eucalyptus bunches designed to freshen up your home.
Promising review: "These smell AMAZING, and they're such a perfect size for the shower. I used to have big bundles of eucalyptus, but they always took up so much space. These are perfectly sized and the blend of Eucalyptus and Lavender is HEAVENLY." —Maggie
Get a set of three from Eucalyptus Blooms on Etsy for $11.99 (originally $15.99; this shop offers free shipping!).
45. A magnetized grabber to help you rescue lost cutlery in between those weird crusty gaps between your oven and counter and fridge that go straight to the floor (RIP, half of your knives).
It extends up to 30 inches and grabs items up to 15 pounds, and is also great for retrieving smaller items like trapped jewelry or loose bolts and metal pieces.
Promising review: "This is a very handy product that is lightweight and easy to carry around or store. With a 30-inch extended length, you can reach that lost earring you dropped under the dresser or even use it as a snake to retrieve your wedding ring that you dropped into the kitchen sink. It is magnetic not only on the top of the head but also along the sides, so you don't need to tilt it upwards to attach something. However for certain circumstances it would be great if it were bendable." —Suzanne Driscoll
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
46. A catty-corner shelf to break up some of the clutter and knickknacks congesting your other surfaces, because if there is one thing that's almost guaranteed in older apartments, it's the complete and utter lack of useful shelving!!
Psst — this is waterproof, so reviewers use it in the bathroom and kitchen, too!
Promising review: "This is so perfect for my needs. I have a small bedroom room, but needed shelving for my plant and journals. It is very light and super easy to put together. Perfect for me and inexpensive. I got the large one." —monet
Get it from Amazon for $21.99 (available in two sizes).
Getting all your little apartment fixes done in the nick of time like:
Looking for the perfect gift for any occasion? Check out all of BuzzFeed’s gift guides!
