41 Useful Things For Your Home This Winter

Promising review: "Unbelievable! My daughter just moved into her first home. She thought she would have to paint her brick fireplace because of the heavy soot stains that had been there for years. We applied the product twice and put in a whole lot of elbow grease, but what a difference! It’s a messy process, but well worth the time and energy." — MM

Promising review: "My washer was smelling and had grime inside the seal that wouldn’t come off, even when I tried to scrub it off. So I used one of these tablets in the wash. It worked like magic. Not only did it clean the washer very well (the water looked so dirty during the cycle), but it also got rid of the smell! I will keep using these as recommended." — Eca

Promising review: "Have you bought new plants and someone at the nursery or on the internet told you to water once a week or two weeks? Well, guess what, your plants don't dry out on a schedule like that all year round. It depends on its environment. How much light it's getting, how hot and humid its surrounding is, what kind of soil and pot it's in. If you're a total newbie or you're just really into plants even after a series of failures like I was, then you need this moisture meter! It will tell you exactly when your plants need water. It'll stop you from killing that seventh string of pearls, whose six predecessors you drowned bc you were just born to overwater. It will help you water that fiddle-leaf fig you love even though it's so 2016 (It's OK. I have two.)" — MJ

Promising review: "This is an excellent product that I cannot say enough good things about. I had thrown away my current Keurig machine thinking it was broken. I decided to try to resurrect it using these cleaners and I am glad I did! One cup took care of years of neglect on my part (lesson learned). Because there was so much cleaning needed, I used two cups, and now the machine works perfectly. So glad I discovered this product and highly recommend. I am thinking a three-month interval to keep the machine in good condition. Thank you so much!" — Susan

Promising review: "I am in love with my magnetic spice jars! I recently moved to a small apartment and don't have the counter or wall space to store spices or a spice rack, so magnetic jars it was! I love how these have a decorative feel while providing a secure way to store the spices. Unlike other magnetic spice jars I feel that these add an extra flair to displaying your assorted spices." — rae.m.wri

Promising review: "These hangers are amazing. They take up minimal space, are sturdy, and, best of all, the clothes don't fall down from them so it keeps everything looking neat. I have replaced all of the hangers in my closet with these hangers, and I couldn't be happier. I am pretty sure I now have double the amount of space. I love this product and would buy it again." — Vida Maars

Available in seven colors.

Promising review: "I recently got one of these for my new apartment to stash my candles and ~candle accessories~ in and it's pretty much become my favorite piece of furniture?? I use it to prop up my feet during work hours and sometimes if I want to eat on my couch I'll use it as a tray. It's also sturdy enough to sit on, if I ever wanted to have guests over and needed an extra chair. It was RIDICULOUSLY easy to set up — I had it done in less than 10 minutes, and probably didn't even need the directions. It also just looks so darn cute (and comes in so many colors that I'm tempted to buy another!)." –– Emma Lord, Buzzfeed

Promising review: "I was using a small foldable step stool in my bedroom to reach the top shelves of my wardrobe. But you know, those things aren’t pretty. It wasn’t bringing me joy, just begrudging utility. This ottoman brings me joy. It’s pretty, it’s lightweight so I can move it easily to use it as a step stool, and the storage capacity is perfect for things like my nightly moisturizers, my Kindle and journals, and other little miscellaneous things." — Monica N.

Promising review: "At first I was hesitant. How could little sticky tabs on a stick control or eradicate my fungus gnat infestation? I had tried various pesticides, but those killed my plants too. So, in desperation, I tried these. They had good reviews and people said they worked wonders. Well, add my name to that list. These things worked fantastically! I bought these on June 28 after battling fungus gnats for months, the problem was only getting worse. It is now Aug. 9, and I can honestly say I haven't seen any gnats in my house flying around. I still keep the tabs out just in case, and occasionally I'll catch one or two, but for the most part they're gone and it's 100% due to these little tabs! And I didn't even use all 7 traps!" — Katheryn Camm

Promising review: "Ashamed to say, but I barely ever mop the floors. I purchased this O-Cedar Mop and Bucket based upon the great reviews. I am here to add a 5-star review of my own. This mop and bucket not only cleaned my floors, but it made the entire process easy (and dare I say fun?). I did the entire first floor of my house both tile and wood. Then wanted more fun, so i scooped up the handy handle and carried it upstairs where I continued on to the bedrooms and bathrooms. I don't want to go on and on, but this mop picked up lots of dirt and grime, then popped easily into the washing machine. It came out great. The swirly thing makes all the difference. It wrings out all of the excess water, so it's easy to mop without using too much muscle, which I do not have. And the mop heads are short, rather than long mop heads, which only make for heavier mops. If you're on the fence, go for it, you'll agree." — LauraP320

