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Yes, that cute little carpet and upholstery cleaning machine you keep seeing everywhere is worth the investment. I promise.

I am a writer and editor based in Washington, DC whose work has appeared at Bustle, The Toast, and others; my book Dangerous Games to Play in the Dark was published in 2019.

My personal favorite use for Bar Keepers Friend is cleaning my good cookware — it’s A+ on stainless pots and pans, although you’ll want to avoid using it on nonstick stuff (never clean your nonstick gear with an abrasive cleanser; it’ll strip the coating clear off) — but folks find all sorts of uses for it, from cleaning sinks and stovetops to even getting weird rust stains out of their bathtubs.

Promising review: “I will buy this product for the rest of my life. Used it for the first time and I am speechless. My stainless cookware has been black for so long. I have scrubbed and scrubbed trying to get it clean. One use of this stuff and 99% of it is gone. I imagine it will be back to perfect next time I scrub it. Holy cow, this stuff is amazing! Must have for all your kitchen cookware. I’m mad I didn’t buy this stuff sooner.” —Peyton Bishop

These are my sponges of choice; I’ve been using them for literal decades. They’re great on both my nonstick and my stainless pots and pans — but honestly, that whole no-smells thing is my favorite part about them. I hate — HATE — Old Sponge Smell. It really turns my stomach for reasons I cannot adequately explain. But Dobie sponges pretty much never get that smell, and for that reason alone, I adore them — and that’s on TOP of the fact that they’re just really good at their actual job!

Promising review: “The 3M Scotch Brite Dobie scrubbers are THE BEST. My mom used them while I was growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s. I've tried others as an adult, and I always go back to these! Now I just order them in bulk. I've used them in my kitchen for scrubbing everything, used them on camping trips on grills and more, even taken them on trips where I know I'll have to clean items in the kitchen — I want the good scrubbers! I've taken a box to our vacation house to use when we are there, too.

What I like about them is that they scrub well without damaging! The netting around the sponge allows me to scrub hard and get food debris off, but it doesn't scratch anything (unless it breaks or around the edges where it is sealed). The sponge inside holds lots of soap, and I usually leave it soapy when I'm done, let it dry on the edge of my sink, and when I'm ready to use it again, I just run it under hot water, and it's soapy again! I love having a bulk pack of them so I can throw them away when they are gunky and grab a fresh one. I won't ever use another scrubber!” —Erin Rice

Get a pack of 12 sponges from Amazon for $14.28.

Promising review: “Crème de la crème of dish cleaning brushes. In my humble opinion, this product is the ultimate dishwashing superhero I've ever had the pleasure of using. Initially, I bought a different brand that looked like a million bucks, but it turned out to be a total dud. It was always falling apart, and the dish soap was getting everywhere — it was like a soap-filled bomb had gone off in my kitchen! I tossed it in the trash less than a week after buying it. This brush, on the other hand, is a total rockstar at removing stubborn food residue, ensuring that my dishwasher doesn't get clogged with stuck-on food particles. Given that my dishwasher is on its last leg, I invested in this brush to help extend its life for as long as humanly possible. Having tried several different brands and styles, I can confidently say that this one is the crème de la crème of dish brushes.” —Christine O

Get it from Amazon for $6.49+ (available individually or in packs of four).

The pH-neutral formula is made with coconut oil and works on appliances, grills, sinks, refrigerators, microwaves, stoves, range hoods, trash cans, and more. You'll also get a large microfiber cloth with the bottle.

Former BuzzFeed writer Brittany Ross says, "I don't know what kind of fairy dust this plant-based spray is hiding inside, but it made my mucked-up fridge sparkle within a MINUTE! I was skeptical when I first sprayed it onto my fridge because it took a second for the streaks to start fading, but lo and behold, there was *zero* residue left behind after a super brief wipe sesh. Once I saw how downright dazzling my fridge looked, I decided to put it to the ~real~ test — my filthy dishwasher. Again, a minute of buffing with a microfiber towel was enough to make it look like a brand-new appliance, and it worked wonders on the greasy stainless-steel edges of my oven, too."

Promising review: "Finally! Appliances that stay shiny! I live in an east-west-facing home where the light is unforgiving. Every speck of dust, every strand of dog fur, every crumb, every streak, and every fingerprint shows itself at some point or other. The house never looks freshly cleaned for long, because the sun comes around and throws a spotlight on everything I missed and on everything new. This is a miracle worker for my stainless-steel appliances. I cleaned everything yesterday afternoon and waited for the light to change. The refrigerator — where smudges are most visible — showed no fingerprints, no streaks, and no leftover film or haze. Over 24 hours later — meals, snacks, drinks, general kitchen rummaging — and the fridge still looks freshly cleaned. Not only did this stuff remove spots and streaks and fingerprints that other cleaners left behind, but it also really does resist fingerprints. We’ve been in this house three years, and this is the first time I’ve really been satisfied with a cleaner of any kind. Will definitely buy it again. I wish I could find something as effective for my floors." —Frommnik

Get it from Amazon for $19.95+ (available in two sizes and a two-pack).

