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Sep 13, 2023

These 40 Things Deserve An A+ In Effectiveness

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

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.

They get the job done. Every. Single. Time.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "I never write reviews, but I'm so happy about my sparkling white dishwasher that I can't help it! Ever since I moved into my apartment, my dishwasher was totally yellow inside. There were also lighter colored streaks all in it...it was pretty gross to look at. I read about this product in an article and was so excited to order it! After one use, my dishwasher looks brand new! I seriously can't believe it. Didn't expect it to work so well!" —M. Street

Get six tablets from Amazon for $8.99.

Promising review: "I've got an outdoor can, the kind with that the mechanical arm on the garbage truck picks up and tips over, with the lid opening by gravity. Placed this on the inside of the lid near the hinge to lessen the chances of it being scraped off during emptying and no flies/maggots! There's no apparent odor, it just seems to put a big hurt on the fly party that used to be my trash can (litter box contents, remnants of meat, etc.)." —Michael E. Bradley

Get it from Amazon for $9.84.

Promising review: "I never understood how people could go more than two days without washing their hair, and now I know. This has been a lifesaver! I was looking for an alternative to my spray dry shampoo and this is even better. It literally dries up the oil and makes hair look freshly washed." —Mandy

Get it from Amazon for $16.

Promising review: "I don't write many reviews and I was totally skeptical but OMG I'm in love! I've purchased so many products to try to clean the marks in my sink and nothing worked. I used it on my stovetop and was amazed how well it cleaned it that I moved on to my sink." —Christina

Get it from Amazon for $5.97.

Promising review: "I wish I had found these sooner!! These cold sores were probably the worst I’ve had, and wouldn’t clear up or stop itching/hurting. I googled cold sore remedies and these happened to pop up. After reading the reviews, I immediately ordered them. They came right on time and I put them on before bed last night. It’s been less than 36 hours and already these cold sores are healing up beautifully. I plan to order another pack or three so I can keep one at home, one in my purse, and one in my locker at work so if I ever feel the warning tingle/itching of a new breakout, I can slap one of these bad boys on and get rid of it quickly! Highly recommend for my fellow cold sore sufferers." —Jessica Hill

Get a pack of 15 from Amazon for $11.89 (also available in a pack of 30).

Promising review: “I bought this product because the needle in my Keurig 2.0 keeps clogging, causing inconsistent brew and taste. These cleaning cups fixed both of my issues and especially liked that it was really quick and easy to use. I put the cleaning pod in and ran one cycle, then took the pod out and ran a rinse cycle to clean out any leftover grinds. FAST, EASY, and GREAT results…VERY HAPPY!!” —Corey West

Get a six-pack from Amazon for $9.95.

Promising review: "This stuff is magical!! I had tried so many different ways to get the tank clean. Poured this in the tank, boom, the stains from years of use were gone!! Will buy again." —Theresa Blansit

Get it from Amazon for $8.99.

Promising review: "We tried everything to get rid of hard water stains and nothing worked. We were getting our house ready to sell and our tub and sink were a mess. We tried this product and it worked immediately, restoring everything to like new. It was fast and really worked! We even used it to clean our glass stove top. It was amazing how clean it got things. I have a bad back and have to be careful about scrubbing things and it takes no effort to use. We use it in our new house and love it!" —Bradley

Get it from Amazon for $18.99.

Promising review: "Takes away that gross smell... 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

Get it from Amazon for $3.78.

Promising review: "If you suffer from dry and damaged hair this is a must! I usually don’t write reviews. Honestly, I don’t write them at all but I just wanted to let you know this product is worth it. I’ve had dry and damaged hair for years due to coloring, weather, and bad care. I saw a post about this product and decided to give it a try. This is my second day using it and I see a huge difference! My hair is so soft, the ends feel healthy, it doesn’t feel like I’m touching hay anymore. This is a must! I washed my hair with shampoo and conditioner, dried it with a towel, and waited about 5–10 minutes before putting the product. Let the product do its magic for about 25 minutes, then washed it and let it air dry. I strongly recommend buying this!" —Diego Jimenez

Get it from Amazon for $7.13.