Promising review: "Well-designed and sturdy product. It solves the problem of searching for batteries when you need them. I see myself buying fewer batteries as now, all my batteries are neatly stored in one central location. The tester is a great feature, it takes the guesswork out of what is normally a very tedious chore of find the right battery, making sure it's a good battery, and determining if the problem lies with the battery or the actual device. Would highly recommend this to anyone seeking to organize their battery supply. Not some cheap plastic, but a really durable and solid product. Also makes a great gift!" — Howard NY

Humble Suds is a small cleaning brand run by two moms — Holli Schaub and Jennifer Parnell — in Evergreen, Colorado. All of their products are made from powerful, plant-based ingredients and packaged with recyclable materials.

Promising review: "I love this new essential-oil scent. It smells amazing, disinfects naturally, and I trust the simple, natural ingredients. I use this spray on everything — counters, toilets, cooktop — even mirrors because it doesn’t leave streaks! I have now replaced all my previous cleaning products with a couple of Humble Suds products that work on every surface of our home. I feel incredibly grateful to have found this brand for the health of my family." — Andrealaine White

Available in three sizes and black or chrome.

Promising review: "I bought these shelves for extra garage storage. I got the black ones, and they look nice against the blue walls. I put these shelves together by myself. It took me about 25 minutes and was easy. I’ll buy at least one more set and I’m sure it’ll be even quicker to put together since I’ve done it once now and I should be able to move along more quickly. I’d suggest being sure before you start how you want the shelves spaced. All the same distance? Bottom one larger for bigger items? Then calculate the placement of the clips and shelves so your final product will be what you want. Recommended. They’re sturdy and look nice, and a good price in comparison to other brands." — Nessa C.

Promising review: "I love this. It’s perfect for my small kitchen. I hate having stuff on the counters since my kitchen is so small. I used it vertically instead of horizontally. Works perfectly and it is sturdy." — Laura

Speed Fabrication is a small business based in Missouri that makes metal tool organizers. This organizer is available with three, four, or six slots and in four colors.

Promising review: "Solidly built! Works great! My daughter had all her tools in a box but this baby helped her organize. Excellent product." — Sheila Bousson

This foam is a cleaner that helps eliminate bad smells, but if your garbage disposal is clogged it's best to call a plumber.

Promising review: "It seems counterintuitive to put a little packet down your garbage disposal to clean it, but this does actually seem to work, at least for getting out weird smells that baking soda and vinegar don't really touch. I scrub the sink down first, especially around the garbage disposal area, rinse it down, and then just follow the directions on the package. I have used it with single, large-size sinks and with double sinks — only difference is that the double sink will have blue cleaning foam rise up the drain, which you rinse away when the disposal sounds clear again. I have tried the foaming cleaner in a can, but unfortunately it stopped coming out of the can about 10% of the way through. Went back to this tried-and-true." —KS

Promising review: "This seems to work really well in our dishwasher. The dishwasher was starting to leave a white film on everything and smell bad. I started using this along with the maximum or ultimate (I can't remember which right now, and I'm too lazy to go check) all-in-one Finish detergent pods, and it's been working great and getting the dishes clean. Also, we have well water." — Carole

Promising review: "I saw this on TikTok and thought it was worth a shot. I have two dogs and a cat, and being one with a dust and dander allergy I have to vacuum often but the vacuum can’t always get in deep enough. This actually works and I was shocked at how well it does. I brush the carpet a few times and vacuum it up and the carpet even looks better!! I highly recommend this to everyone — especially pet owners." —Theo Ackerman

Promising review: "I have a tiny kitchen with only three drawers, so space is at a premium. My silverware organizer took up almost all of one drawer, so this organizer is a godsend. You can fit quite a few spoons etc. in each slot. My beater attachments fit perfectly into the top two hollows. I will say I have to flip my forks over facedown in order to be able to shut and open my drawer, but then the drawer itself is kind of shallow. You NEED this if you have a small kitchen with few drawers!" — mialro

This 12-amp vacuum picks up both wet and dry messes and converts to a blower. It has a 4-gallon semi-translucent dirt tank and hose that stretches to 32-feet. It comes with seven attachments and an accessory bag.