The kit includes a 16-ounce oven scrub and a 16-ounce surface cleaner, both of which get their cleaning punch from ingredients like sodium bicarbonate, pumice stone, citric acid, and essential oils, plus a metallic scrubber.

Everneat is a small business based in Connecticut that specializes in professional-grade, eco-friendly cleaning formulas and supplies.

Promising review: "When I say I ran here to give this product 5 stars!! I have tried every product, cleaning tip, homemade recipe… The list goes on. Bought this on a whim after reading all the reviews and am so glad I did. The glass on our oven door has been dirty since we moved into this house. Nothing has worked until now! Put the oven cleaner on and let it sit for a bit. Gave it a little elbow grease and was shocked!! It's completely clean!! 10/10, run to checkout!! " —Erika

Get it from Everneat on Etsy for $30 (available in four scents).

Promising review: “Necessity. Y’ALL. This. This this this this this. Holy grail. 10/10. Do not hesitate to get this. It’s my ride or die. It makes me believe in things again. It makes my kitchen sink sparkle like the sun’s reflection on a lake on a warm summer afternoon. You think I’m joking… I am not. I am obsessed with this and will never stop buying it. Forever and ever, amen.” —Amazon Customer

Get a three-pack plus sponge from Amazon for $34.89.

Promising review: “I swear by this stuff for cleaning! I’ve been using The Pink Stuff products for a while now, and this spray has become one of my go-to cleaners for just about everything around the house. It works extremely well and cuts through dirt, grease, and everyday messes with very little effort. I use it on countertops, appliances, bathroom surfaces, and random cleanup jobs all the time. It does a great job cleaning without leaving behind a heavy residue, and it makes quick work of spots that usually take more scrubbing with other cleaners. The spray bottles are easy to use, and having the three-pack is nice because I can keep one in different parts of the house instead of constantly moving a bottle around. It’s one of those products I keep reaching for because it just works consistently.

Pros: cleans extremely well, versatile for many surfaces, cuts through grime easily, and convenient three-pack.

Overall: I absolutely swear by this stuff for cleaning tasks. It works great and has become a regular part of my cleaning routine.” —Chevelle life

Get it from Amazon for $5.97+ (available in two sizes, individually, and in multipacks).

Promising review: “THE BEST — truly unbelievable how well this works! This stuff is amazing. I have a newborn, and as you can imagine, lots of blowouts happening here. This stuff truly removes the stains. Even on white fabric, after rinsing in hot water, using this stuff, and a soft-bristle brush, pop the onesie in the wash, and it comes out with zero evidence of the blowouts. It also has a great fresh scent.

My husband had a shirt with mystery stains (motor oil, grease, diesel...). He’s ALWAYS getting something on his clothes. I have washed it for years with these stains. I thought, why not try to remove them with the magic stuff? So I did. And would you believe most of the stains came out, and it looked like a NICE shirt again?! I did it on a mystery stain on a polo of his as well, so it wasn't a fluke. Two different styles of fabric (one cotton, one polyester), and both stains lifted so much you can barely see them. You NEED this stain remover in your life!” —UAstudentn

Get it from Amazon for $10.41+ (available in two sizes, multipacks, and a refill bottle).

Dirty Labs’ unscented Bio Enzyme Detergent is a certified EPA Safer Choice Fragrance-Free Partner, 100% USDA Biobased certified, vegan, cruelty-free, and hypoallergenic.

Promising review: “Excellence in a bottle! Never in my life have I used the kind of laundry product I thought only existed in my imagination. It's extremely powerful yet gentle and highly effective and satisfying. I actually look for excuses to wash laundry now because I know how gratifying it'll be to see the result. It delivers a level of excellence I didn't believe existed or was attainable.” —Michael A

Get it from Dirty Labs for $16+ (available in two sizes and two other scents).