Promising review: "I've had it in my possession for like two hours and I've cleaned everything. The couch, the blinds, the cat tree pad, the chair; I'm obsessed. I feel like this thing should win an award for being so awesome. I feel like it should be in raffle baskets and giveaways and silent auctions for every event that highlights 'things cat people need.' It's better than those sticky rollers, it's better than the one-directional velvet wand thing that I always use the wrong way. It's the best." —Meowser

Get it from Amazon for $24.99.

Promising review: “I have well water. Something in my well water reacts with copper plumbing and turns my shower tiles blue. Since my bathroom color scheme isn't on the blue spectrum, this is problematic. The well water also causes the shower glass to film up quickly. I've tried dozens and dozens of cleaners and scrubbed till my arms ached trying to get ahead of the blue and scumminess. My ambition in life is NOT to be a full time bathroom scrubber! I saw this stuff on a professional house cleaner's TikTok (sorry, don't remember which one) and thought 'what the heck, might as well give it a try.' Oh my goodness, the first day after my shower I sprayed this stuff all over and walked away. The next morning there was a NOTICEABLE reduction in the blue and the glass looked clearer too. Day two, sprayed again and walked away. The next morning the blue was gone except for a few spots on the floor tile and the glass looked amazing. Day three I sprayed the remaining spots and the next morning the shower practically looked new. NO SCRUBBING AT ALL!!!! This is my new favorite shower cleaner. The ONLY con I have is that it makes me sneeze while I'm spraying from inside the shower, but I can live with that.” —L. J. Petillo

Get it from Amazon for $20.98 (available in two scents).

Promising review: “Wow! Bought this little steamer and am really impressed. I did one go on my brothers’ couches and look at the difference. It could use one more go to get to the ‘looking like brand new’ but this is amazing!!! When you watch the video in the product description there is something oddly satisfying about watching the dirty water get suctioned in after spraying the surface you are cleaning, but I must admit I didn’t believe it would work that well. Well it does!! Just like advertised! I am so impressed. If you are considering this cleaner get it, you will not be disappointed.” —edina bajraktarevic

Get it from Amazon for $123.59.

Promising review: "I ordered this balm on a whim as a remedy for a skin rash, and was very impressed with its effectiveness! After getting rid of my rash, I decided to try it elsewhere and it worked wonders on dry skin areas like elbows, knees, and feet. I was blown away with how I changed my feet entirely! As a dancer, my feet have always been a war zone: dry skin, callouses, ingrown toenails, and athlete's foot (all frequent problems over the course of many years). I was always embarrassed to wear sandals or any type of shoes that would show off parts of my feet because of all the dry skin, but sometimes it couldn't be avoided. This balm has made my feet the loveliest they have been and now I can choose any type of shoes I want to wear without embarrassment." —anengstrom

Get it from Amazon for $36.32.

Promising review: "This stuff works! I'd never had a wart in my life! At first I thought it was a small callus but as months went by it was getting larger. I started to google and realized I had a plantar wart on my thumb! So I got the Freeze Off and thought 'This has to work!' Nope! I tried the Freeze Off three times and nothing! I then realized the same thing was happening on my other thumb, a small callus but I knew that the wart had spread! Now I was desperate to get rid of them and knew I had waited too long! Bought the invisible strips and it removed my small wart in four days and my big wart in eight!! I couldn’t believe it. I left strips on for two days then pulled back the dead skin with a cuticle clipper and reapplied! My bigger wart was a little tougher to removed and I had irritated my skin trying to cut it out, so I left it alone for few days before reapplying a strip and by the second 48-hour treatment, it was gone! I thought my skin would be damaged but it looks like nothing was ever there!" —Audrey N.

Get 14 pads from Amazon for $7.29+ (available in three styles).

Promising review: “I tried EVERYTHING! I tried tree tea oil for years and various different products. Nothing worked. The reviews were so great on this that I decided to try to cure it one more time. But when you have had a condition for 35 years, you aren’t too hopeful! I followed the suggestions of some of the reviewers and cut my toenails (I only had it on my big toes) everywhere that the fungus was present. Even below the quick. I started applying this gel, which is super easy to use. I swear to you that I noticed a difference after one application.” —WIAPilot

Get it from Amazon for $17.25.

Mouthwatchers is a small business established by Ronald Plotka, DDS, specializing in antimicrobial toothbrushes designed for deeper cleans.