Promising review: "I wish I had found this years ago. I mounted in my garage and use it all the time. From easy cleanup on woodworking projects picking up saw dust and other lighter debris to car detailing. I use this now almost weekly to vacuum my family's cars. Long hose, good attachments and great suction make this a must-have. Mounts easily and isn't too large. Nice that you can go from wet to dry without having to change anything. Emptying the collection bin is also very easy. Two clips and it's off and ready to dump in the garbage." — Matt Hamilton

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

The set includes: two wide drawers, two narrow drawers, one can dispenser drawer, and one egg drawer.

Promising review: "It's nice to be able to find things in the refrigerator and be able to pull out the whole tray container to see what's in the back of the fridge. I don't know if this happens to you, but I find my way to the back every so often, and come to find out a jar in the back expired a year ago. Now I can see everything and use it." — BookBroke

Organise Life is a small business out of Australia that focuses on pantry and home labels. They are available in small, medium, and large.

Each planter comes with a clip-on watering attachment for easy pouring. Available in four sizes and five colors.

Promising review: "I had a peace lily that was dying. It needed water constantly. After a couple of days, this self-watering pot has already revived it and it looks much much better now! Would highly recommend for keeping your plants looking healthy and alive with little maintenance." — Heather

Promising review: "I ordered a few different sets from this company and all seem really airtight so far. I like how they stack and am loving the label options. My pantry is looking really organized. Yay!" — Jackie

Promising review: "This is one of my favorite things I've ever purchased from Amazon! The fact that they are so customizable allows you to cut them for any drawer size! I think this will be my go-to gift for all of my friends who love cooking as much as I do! Freeing up cabinet space and having something that can easily be rinsed off in the sink makes this a for-sure buy!" — momonono

This also includes a brush/scraper that fits neatly in the front pocket to easily swipe scraps and crumbs into the container.

Promising review: "Works just as described. It is so convenient to push scraps from the counter or cutting board into the scrap trap. Even though it is too big, place a plastic shopping bag in before you fill it and you will have the scraps bagged when you are done. It keeps things neat when doing prep work. Also bought one as a gift, everyone who cooks should have one." — SR

Cleaning Studio is a small business based in Connecticut that makes natural cleaning products and tools.

Promising review: "LOVE IT! Oven door is a constant struggle. I hate chemical cleaners, so I thought I would try this. I bought the Lift scent and the unscented. The Lift smells fantastic, natural, not chemically, and the Clear truly is unscented. Works beautifully! I think the combo of grit in the scrub plus the metal scrubbie are magic together. I wore nitrile gloves and the scrubbie did end up poking a hole in them, so keep that in mind if you just got a mani or don’t want rough nails - use thick gloves. It does require elbow grease, because, hello, baked on bits of grease! But was very simple to use. Just smeared it on, added a little H2O to the scrubbie and went to town. Very impressed! I used not even 5% of one jar (for just the very dirty door) so it seems like it will last a while. Way better than BKF and wipes off easily. LOVE IT!!" — aniebauer

Souper Cubes is a family-owned small business in the San Francisco Bay Area making freezer tray packs specifically for soup.

Promising review: "This product is an absolute game changer for folks who cook in volume for food prep or just to store leftovers in an efficient, organized way! I saw these on a different site and definitely hesitated for a while due to the price. Finally sucked it up and ordered, couldn't be happier! I've made soups, enchilada sauce, chili, breakfast casserole, etc.! Great for portion sizing! My freezer is becoming much more organized, giving me more room! I've told everyone about these! Just love them!" — Deborah L. Hughes

Promising review: "I have many uses for these other than shoes. I have one in the pantry on the door for cleaning towels, brushes, spray cleaners, etc. Saves space under the kitchen counter and no bending! Have one in the bathroom for makeup, etc." — Charleegirl

Promising review: "We needed some storage solutions for our tight kitchen space. I thought about building a larger slide out pantry next to the fridge (if you google it, you will find a ton of options), or buying a much costlier wall mounted slide out spice rack. Then I came across this, and my wife said perfect. I was worried about the quality being flimsy, and I figured that I would end up having to replace it soon after. However, I am very pleasantly surprised, and extremely happy I did not spend the time and money to go with a costlier option. This little storage rack is sturdy, well balanced, and very easy to move around. This was a very simple, quality, and cheap solution to an otherwise complicated and expensive problem. Assembly took all of five minutes, it blends right it with our white kitchen, and I'm very pleased with this purchase." — Alex R

SeansMakerSpace is a small business based that makes handy hooks and mounts for your workshop and garages.