Promising review: “Save time and money, and clean almost anything!! Wonderful product, many, many uses: washcloth, dusting wood floors or mopping, or dusting furniture without using product — I love the fact my windows are spotless, and there’s no lint, especially on my car's inside windshield! I can clean my glasses with no product, just this microfiber cleaning cloth. They are bleachable, washable, and you can put them in the dryer, but they dry so fast sometimes I just take them out and let them air dry because they’re ready for use in an hour! I love the fact they’re white and easy to keep clean!!” —DRIVER 

Get them from Amazon for $4.99+ (available in various multipacks and 12 color combinations).

Promising review: “I have used a number of products to remove the mineral and soap buildup in my tile shower. I even used a buffer pad and automotive rubbing compound — all of which failed to bring back the gloss finish on the tile. I started using Ecolab with a kitchen scrubbing pad, and within a few cleanings, the gloss came back. Now, I give the shower a lighter scrub once every two weeks, and it looks great. It also removed the deposits on the shower valves, spray heads, glass doors, and grab handles. So glad I found this product, I just hope they keep on producing it, and Home Depot keeps stocking it.” —LarryInHayden

Get it from Home Depot for $4.48 (also available in multipacks).

Promising review: “So after remodeling my bathroom, I had come to regret putting in a natural stone floor in my shower. It is so hard to clean, I have literally thrown my back out scrubbing the mildew from the grout and walls. I saw the DuPont mold and mildew stain remover while scrolling through Amazon. I have tried every natural product, home remedies, you name it, I have probably tried it. Can’t use commercial chemical-based cleaners for fear they would ruin the stone. I figured, this said it was formulated for the real stone, so why not try it after reading some great reviews? Let me tell you, wow! This product is a game changer for me. Super easy to spray on. I let it sit for about 5–10 minutes, scrubbed it with an electric scrubber, and hand-scrubbed a few spots between the tiles. It came off super easy. It seems to be super gentle on my tile. The smell is a bit strong; be careful if you’re sensitive. I can’t believe the difference — super happy with this product. Before and after is incredible.” —Kindle Customer Lisa

Promising review: "Just incredible!   I tried cleaning with many products and other homemade remedies, so I was skeptical when I got this product, as nothing really worked that well. After less than a minute of spraying this stuff on, you could see my tub and shower turn white again. You don’t even have to scrub! I’m so blown away! It’s absolutely unreal how well this worked. I was really considering getting a new tub and surround before I tried this. 500 stars for this product." —Stacey M Matczak 

Get it from Amazon for $6.88+ (also available in multipacks).

Oh Yuk is a family-owned and -operated company based in Minnesota.

Promising review: "We moved out of state into an older home. Unsure about the cleanliness of the jetted tub, we used this product for the first time because of its customer rating. We ran it for 15 minutes in hot water, rinsing and cleaning out the tub afterward. I was shocked at how much crud and disgusting filth was kicked out of the jets during the process; however, I am relieved to know the tub is now clean on the inside and out, not just appearing clean on the outside." —Painter

Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in two sizes and a two-pack).

Promising review: "I’m doing a happy dance right now! My toilets have had mineral rings in the bowls from well water since we bought our house five years ago. During those five years, I have purchased NUMEROUS products to try to remove the rings. Every single one failed. I had come to terms with the idea that if I wanted pristine-looking crappers, I was going to need to replace them. Three of them. Ugh! I ordered the pumice cleaning stone as a last-ditch attempt. Received it today, and immediately went to town. My extreme enthusiasm for scrubbing johns was actually a bit odd, but I was feeling optimistic. Turns out I had reason to. THIS PRODUCT IS AMAZING!!! SO amazing, it actually inspired me to take a picture of my TOILET!!!! My hoppers are saved!!!!! Seriously, the rings are COMPLETELY GONE. If I could give 10 stars, I would." —Sassyscribbler

Get it from Amazon for $13.99+ (also available in multipacks).

My tub has a tendency to...grow things. (It's the water in this house, and also maybe the pipes, because this place was built in 1981 and is officially middle-aged.) I do not love it. But you know what I do love? This mold-remover gel. Sick of looking at gross caulk, I got myself some of this and did as directed — applied, left on for a substantial period of time, and then rinsed clean — and the results were truly astonishing. All that black gunk, gone! As if it had never been there! SORCERY!

Note that this stuff doesn't stop growth; you do need to reapply it every so often to get things clean again. But, tbh, it's worth the effort — which is relatively minimal, anyway — in order not to be faced with weird-looking caulk every time I shower.