Here's what BuzzFeed Shopping writer Emma Lord has to say: "I love it just after the first few days of use! I use an electric toothbrush usually, but I feel like I'm getting a much more satisfying clean from these?? Especially because I tend to get yellow stains between my teeth no matter *how* much I floss, and these bristles seem to actually target that a lot more effectively."

Promising review: "I'm amazed at how well this toothbrush cleans my teeth — it definitely gets between the teeth and also more importantly for me, gets in the small, deep crevices in my molars where I always have food stuck and regular toothbrushes couldn't get stuff out. I brush more often (after meals/snacks) because of how effective it is. As stated, definitely go easy around the gums. The bristles feel soft, but will cause your gums to bleed if you use regular pressure. Nice and easy does the trick, SO WELL!" —Jason A.

Get a pair from Mouthwatchers on Amazon for $9.90 (also available in packs of four).

Peach & Lily is an Asian woman-owned business.

Promising review: "I am a woman in my 30s who still gets breakouts. I also have dry sensitive skin so most acne treatments just irritate my skin and cause it to get really flaky. These little patches are a miracle. It comes with different sizes. They stick so well. I slept in them and they didn't budge. And you can't even see them. I had to really inspect my face to find out where I put all of them when it was time to remove. All of my acne was gone within two days, and the stickers did not irritate my skin." —Brittany P

Get a pack of 30 from Amazon for $4.88.

Use this two to three times per week after shampooing your hair, and remember not to use it on your scalp. This treatment is just for the length of your hair.

Promising review: "I have 3c type hair and struggle with a lot a breakage, unmanageability, and moisture. I have never in my 22 years felt my hair like this. I feel like I have a completely different head of hair. This product is so amazing and I will FOREVER be using this product in my hair regimen." —Theressa Hailey

Get it from Amazon for $9.87.

Promising review: "Absolutely the best product. It saved my itchy goldendoodle! We tried changing food, Benadryl, medicated shampoo, fish oil, everything you can imagine...nothing worked long-term. He was itching his face so badly he would make himself bleed. Had sores and scabs all over his face and neck. I bought these because they had good reviews and I was desperate. It changed his life! He no longer scratches AT ALL! His coat looks great and all of his sores are healed. He’s the happiest he’s been which makes me a very happy momma. He is also very picky and never eats treats...he eats these every time so that’s an added bonus!" —Darcie Nation

Get 90 chews from Amazon for $19.97+ (available in five styles).

Promising review: "After my acrylics came off during quarantine, I wanted to make my natural nails stronger as they had had acrylics on them constantly for the better part of two years. I searched around Amazon and gave this product a try. I'm glad I did. I started using it twice a day, once in the morning and once toward the end of my workday. I'm down to once every few days now and my nails are much stronger after the past two months. I'll continue to use it until I can get back to the salon." —Alice B.

Get it from Amazon for $9.90.

Promising review: "I really love this blender. It's so aesthetically pleasing and works very well. I've had a Vitamix and a Ninja and this is so much better. Makes just enough and is so easy to clean that I actually end up using it daily. The larger blenders are just more work than they are worth in my opinion." —Taylor K

Get it from our Goodful shop for $148 (originally $165; available in three colors).

Promising review: "The only reason I'm giving the Folex 5 stars is because there's no place to give it 10. My dog, Sweetie, while playing on the tan carpeting in the family room, got hold of a blue Pilot G-2 pen and chewed through the outer casing and through the ink cartridge, leaving an approximately 6x12-inch area of carpeting splotched with blue ink. It took four or five applications, but following the label instructions to the letter, the spot was totally removed. Way to go Folex. Outstanding!" —Bob

Get it from Amazon for $6.65.

My mom swears by this spray! It can be used to clean more than just your dishes.

This bundle includes one spray bottle and three refills.

