30 Things That Work So Well, It'll Feel Like Cheating

Jun 01, 2023

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.

So good you'll wonder if you're about to be sent to detention.

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Promising review: "I absolutely LOVE this brush shampoo! I was a little skeptical of how well it would clean my brushes since I'd never tried it before, but after using this I am very pleased with the outcome. It has a faint shampoo scent but nothing too overpowering, and suds like you wouldn't believe. It got all the way down to the base of the brush and gave it a really good cleaning. One of my brushes is made from boar hair (Estée Lauder powder brush) and I was worried it was going to frizz it out and ruin the shape, but it actually improved it after I had previously used baby shampoo. It's very soft and not at all coarse feeling. I also used this shampoo on my Beauty Blender, and it did a great job getting all the foundation out. All in all, I'd rate this product a 10/10!" —Katastrophe

Get it from Amazon for $6.99.

These are honestly such a blessing! My dog gets that "popcorn feet" smell pretty quickly, but hates baths so need a way to keep him smelling fresh-ish between washes. We wipe him down every two or three weeks, and it works wonders!

Dog by Dr Lisa is a vet-founded brand based in Sydney that cares about the environment and your dog's skin.

Get six packs from Dog by Dr Lisa for $82.

Promising review: "I use this for everything from cleaning my car's dashboard to getting dog hair off the interior walls of my washing machine. I seriously don't know how I ever lived without this thing. I do know, though, I never will again… I’ll be buying these for as long as I’m on the right side of the grass. I love it." —Granny Em

Get it from Amazon for $13.99.

Promising review: "Love this stuff. I was skeptical at first. I am a huge germaphobe and this worked well enough for me to actually take a bath at my new place with the jets on!" —Ann

Get it from Amazon for $17.84.

Promising review: "Before you splurge on a plumber or septic company, you HAVE TO TRY THESE. We bought our home in November and in March our toilets starting 'gurgling' and losing water when the washing machine would drain. Over the next few weeks, they gurgled more and more — when the dishwasher drained or we took a shower. I did a lot of research and none of the potential problems were going to be cheap to fix. Everything I read required having professionals come diagnose and repair our plumbing issue. I bought these and prayed for the best. I was SHOCKED. After one month, the toilets hardly made any more gurgling noises or lost water. After using these for three months now, the problem has 100% disappeared. I can't imagine the $ we saved by simply adding enzymes to our septic tank! :) Added bonus: Our 8-year-old enjoys flushing the packet down the toilet each month, LOL." —Jamie Smith

Get six packs from Amazon for $11.98 (also available in packs of 24 pacs).

It works like white-out for your floors!

Promising review: "I was pleasantly surprised by how far these went. I did the entire floor of my large master bathroom plus a little of the shower with one pen. It is pretty forgiving and you have quite a bit of working time before it dries completely. This was not a quick task, but it went faster than I thought it would. I was worried the white would look too bright, but it just makes everything look so much cleaner. I'm very happy with this product!" —Jenelle

Get it on Amazon for $8.99+ (available in wide and narrow tip).

Everneat is a Fairfield, Connecticut-based Etsy shop filled with natural cleaning products and tools.

Get it from Everneat on Etsy for $39.99 (available in two scents or unscented).

Promising review: "Best. Thing. Ever. This product works like a charm. It gets the sand from between their pads, and is gentle enough that even my most stubborn pup tolerates it! I have a terrier/schnauzer who likes to dig, a mini golden doodle who is prissy about her paws and a standard Labradoodle puppy who is still very fuzzy. We have a farm where it is extremely sandy and we stay in a travel trailer. The amount of sand they were tracking in to the camper was ridiculous. It takes me three minutes to clean and dry off all of their paws. Seriously the best purchase I have made!" —Rachel

Get it from Amazon for $16.76+ (available in three sizes and six colors).

Promising review: "I have a 2.5 carat wedding ring and have a hard time really finding anything that gets that 'first day' sparkle back. With the Dazzle Stick, it shines again. Thank you so much!" —C.Skinner

Get it from Amazon for $8.88+ (available in four styles).

Promising review: "Bought a used car to get back and forth to work. Only problem being the back was covered in bumper stickers. Eleven to be exact. I don't like bumper stickers. At all. This removed all of them in 25-30 minutes total no problem. Still has probably half the wheel left so I stuck it in my garage toolbox in case I need to eradicate any bumper stickers in the future." —Prestidge Southside

Get it from Amazon for $18.99.