Promising review: "I would give this stuff 10 stars if I could! We had mold in the bathroom. I’d tried so many things, but they barely worked. Then I saw an ad for this on Facebook and decided to give it a try. Wonder of wonders, I could see it working in just a few hours. Directions say to leave it on for about six hours, and when I came back, it was almost completely gone. I gave it another application the following day. Mold is gone. YAY!!!! Already ordered more because I won’t be without it. 😁" —Trudy Marsh-parham

Promising review: “This product works really well! I used it on my kitchen sink, and it cleared the clog quickly without any hassle. The foaming action is satisfying to watch, and it also helped eliminate bad odors. It’s very easy to use and didn’t damage my pipes. Great value for the price — I’ll definitely buy it again. Highly recommend!” —Andrei

Get it from Amazon for $15.98+ (also available in a two-pack).

Promising review: “It's not just for carpets. I wouldn't want to live without it... I found this product by accident about a year ago, and now it’s my favorite cleaner. I don’t buy any other cleaners. I use it on carpet, furniture, laundry, and in the car. I’ve used it on surfaces like hard dinghy plastic storage containers with great results. One of my favorite places to use this cleaner is on my white leather Nikes; one quick wipe and they're white again, including the edges of my soles. It has absolutely no chemical smell, is not harsh on anything, and I have not had any issues with color fastness. I feel completely safe using it around our dog, smells pleasant, hard to believe it works as well as it does. I’d love to know what’s in it. Have fun exploring all the things you can clean and renew with this amazing product. When you count all the money you’ll save when you can rescue your favorite clothes and your things last longer and look like new, it’s worth every penny.” —Michelle Hughes

Get it from Amazon for $26.99 (also available in various multipacks).

Y'all, I finally, finally, FINALLY got myself the mini version of this thing last year, and I am KICKING MYSELF for not getting it sooner. It completely obliterated some elderly pet-related stains on one of my rugs that, previously, simply would. not. come. out. Seriously — I had been battling with those stains for literal years. After a couple of rounds with the Little Green Mini, though? It's like they were never there. And guess what? Now that I actually have one of these, I am more prepared than ever before for any and all stubborn stain situations. Truly a gadget that pays for itself in a mess-prone household.

Check out a TikTok of the machine in action here.

Promising review: "UNBELIEVABLY FANTASTIC MACHINE. OMIGOSH, my friend and I both ordered this, and we are both blown away at how well it cleans. Bissell created a Little Green MAJOR CLEANING MACHINE. I cleaned my bedroom carpet, and the hair and dirt that came out were incredible. I hadn't even been able to see it buried in my carpet. It lifted the pile up very nicely, where it wasn't totally damaged. I WISH I HAD FOUND THIS SOONER. Didn't know it existed! It's so easy to use, even though cleaning dirty carpeting is the hardest labor-of-love cleaning job. Tank size did so much   — bedroom carpet, two chairs, living room rug, and a settee bench that was filthy from storage. Quick drying time because it doesn't get everything too wet. The attachments that are included are actually so useful. Easy to store the small machine. It doesn't heat. Just plug it in and use the powerful hydro vacuum to work on stains and regular cleaning. It got out a black stain on my living room rug that I've been staring at for three years! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!" —Stephanie Acierno

Get it from Amazon for $99.99+ (available in three styles and two colors).

BTW — each cleaner comes with a trial-size bottle of Bissell's Spot & Stain Formula, which is also available on Amazon for $12.99.

This cleaning solution is designed to be used in carpet- and upholstery-cleaning machines with water tanks (the Bissell Little Green machine, for instance); just dilute it with water, add the diluted solution to your machine’s tank, and let ‘er rip.

Promising review: "This product delivers! My carpet had suffered the effects of having an elderly dog who suffered from incontinence. With that being said, my carpet looked and smelled disgusting! Some of these stains were almost two years old. I had a brand new carpet cleaner for this occasion also. 😌

All I can say is WOW!!! This product delivers BIG TIME!! Not only did it clean the carpet beautifully, but the overwhelming urine smell was gone!! Not just covered up either. It also cleaned spots where one of our dogs had thrown up, and I was never able to totally get it out, but this cleaner did the trick! I would give this a definite recommendation and 5 stars! One other great thing is that you don’t have to use nearly as much of this product as you do with other carpet cleaning products, so it’s really economical!" —Tina Bubbles

Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in two sizes and three scents).

Promising review: "This mop is fantastic!!! I clean for a living and use professional equipment provided to me... I use THIS mop at home, and I like it even better! Easy to use, great on my vinyl plank flooring, and works great getting into small areas, like around the toilet. I normally use a steam mop or a microfiber mop head on a push mop, and I think this mop does a much better job. Very happy with this purchase...would definitely recommend!" —Kellj23

Get it from Amazon for $34.96+ (available with and without an extra mop head refill or cleaning solution).

Broombi is a small business that specializes in household cleaning and pet hair-removing products. 