Promising review: "Just awesome! Well made! Fit perfect! I hope they will help me from spending countless hours looking for my tape measures in the shop." — Brian Perreault

StoveShelf is a US-based small business that specializes in stove shelves for various sizes of stoves. Available in size colors and three sizes from 24" to 30".

Promising review: "This is amazing and I have no idea why I didn’t buy one of these years ago!!! My new stove wouldn’t get close enough to the wall to allow me to rest anything on top without it falling behind. This was absolutely PERFECT. I am very happy that the magnets provided were able to be moved. This allowed me to place them perfectly for maximum hold because my top was slightly curved." — JStill

Promising review: "Where has this been all my cat-loving life? Sticky rollers work fine for clothes but this is the only product that has ever COMPLETELY removed all the cat hair from my bed. I have a long-haired 20-lb. tabby and if you run your hands up his back a few times and fling the hair everywhere, it looks like it's snowing — he never stops shedding no matter what I do. After using the ChomChom, I can put on a black dress and roll around on my bed and not get a single hair on me. It's absolutely amazing. Everyone is getting one for Christmas, even if they don't have a pet. I don't care; it's THAT good." — Dahlia

It's made by a woman-owned business and, although it isn't dishwasher-safe, the smooth plastic is a breeze to spot-clean or hand-wash. Available in five sizes.

Promising review: "This is a great caddy for all of those maverick Tupperware lids that disappear like socks in a laundry room. I was able to fit quite a few into it. It comes with five separators to cordon off different sizes/shapes of lids and consolidate two of three previous lids bins into this one. Plus, according to their card insert, the company is a small women-owned business, which I’m always happy to support." — Bridget D.

Promising review: "Finally, a product that works!!!!! I have bought at least five other products trying to anchor my hallway runner to the floor, since it slides everywhere on the laminate flooring. This tape is finally what worked. I will definitely buy it again for any future needs!" — LB

For best results, replace spikes every 30 days in spring and summer; replace every 60 days in winter and fall.

Promising review: "I swear by these plant food spikes!!! The package says they are for indoor plants, but I actually use them for all of my outdoor plants, especially my herbs. I first tried these after planting some basil and other herbs that seemed to be taking an eternity to grow. I figured I'd give them a try since they were so inexpensive and wow!!!!! Within just a few days, my plants had grown more than double what they had grown in the previous several weeks!! One of my friends (who also enjoys gardening) came over to my house and was in awe of how big and healthy all of my herbs were. When I told her about these spikes, she went straight from my house to purchase some and had the exact same growth results." — GatorDO17

This includes 95 common food ingredients with their liquid ratios and cooking times. There's info for pasta and grains, seafood and fish, pork, beans and legumes, vegetables, chicken, beef, and other meats.

Promising review: "I am so happy that I decided to give this product a try! What an amazing idea. I placed the smaller magnet right on the Instant Pot and use it daily for a quick reference. Instead of searching the cookbook or the internet, I can just glance over and know in an instant how to program my Instant Pot for that particular product." — Olesya

Promising review: "I wish I had discovered this sooner. I cook a lot and it annoyed me whenever spills and crumbs would get in the gap between the stove and countertop. This was an effective and easy solution. It is easy to install. I ordered the size that covered the whole width of my counter, cut it to size and fit in between the crack. Because it is silicone, it is easy to take on and off to clean. I am not sure how much heat it can withstand but I just try not to put hot pans on it to be safe." — LLMama

Organics X Oddities is a BIPOC-owned small business based in Portland, Oregon, making handmade organic plant care and self-care products.

Promising review: "I had a dozen plants infested with Aphids. I made the mistake of putting them out in warm weather and it only took one day for them to get infested. Needless to say half the plants survived and this spray was instrumental in saving them. It has a pleasant smell and l just wish it was sold in a bigger bottle." — Chrissy Lamb

Promising review: "Confession time. I am a bit of a shoe fiend. These little shoe slots have allowed me to fit way more shoes in my closet shelving (yay!) AND having them organized like this keeps my shoes much nicer — since they aren't all scraping against each other. It also helps me remember which shoes I have — since they are all visible. :) The little heel stoppers pop out every so often when I am getting shoes, which is sort of annoying, but still a 5-star purchase." — MoniqueRamsey

And like regular Command products, they won't peel off paint once they're removed.Promising review: "Purchased three of these to try out and it's simply a genius design. Buying more soon" — :)