Promising review: "Oh my gosh — this stuff is a life changer! Used it to get my fiberglass shower totally clean. Nothing else would get it done and this stuff brought my shower back to near new in one use. We’ve since cleaned a weird chalky film off our garage door, removed wall markings, and cleaned my storm door. We’ll never be without a jar (or three) of this stuff. Worth every penny." —Nancy F.

Get it from Amazon for $5.97.

Promising review: "I was experiencing such painful, dry, cracking hands from the cold weather and frequent hand washing (I’m a server). Seriously, I tried every product and most products made the rash or pain worse. I put this on and the next day my hands were so much better. I’ve been using it for about two weeks and I’m happy to say my hands are no longer cracking, bleeding, or having a rash! This lotion is a life saver." —E

Get a 3.4-ounce jar from Amazon for $8.87.

Promising review: "I was skeptical at first. I was afraid my keyboard would be all gummed up with yellow slime! The opposite, it cleaned it as good as new. Got all those dog hairs between the keys! No smell lingering on the keyboard or my hands. No sign I even used it except a clean keyboard. Kind of fun to play with. LOL." —ZZZZZ

Get it from Amazon for $6.99.

Promising review: "Amodex took ink out of my expensive scrubs. A pen leaked in my pocket and made a thick glob of ink stain on the scrub jacket and a little on the pants. After using the Amodex and washing in cold water, there is no evidence of a stain and the fabric looks exactly how it looked before the stain. There was no damage or discoloration of the fabric. Thank you, Amodex. This product just saved me the $75 that it would have cost to replace the scrubs." —Michelle hammer

Get it from Amazon for $11.99.

This works for all indoor and outdoors plants to encourage new growth. Just add seven drops to your watering can before watering.

Promising review: "I bought this for a money tree plant that my cat ate all the leaves and completely destroyed. The first pic was a week or so after using the fertilizer as recommended, on April 7, and the second is May 4. Of course I keep away from my cat at this point. Highly recommended fertilizer!" —Beth

Get it from Amazon for $8.85.

Promising review: "I’m an adult with a tiny foot. Shoes sized 3–5 will fit in length generally, but are often too narrow. This device has made comfort possible without distorting the shape of my shoes. This also makes it possible to get to the broken-in stage quicker." —nmpayne

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $21.95+ (available in sizes S-L and in three colors).

Promising review: "Both my husband with metal frames and my mother with plastic frames love these! My husband had a spot on his glasses with some numbers engraved that irritated the top of his ear. We thought this product would solve that problem and it did along with the slipping down his nose. They were instantly comfortable to wear. I decided to try them on my mother's glasses for the slipping problem and she was thrilled, too. No problems with catching on hair for either. Great idea that works!" —Nancy A.

Get them from Amazon for $6.99 (available in three colors).

It's also packed with 20 plant-based antioxidant-dense oils so you don't have to worry if you fall asleep wearing it! It's suitable for all skin types, fragrance free, vegan, and cruelty free.

Youthforia is an Asian- and woman-owned small business that aims to make makeup that's so good for your skin you can sleep in it. The founder, Fiona Co Chan, even tested the blush by sleeping in it for two months. They are passionate about being environmentally friendly and not using fossil fuels or gross toxins in their products.

Promising review: "Dewy and glowy. I tried it over makeup and it appeared as a strong pink shade but settled to a flushed, glowy color. I had my little sister try it too because I wanted to see the color change again and it lasted a really long time on her. The texture was smooth and it was easy to rub in and blend out." —Summer

Get it from Youthforia or Amazon for $36.

Promising review: "I love it!! I don't have to clean daily, it's quiet, and my kitty learned to use it from day one. I love how much easier it has made my life. I do have to check it weekly to make sure poop hasn't stuck to the metal comb and spread the crystals around if she's only peeing in one spot. Small parts of the crystals do come on the carpet but I just vacuum it up when I vacuum my room. It keeps the smell minimal." —Maritza I. Mar

Get it from Amazon for $199.95+ (available in three configurations).

Promising review: "I have deck rail flower boxes and they get full sun most of the day. I filled in the drain holes to hold more water and added these to the soil. Both made a huge difference in the quality of life for the plants. They were and still are gorgeous even if I couldn't water every day. I do have to admit I used more per planter than the recommended amount." —Pattijwr

Get it from Amazon for $12.72+ (available in two sizes).