Promising review: “I had my doubts as rave reviews are usually over-exaggerations, but not this time. This thing is MAGICAL. Literally cleans everything with a spray. I have hard water at my place, and soap scum buildup is quite bad in my bathtub and shower glass doors. With this Powerwash, I just spray, wait a couple of minutes, and wipe, and literally all the soap scrum is completely gone. I am left with spotless shower glass doors AND shiny faucets. I spray this stuff on everything that is hard to clean. Sticky stuff like stickers and labels? Spray, wait, wipe. Poof it's gone. Sticky stuff like food residue on dishes or your oven? Oil on top of or around your stove and/or cabinet? Spray, wait, wipe. Poof it's gone. Soap scrum, yellow tubs, oily tools, spotty hand prints on fridge? Say no more. Spray, wait, wipe. Poof it's gone. Dirty tires, rims? Yup, spray, wait, wipe, poof it's gone! I have successfully used this magical cleaner on all of the above.” —Es

Get it from Amazon for $21.84.

Promising review: "This has to be one of the most amazing things I've ever purchased! I can't believe how easily it grabs all the debris that finds its way to the bottom of your bag." —QueenofGnomes

Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (available in three colors).

Just don't use it for more than three minutes (once a week), because then your hair will turn lavender (unless you're into that, which some reviewers are!!!).

Promising review: "I never write reviews, but this shampoo is amazing. I always struggle with brassy tones almost immediately after getting highlights and I could never find a good no-yellow shampoo until now. My stylist recommended this and it did not disappoint. After leaving it on for about four minutes, my hair looks like I just got it done professionally again. It does still leave hair a bit dry, but not as dry as some other purple shampoos. I plan on using this once a week at least to help keep my perfect tone between highlights. 100% recommended to anyone who struggles with the brass!" —Kassandra

Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in two sizes).

Promising review: "I have a 19-year-old bathroom toilet that had accumulated some nasty stains over time, and regular toilet brushes and cleaning products just would not remove them. I decided to try this pumice stone, and it worked like a charm! Given the nature and severity of the stains, it required some elbow grease. But 10 minutes later, I have a new-looking bowl, and I see no signs of scratching." —Happy Retiree

Get it from Amazon for $9.59.

Promising review: "I absolutely love these things! I have five kiddos. These gel stamps keep my toilet cleaner and fresher-smelling for longer, which is a definite plus with four boys. These have an easy, no-mess application. I finally just put them on my Subscribe & Save so I always have them ready." —Alyssa M

Get six stamps from Amazon for $4.67+ (available in three scents).

Promising review: "I never knew how tough it would be to clean my high-efficiency washer. It is a never-ending battle. Life is a little easier now that I can toss in a tab and have it do most of the work for me." —Maggie Dennis

Get the pack of six tablets from Amazon for $11.95.

Promising review: "For whatever reason, I am ALWAYS spilling things on my shirts and I cook every night (sometimes I remember the apron, sometimes I don't). My clothes are a mess by the end of the day. I'm not proud of it, but there it is. I have tried EVERYTHING there is to remove stains and this is the absolute BEST thing out there. (There is simply not a major stain remover that I have not tried.) The only thing close is a long presoak (I mean like six hours) in OxiClean. With Puracy, you get the best result by doing it well in advance, but for me that is another plus because I would far rather spray them when I put them in the hamper than do it all at once just before I do the laundry. It seems to get everything out and I've never had any trouble with damaged fabric. I don't really review very much, but this is seriously outstanding." —NYC Buyer

Get it from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in three sizes and two styles).

Wad-Free is a woman-owned small business working to make sure your laundry day isn't in vain! After wasting time and energy on wadding problems, Cyndi Bray invented Wad-Free for bedsheets.

Promising review: "I was mildly skeptical, but it works exactly as promoted! I've used it five times and each time there's been no twisting of the sheets and no pillowcases balled up and still wet when the dryer goes off. Super helpful that it comes with two units, one for the top sheet and one for the fitted sheet so I don't have to split them into separate loads. I no longer dread washing sheets and plan to buy some of these as gifts. LOVE it!" —Amazon Customer

Get a pack of two from Wad-Free on Amazon for $19.99.

Promising review: "I was skeptical, but this is the best hair product I’ve ever used on my child. She has long, dry, and curly hair and every morning and evening was a battle with tangles. This product conditions and detangles beautifully and smells great. Her hair texture is 100 times softer." —Dev

Get it from Amazon for $7.99.

