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Nov 13, 2023

36 Practical Things Your Home May Be Sorely Missing

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but

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.

It's tired of watching you crawl behind the couch — just get a swivel outlet.

BuzzFeed Contributor

A fan-favorite all-season comforter — your current one is getting a little lumpy, no?

A set of inexpensive microfiber sheets that feel just as silky soft as much more expensive brands. So you and your wallet can get a good night's sleep.

A set of extra mini drawers that clip onto your shelves so you can easily grab what you need instead of having to remove half the contents of your fridge just to get to the mayo.

Get them from Amazon for $5.69.

I slept on these sheets while at an Airbnb and was convinced they were fancy percale sheets. I had to check the label because they felt so luxurious and cuddly. I was totally shocked that you could just get 'em on Amazon.

Get a set from Amazon for $18.92+ (available in six sizes and 16 colors).

Get it from Amazon for $8.99+.

Promising review: "Do I really need a tea bag organizer? That's what I was thinking when I ordered this. And when I took it out of the box. And when I filled the first little bag holder. But as the pile of empty boxes grew larger, I knew the answer was yes, I do need a tea bag organizer. I was using a whole shelf and a half for jumbled tea boxes which I had to sift through to look for a specific tea. In the end, I think this held about eight or nine boxes of tea bags (I crammed some of them). I am so happy that I got this!" —Sarah C.

Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in two sizes).

Promising review: "Love love love this clock... sleek and definitely a statement piece. Alarm is subtle it will definitely wake you up however it will not scare the B-Jesus out of you. Love the extra ports on the side to charge other things with it." —Meika B.

Get it from Amazon for $24.59+ (available in six colors).

This set even comes with nonslip straps to ensure your new seats stay in place. See more colors here.

Promising review: "I have never been so excited about a slipcover. Total transformation of our couch and loveseat. I was worried about it not working on our leather couch, but it stays on really well due to the straps and the separate cushion covers. LOVE." —Brian/Liz

Get it from Amazon for $42.49+ (available in three sizes and ten colors).

Promising review: "This is the bidet I use and I 100% recommend to my friends, family, and to you, dear reader. Installation was pretty simple; from start to poop it took about 15 minutes. The sensation is truly something if you've never experienced it before, but the cool water will probably feel good once it's summer and my apartment gets nice and steamy. " —Melanie Aman, BuzzFeed Staff

Get it from Tushy on Amazon for $49.99+ (available in two colors).

Celsious is a Black woman-owned laundromat in Brooklyn. The shop is energy efficient, and they also sell eco-friendly garment care products and accessories.

Get it from Celsious for $13.

Promising review: "Where has this been all my life? This is the best invention ever. Very easy to assemble and fit my cabinet easily. Buy this, you won't regret it!" —Kindle Customer

Get it from Amazon for $27.99+ (available in two colors).

They can hold up to four pounds!

Promising review: "Super simple to put up, works great, and makes organization a snap! Really happy with how well this simple project turned out!!" —Mat Snyder

Get them from Amazon for $14.99.

Promising review: "I have a plant in my office that had terrible gnats. I ordered this product and put one in my plant. Within one hour, there were about 10 gnats stuck to it. Within four days, it was covered on both sides with gnats. Very pleased with this product! Very easy to use, no odor, and even looks cute in my plant!" —HD6774

Get a pack of 25 from Amazon for $9.99.

Eizzy Baby is a Black-owned business that sells pretty and helpful matte baby supplies like bibs, suction plates, teethers, and more.

Get two from Walmart for $20 (available in three colorways) or one from Eizzy Baby for $12 (available in nine colors).

It also has two USB ports so everyone can get a charge.

Promising review: "Where has this outlet been my whole life? Wow! This totally cleaned up the plug/chord fiasco behind my bedside table! I've used a six-outlet expander for years. But the problem with the big plug heads just drove me nuts! I was forever rearranging the plugs to make something fit. The fact that this turns solved the problem. Plus I'm two plugs down now that I have the USB connections in the actual outlet. Just brilliant for us!" —Southern Magnolia

Get it from Amazon for $25.51.

Promising review: "My husband turns a lot in his sleep and has always woken up with the fitted sheet halfway off his side of the bed. We bought these and we have NEVER once had to adjust the sheet in the morning! These are amazing! They're the kind of thing you'll never know how you lived without before." —LinseyB

Get a pack of four from Amazon for $8.99.

Promising review: "Lifesaver! Our showers are pretty narrow so the shower curtains would never fully cover the back corner. This was a cheap and efficient solution for securing our shower curtains!" —Joya Smith

Get a four-pack from Amazon for $9.99.

Promising review: "Bought a new refrigerator and I missed my deli drawer. I purchased this as a way to store deli cold meat. I’m so glad I bought it" —wendy

Get one from Amazon for $19.99 (available in two size packs)

Promising review: "Where has this thing been all my life?? Omg makes making poppers so fast! And they look great! Even works on the small sweet peppers too. Use this thing to seed your peppers. Then place your filling into a pastry bag. Or even a Ziploc baggie with the tip snipped off. Fill your peppers and it makes it go so fast! Love love it! I’ve ordered one for my FIL too as he loves making poppers too!!" —Regina R.

