18 Things From Amazon That I Know Work Because I've Tried Them Myself

Tried, tested, and approved.

1. This reusable pet hair remover is more effective than lint rollers and quicker than always getting the hoover out, lifting away shed fur in mere moments.

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As the owner of a yellow Labrador, it can feel like my house is 90% dog hair no matter how much I clean. Using lint rollers can be ineffective against the sheer amount of shed fur (not to mention they create a lot of waste), and bringing out the hoover constantly is a lot of faff. That's where this game-changing roller comes in, as it removes hair with a few swipes! The hair collects in a compartment at the back, which you can open and empty into the bin when it gets full. It's really quick and easy to use, and is so effective it'll even pick up hair that you didn't realise was there (seriously, run this over somewhere you've already hoovered and you'll be surprised).

Price: £13.99

2. This leakproof thermal cup has a clever 360° opening so you can drink from any side of it, and will keep tea or coffee piping hot for hours.

Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk°DGREE-PleasureToGo-Leakproof-Stainless-Insulated/dp/B0735JT5DR

Once meeting up in parks became allowed over lockdown, I realised I would need a good flask to enjoy cuppas outdoors with, and opted for this one because of its glowing reviews. It's got a one-click design that makes it easy to lock and unlock when you want to drink from it – push down on the circle on the centre and you can drink from any side, and then push the circle firmly once more when you're done to close the cup.

Most importantly, it really will keep your hot drinks hot for absolutely ages. I've had tea sitting in this cup for four hours, gone to take a sip, and it's still been hot. If you're like me and drink massive mugs of tea and coffee rather than little cups of the stuff, you'll be pleased to know it's got an impressive 450ml capacity. The cup is easy to take apart and wash by hand too.

Price: £19.97

3. These Invisibobble hair ties will let you have the sky-high ponytail of your dreams, without any pulling at your scalp or annoying dents when you take it out.

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As someone who loves an Ariana Grande-style high ponytail but doesn't enjoy the headaches they can cause, these Invisibobbles are perfect! They have a spiral 'phone cord' design that makes them different from regular hair ties, so you can make your ponytail as high as you like without any uncomfortable pulling sensations. I've worn one all day before and then taken it out to find my hair as smooth and dent-free as it was before I tied it up!

They do expand and stretch out as you use them which is what makes them so comfy, but they shrink back to a smaller size after a little when you take them out. Because they come in a pack of three, I like to wear one during the day and then – when it's stretched too much to make a properly secure bun to sleep in – swap to another Invisibobble while the old one shrinks overnight.

Price: £3.96 for three.

4. You don't even need to use washing up liquid for this e-cloth pad to work its magic – only water! It has a soft side for cutting through grease and grime, and a tougher side that will get rid of stuck-on food without ruining your pots or pans.

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If you're guilty of forgetting to wash your pans before any food residue gets a chance to harden and stick to them, then this lil' pad will basically be your best friend in the kitchen. It makes scrubbing off even stubborn food residue really easy, and because its quite flexible you can really get into the nooks and crannies of your mugs to remove tea and coffee stains. To keep it clean you just put it in the washing machine – I've done that with mine several times and it holds up really well, coming out looking brand new.

Price: £2.99

5. This roll of Velcro tape will make sure your notice board, tapestry, or canvas stays firmly in place.

Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk, Jasmin Nahar / BuzzFeed

After finding that double-sided tape did nothing to keep my tapestry up and instead made it fall on me in the middle of the night on more than one occasion, I sought a sturdier alternative – which turned out to be this tape! You can cut it to whatever length you want and then peel off the sticky backs to fix one side to your surface and one side on whatever you're looking to put up. It can hold up to 300g per 20mmx20mm of tape, and since using it on my tapestry it has never fallen down or even come loose at the corners.

Price: £4.99

6. This running belt has a secure, zip-free opening, so you can easily access your phone when you need it without the fear it will fall out mid-run. The snugly-fitting design means this belt won't swivel around as you run either!

Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

I run more days than not, and got sick of that 'bounce' a lot of running belts can have where the bag compartment hits against you as you move. This one doesn't have that problem as you essentially step into it and pull it over until it's snug on your hips or waist (I've had mine for a while and it doesn't get stretched out or warped as a result of this, don't worry). It has four openings you can slide your phone and keys into where they'll stay secure, and a continuous inner tube lining that makes it easy to reach what you need. I really like the fact it comes in different sizes for a close-to-the-body fit, and it's so lightweight and comfortable that you don't notice it when running.

Price: £20-£20.99 depending on size – it's available in XS-XL.

7. This highly-rated sleep mask won't let any light sneak through, and has memory foam padding on the inside for extra comfort and a perfect fit.

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Unlike some masks which you can feel against your eyelids and lashes, this one has socket space for your eyes, as well as an adjustable nose bridge to make sure it's fully flush against your face and no light can get in. This has been a godsend during the summer with it getting lighter earlier in the day, and I also find it's useful for those headaches where you need to lay in complete darkness.

Price: £9.99

8. This exercise mat is made from a thick and durable foam – so you can focus on your workout rather than the feeling of the floorboards digging into you.

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The thick material ensures you can comfortably do exercises such as elbow or side planks, and it doesn't start rolling up or slipping around the way flimsier mats do. Believe me when I say this mat is *durable*, as I ordered mine months ago and it's withstood daily core workouts as well as frequent floor-based HIIT exercises with only a bit of puckering in some places. It also dries quickly which means – sorry to be gross – you'll only need to keep it out for a little while post-workout for any sweat to disappear. The mat comes with a handy strap too, so you can roll it up and put it away when it's not in use.

Price: £22.97

9. This six-piece set of heat-resistant silicone utensils are flexible enough to scrape out every last bit of food, but sturdy enough to stir with.

Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

Prior to buying these I was using utensils with a silicone head and non-silicone handle, until I detached the head and saw how much food and mould was getting trapped in impossible-to-clean nooks and crannies on the inside of it. The seamless one-piece design of these eliminates that risk as there's no crevices for bacteria to fester, and also makes them really easy to clean. They're ideal for everything from scraping brownie batter out of a bowl to stirring the vegetables you're pan-frying.

Price: £10.99 for the six-piece set.

10. These little razors will tidy up your eyebrows, remove peach fuzz and upper lip hair, and take off the dead skin on the surface of your face.

Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

Initially I was a little worried about the idea of basically shaving my face, especially as my hair is dark and thick – but with salons closed over so much of lockdown, I figured these were worth a go in lieu of waxing or threading. Removing peach fuzz with these is easy and painless, and I recommend using gentle, short strokes in a downwards direction to get the best results. You don't have to worry about the regrowth making the hairs appear thicker, as even after using it on my upper lip the hair doesn't look any coarser than before when it comes back. It's also grossly satisfying to see the sheer amount of dead skin that comes off along with the hair, even if you're someone who exfoliates religiously!

Price: £10.99 for three.

11. This crumb collector is a nifty way to clear your countertops and tables of mess leftover from food prep, and because it's made of stainless steel it's easy to clean.

Jasmin Nahar / BuzzFeed

A highly specific product? Yes, but an incredibly useful one! The handle doubles as a pocket to tip any crumbs or mess into, which you can then easily empty out into the bin. It's also really useful for getting any little bits of vegetable scraps off your counters in no time at all.

Price: £12.67

12. Dry, cracked hands will be a problem of the past with the O'Keeffe's Working Hands cream. It boosts the moisture in your skin as well as preventing further moisture loss, alleviating the discomfort and improving the appearance of severely dry hands.

Jasmin Nahar / BuzzFeed

For the last decade or so I've suffered with dry, cracked hands that bleed of their own accord, and have tried pretty much every hand cream out there. Some are thick and greasy and just leave a white residue, others need constant reapplication, and some make the skin red, painful, and inflamed – with the exception of this! The consistency is more firm than a regular lotion, and once applied it sinks into the skin quickly without feeling greasy. Using this regularly has stopped my hands from getting as bad as they were before, and its moisturising effects last for quite a while so there's no need to keep slathering more on. The tub is also great value for money – a little goes a long way and it's surprisingly difficult to make much of a dent in it, even with frequent use!

Price: £8.99

13. These reusable silicone mats are the perfect substitute for baking paper! They're non-stick, super easy to clean, and come in a variety of sizes for different trays.

Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

I initially got these for baking cookies, but since then I've used them for everything from salmon to potato wedges and they just work. Cookies come off with ease, and things like roasted potatoes or parsnips will still crisp up like they would if you used tinfoil – with the added benefit of not needing to use lots of oil to prevent sticking. When these get dirty you can just clean them in the sink like you would a plate, and any residue will come off with minimal scrubbing on your part.

Price: £12.99 for a pack of four mats.

14. This all-purpose descaler will remove the limescale deposits from your kettle, shower heads, and taps in just ten minutes.

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If you live in a hard water area (and tbh, in the UK that's more likely than not), you'll have experienced the problem of limescale building up on your appliances. These sachets take care of that, and having used one on my kettle I can tell you the results are pretty impressive. I emptied the liquid contents into my half-full kettle, put it on to boil, and then let it sit for ten minutes before emptying it out. The alarmingly large flakes of limescale at the bottom were gone, and cuppas no longer had that dreaded scummy stuff on top of them.

Price: £2.52 for three sachets.

15. If you keep buying umbrellas that turn inside out at the slightest breeze, I'm here to tell you this incredibly sturdy one exists and isn't much more than a tenner.

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It has all the benefits of those giant golf umbrellas, but can fold down to a compact size that'll easily fit in your bag. There's ten ribs which help make it more resistant to wind, and a button to open and close it with no hassle. It also comes with a nifty water-absorbing bag so that you have somewhere to store it when it's not fully dried off. I've used this on really blustery, chucking-it-down days and it's not flipped inside out and tried to carry me off with it, unlike pretty much every other one I've used!

Price: £10.95

16. This five-pack of large vacuum bags will make your bulkiest clothes easier to stow away when you don't need them.

Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

These bags are perfect for winter coats that won't see the light of day for a few months, and have a truly airtight seal. The difference they make is massive – I've used one on Indian formalwear which can often be really bulky, and it flattened it down enough to be able to neatly fit at the bottom of my wardrobe. I was worried that it would be tricky to seal them up but it couldn't be easier, you just run your hands along the top of the bags once you're clothes are in (the way you would close a sandwich bag), unscrew the valve, hoover it until the air is all taken out, and quickly screw the cap back on!

Price: £17.99 for five large bags.

17. This OXO Good Grips peeler absolutely deserves its 4.9-star average rating from over 6,000 customers – it makes food prep a breeze!

Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

The Good Grips peeler really lives up to its name, as its ergonomic handle means its comfortable to use even when you're attempting to peel a 1kg bag of potatoes (I'm speaking from experience). It's also super sharp and doesn't frequently get stuck the way some other peelers do, making the whole process faster and easier.

Price: £6.99

18. If you often forget to stay hydrated throughout the day, this flip-straw water bottle with time markings on the side is well worth a buy.

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Since getting this bottle the amount of water I drink per day has gone from around two cups to easily three litres. The time markings on the side can be a useful reminder to drink little and often, and if you stick to those timings you'll have drunk around two litres by the end of the day! However, I think its most useful feature for helping you stay hydrated is its flip straw – it's so easy to sip away while doing something else that I'll often have drunk most of a bottle within the first hour of the work day.

Price: £10.95