Promising review:  HOLY WOW!!! I’m obsessed with this! I’ve since gotten one for my mom and convinced my mother-in-law to order one! It gets everything from dust to fine pet hairs, human hairs, the smallest crumbs, and dirt particles. And it works amazingly on my washable low-pile rugs. I just sweep the dirt right out of them. Lightweight, durable, easy to use, adjustable height…couldn’t be better in my opinion! I personally use a dust buster to clean up the pile after I finish, as nothing else picks it all up." —Jessica Ward

Get it from Amazon for $29.70 (clip the coupon on the product page to get it at this price; available in two colors).

Promising review: "I absolutely love this product. I saw it on TikTok and figured I would give it a try. My grandmother passed away almost eight years ago, and she left me her first engagement ring in her will. I have tried so many jewelry cleaners, toothpaste and toothbrush, you name it, tried everything except for sending it away to get cleaned. I cleaned my ring with the Diamond Dazzle Stik. My ring is just as shiny as it was when my grandfather bought it for my grandmother many, many years ago. I will definitely use this Diamond Dazzle Stik on all my jewelry. Highly recommended!" —Heather

Get it from Amazon for $9.48+ (also available in multipacks).

I got myself a tub of these to spiff up some sterling silver jewelry I had foolishly left lying next to a definitely-not-sterling, absolutely-tarnish-inducing piece for far too long, and friends? They are magic. No need to faff about with those messy little tubs of cleaning solution (y’know, the ones with those teeny-tiny brushes that are SO HARD to keep a hold of while you’re scrubbing); just a wipe and a rinse in some regular ol’ water and you’re good to go. My earrings have never looked so nice!

Promising review: "It is very uncommon for me to write a review, but this product is amazing. My family's silverware had not been polished in the 15 years since I married my husband. The only time I ever polished anything before, it was messy and smelly and took forever. Therefore, I didn't have any interest in polishing something that we weren't using. I decided to try these wipes because the price was reasonable. They are easy to use and do a wonderful job! The silverware looks silver! I used four wipes to polish a service of eight, and it took me about 20 minutes. I highly recommend this product!" —Kehrli

Get 20 wipes from Amazon for $9.98 (also available in packs of 40 and 120 wipes).

Promising review: "It's a miracle cleaner!   I used this on my old Buick's leather before I sold it. NOTHING would clean those seats. I scrubbed them with everything I could think of with no luck. But this product did the trick and cleaned them right up. Then I had some Hoka shoes I really liked with some kind of something on them that I just couldn't clean off. I was considering a new pair of shoes, but again, this product did the trick and cleaned them right up. Highly recommend." —C. Anderson

Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in two sizes).

Promising review: “I didn’t expect to feel this strongly about a pet hair remover… But here we are. I have a 1-year-old Pomeranian who believes every piece of furniture belongs to her and she sheds like it’s her full-time job. My couch? Constantly covered. My clothes? Forget about it. I used to rely on lint rollers, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I could go through an entire roll in one cleaning session…and STILL have hair left behind. It was frustrating, expensive, and honestly felt pointless. Then I tried this. And wow. This thing pulled up hair I didn’t even realize was embedded in the fabric. One pass and it looked like I actually cleaned. A few more passes and my couch looked brand new. No sticky sheets, no waste! Just results. And the best part? It’s completely reusable. No more constantly buying refills or throwing money away. If you have a pet who sheds even a little, just get this. I wish I had found it sooner.”                   —Mercedes

Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in four colors and an additional style).

These work on a huge number of surfaces, btw, including, but not limited to: leather, fabric, furniture, hardwood, pans, metal... The list goes on.

Promising reviews: "I wasn't expecting much from these, but I'm pleasantly surprised. I work on cars a lot, and I don't like wearing latex gloves like so many others do. As a result, my hands get DIRTY. I usually use the orange stuff, but I got tired of the grit and having to wipe it off with paper towels (I don't have a sink within easy reach). So I thought I would try out these cleaning towels. I have to say, I'm impressed! They don't have any 'grit' on them per se, but they are just rough enough that they easily scrape off whatever grease I have on my hands. I'm sold on these." —thatguy

"Perfect for cleaning artists' hands or quickly removing paint from clothes. I mainly use it for cleaning up oil paint that has not yet dried. This was recommended by a master artist friend. It gently and quickly removes all paint from my hands and even my clothes while I'm painting." —Dot the artist

Get a pack of 90 wipes from Amazon for $14.98.

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* Cleaning And Organizing Products That’ll Make You Say “O-M-G” At Their Results

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Reviews for this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.