Promising review: "This is a fantastic product. I sprayed it on my old brick exterior steps that are under trees, and wow! Within two minutes I could see immediate results. They haven't looked that good in over 20 years. I then sprayed a paver walkway and had the same results! I had some left over and sprayed the green moss covering my large deck, and it was gone instantly. I'm now ordering another one and then I'm heading out to the driveway and brick walls bordering it. Thanks for making my life a little easier." —Beverly Mabbitt

Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in three sizes and in larger pack sizes).

Mane Club is a small haircare business making cruelty-free and vegan products.

BuzzFeed editor Elizabeth Lilly loves this spray:

"I have a very thick head of naturally curly hair and have put it through just about everything, including all kinds of hot tools, at-home dye kits, the gamut of shampoo and conditioner types, basically every dry shampoo and hair oil in existence, and just about anything else to try for a story for you dear readers. Lots of products have either straight-up failed, been meh enough for me to not recommend, or fantastic but so costly that I feel guilty recommending them. Basically, a lot of stuff ends up in the trash or pawned off on my (grateful) friends when it isn't a fit for me. But THIS STUFF. This stuff has become my go-to for spraying on my wet hair and then blow-drying. Normally I'd apply a heat protector and an oil treatment or leave-in conditioner before blow drying. But this 10-in-1 treatment takes the cake! Most of the time when I use it, I don't even need to finish off my hair with hair oil (I've been doing that as an essential hair step for years now). It's really that good! Here, I have freshly blow-dried hair with just this post-shower using this Amika blow-dryer brush. This brush is fantastic on its own but this spray-on treatment has more or less doubled this brush's effectiveness. My hair comes out feeling softer, looking shinier and healthier, and stays looking good for days — which is especially great news because I wash my hair about every four days. 'Tis time for me to unload a bunch of hair products I now no longer need to my friends."

Get it from Mane Club on Amazon for $9.95.

Promising review: “In the winter, I put it on her paws two to three times a week and she can withstand the bitter cold and salty walks. In the summer when the temperature is 80 degrees and above, I put it on her paws and she can walk on asphalt without issue.” —Kat Lanz

Get it from Amazon for $15.99.

Promising review: "I hate washing my brushes. I've always done it by hand and it's always caused the big fluffy powder brushes to feel rougher or become matted no matter how hard I try to reshape them. I got this solution and used it with a makeup brush spinner, and I couldn't BELIEVE how amazing my brushes were afterwards! I also have sensitive skin and most any soap I put on a brush will cause me to breakout when I use it later, no matter how well I typically rinse it. But I really think that this cleaner + the brush spinner worked great and I haven't had any sensitive bumps on my skin since using them!" —Chelsea

Get it from Amazon for $6.99.

Promising review: "I don’t write reviews often (indeed I believe this is the first one ever), but I cannot let another day go by without expressing how amazing this mitt is! I wasn’t expecting much of anything. I have been exfoliating with a different but similar product for a long time and had been assuming it worked, so I didn’t anticipate the amount of dead skin this mitt removed. I made sure my skin was nice and wet for 10 minutes before I attempted to use it. After the first scrub of my arm I stood there in the shower stunned, staring at the mitt in shock. I scrubbed every inch of myself I could before my arms got tired! My skin is so soft it feels absolutely dreamy! I put lotion on and I can’t stop touching my amazingly soft skin! You will not regret buying this mitt, just make sure your skin is soaked and softened for at least 10 minutes before you try to use it!" —Jillian Amanda

Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (also available in a pack of two).

Promising review: "I used it in my bathroom sink and yes I have long hair. I kept it in for a few months and when I finally decided to pull it out, yikes! It was pretty gross!" —Jen

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $6.99.

Promising review: "Just made a dish involving onions, shallots, and garlic. Normally my hands would smell of onion and garlic for two days, no matter how much soap and water scrubbing I did. I did a quick wash with soap, then rubbed this all over my hands and fingertips under running water. Completely eliminated the odor from my skin. I've had one of these under my sink for years and sometimes forget to use it. Then every time I do, it's sort of 'Eureka!' all over again. I may be a slow learner, but at least my hands don't smell. If I wash my hands, then use this, I've never had it fail to work." —CKB

Get it from Amazon for $9.59.

Promising review: "This is making my bread stay fresher longer AND it keeps it from getting squished or torn." —Michele

Get it from Amazon for $13.97 (available in two lid colors).

The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.