Hairbrella is a Black-owned small business established in 2016 that specializes in hats combining fashion and function to protect against all types of weather.

Promising review: "I never carry an umbrella cause they’re too bulky, so when I saw the Hairbrella I was so excited. It keeps my hair dry and my curls nicely quaffed, rather than me looking like I stuck my fingers I a light socket. I’m telling everyone I know about it, it's an amazing alternative to those wide-brimmed hats or a briefcase LOL! Truly it's never going Read more about review stating Love it!!to leave my side from now on! I definitely recommend it." —Gina C.

Get it from Amazon for $34.99 (available in two styles and in 10 colors) or Hairbrella for $19.99+ (originally $39.99+, available in 12 colors).

Promising review: "I absolutely love this and am amazed at how fuller my brows look! Application is also super easy and quick! I took three pictures. Top picture is before I applied it. Middle picture is after application. Third picture is after I've drawn a line under my brow to clean up the look and filled in some sparse areas." —P.A.

Get it from Amazon for $4.99+ (available in two colors and in a brow gel/brow soap duo).

Why not just buy slip-ons? Because laced shoes are cute and adjustable!

Get the women's Vegas shoes from Kizik for $119 (available in sizes 6–13, in two widths, and 10 colors) or see the whole selection of futuristic shoes here.

Read our review of Affresh cleaning tablets!

Promising review: "After using this product, I am happy to report that my $5 investment saved me over $500. I was ready to replace my dishwasher, due to super cloudy glasses, residue, and just not getting clean. Then, I became aware that the water softener no longer was doing its job, so I had the rental company replace it. Dishwasher performance improved somewhat. I decided to do two more loads before deciding to purchase a new one. Then I saw a product test review for Affresh in Good Housekeeping magazine. I was ordering some stuff from Amazon anyway, so I added that to my order. When it came, I tossed one of the tablets into the bottom of the full machine, per instructions, and ran the regular cycle. I did not expect the results I got! The glassware that I thought was permanently etched and ruined came out like new. Same with cutlery. The difference is unbelievable. I will use this faithfully on a monthly basis, as recommended. I am amazed!" —Sheila

Get a six-pack from Amazon for $8.99.

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 it from Amazon for $8.99.

You get two dual-sided pens: one each with the left and right wings. The other sides have straight eyeliner.

Promising review: "I've tried the taping method, tried normal liquid liner, plastic winged stamping devices, stencils, all of it! So when I saw this I thought, meh, why not give it a shot... It's not like my hopes were high since nothing else has been efficient or worked as it should. But to my surprise I put the left cat eye on first and it was perfect aside from needing to connect it to my current liner. I thought this was a fluke and did the right eye...again, it came out clean and perfect! I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE BEEN ABLE TO DO A CAT EYE IN UNDER 10 MINUTES...LET ALONE THE 2 MINUTES THIS TOOK TO DO! There was no sloppy streaks that I had to touch up or anything you would expect. Just a clean crisp line." —LadyMeow

Get a set from Amazon for $14.97+ (available in four styles).

Promising review: "I have bought about six of these for myself and friends/family. Cell phones, wallets, keys, change, and everything else doesn't fall through. I will not have another car without it. I was in a friend's car, and my phone dropped through the seat. He got a Drop Stop the next day." —kellen

Get the set of two from Amazon for $24.99.

Promising review: "I work for the railroad and I am always getting my hands dirty! I could never seem to find anything that worked. Also, I live in Utah so when it starts getting cold my hands dry out. Well, with Grip Clean that doesn't happen! I have my coworkers coming to my locker asking to get some soap since the soap we have at doesn't work as well as Grip Clean!" —Nick

Get it from Amazon for $11.50.

Promising review: "I use a lot of olive oil and I have no clue where this gem has been hiding! I love this. All you do is fill it up by pressing the buttons on the side and bam it fills up. Easy to use and I can measure how much I need. Totally worth it. I recommend.😀" —JW

Get it from Amazon for $5.86.

Promising review: "Easy to apply with a little elbow grease. Does a very good job removing swirls and light scratches. I used the black/dark paint version and it worked very well on my Kia Stinger. Left a nice polished looking surface and filled in the small imperfections. It even improved a deep scratch I had on the side and made it less visible. It completely removed a mark where a rubber bike handle had rubbed against the car and dulled the paint. Works as advertised and is really pretty easy to apply." —AudioJunkie

Get it from Amazon for $24.99.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.