Get it from Amazon for $9.49.

Read more about this beloved rainbow window film.

Promising review: "I have privacy issues in my apartment and these are not only pretty, but no one can see into my apartment!!! I haven't taken them off yet but I'm pretty sure they're renter friendly since I had to reapply one recently." —mars

Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in 11 sizes).

Along with hardboiled eggs, this baby can make omelets and poached and scrambled eggs.

See BuzzFeed's full write-up on the Dash egg cooker.

Promising review: "The egg cooker is the first product I bought from Dash. It started my love affair with the Dash company and I am a serial buyer of now four different products and counting. And no, I pay for them all and have zero connection to the company. I’m just a big fan of their products. If you want consistently good hard-boiled eggs, just follow the instructions. If you want to customize your experience and be a mad scientist and play around with timing and with water temp and levels, you can do that too. But as long as you make sure to rinse the just-cooked eggs in cold water using the cute carrier, then you will get the desired soft to hard levels on the continuum of cook by using the included and equally cute water measurer/egg piercer. And you won't hurt yourself like you would by doing the bonehead move of handling flaming hockey puck eggs with your bare hands. Don't be an idiot. Use the carrier." —JenX

Get it from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in eight colors).

Promising review: "Best-smelling candle in the entire world. Expensive but worth it. It smells up entire bottom floor of our house, which is 1500 sq. ft." —Elizabeth

Get it from Amazon for $22.

Promising review: "When I say these work fast, I mean it. I got these in hopes of killing my pantry moth problem once and for all. As soon as I set these traps out a SWARM of moths came out from who-knows-where. I felt like I was in The Birds — it was that intense. After my momentary panic I was shocked to find that the moths went straight to the traps and got themselves stuck, and within a few hours the kitchen was eerily free of moths. Don't let the price scare you, this stuff works and works well. The only complaint I have is that my cat got herself stuck on one in a desperate attempt to kill some moths herself. Though that is more of a complaint with the stupidity of my cat and not the product. With a little complaining and vegetable oil she came free with only a little fur missing." —Taylor

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $19.97.

Promising review: "This comforter is amazing! I was getting too warm with my down comforter, but I still wanted something soft, and this was the answer. It's very light, yet still provides enough warmth that I'm only using this with a flat sheet. It fit perfectly in my duvet cover and comes with loops on each corner and midway between the corners." —Joiseygirl

Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in twin–California king and in six colors).

Promising review: "Such a lifesaver. I find this meal planner super helpful. I love the side-by-side for the menu and shopping list. Soo much easier for me. Plus, they come in cute color combos and the back has a magnet to put it right on the refrigerator" —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $9.95 (available in five styles).

It also prevents it from drying and fading. Use it on antiques, dining tables, kitchen cabinets, wood doors, trim, and more.

Promising review: "This stuff is absolutely AMAZING. My wife and I were getting tired of looking at our worn-out cabinets and wood paneling and were very close to paying a professional thousands of dollars to refinish it all, but then we came across this product. Our paneling and cabinets were looking rough. We have two dogs who had jumped up and scratched places, and we also had an area that was damaged by water spots where our dog bowls were and several other areas that were just worn from heavy traffic. This stuff was like a magic eraser for water spots, scratches, scuffs, and any other blemishes. We simply wiped the product on with a paper towel and let is sit for 20 minutes before wiping it off with a clean towel. Everything looks brand new. We're so glad we found this product." —Kris

Get it from Amazon for $11.79+.

Promising review: "I would die without a good bath. It's an absolute must. We just moved into a new home and the bathtubs are *SO* shallow. My soul was slowly being ripped to pieces while soaking in a measly 7 inches of water. Devastating! It will be a while until we can afford to remodel the bathrooms, so I needed to find an alternative solution before I cracked. This product seriously improved the quality of my life. It's a softer, malleable plastic than I originally thought, but convenient for different shaped tubs since it will mold easier. All I have to do to turn my nightmare tub into a dream was to run the suction cups under the faucet and snap the suction cups into place over the bath drain. It was so easy! I got an instant 5 inches more of water!! For $8?! I think yes!!! Crowds applauded and cried, it was beautiful. In all seriousness, I'm pretty impressed and happy this worked out so well. I saw a few reviewers had issues with the suction cups not sticking, and I'm not sure why. I have a standard porcelain-enameled cast iron tub, and have no issues (it is so easy). One person wrote they had issues with mold in their drain cover, so that is why I remove and hang it up after each bath to dry it thoroughly. Good luck fellow Bathians! I hope this review helps!" —Rachael

Get it from Amazon for $8.99 (available in nine colors).

Above is an image of the plant just five months after it arrived. They grow up so fast. :')

Promising review: "Packaged with care, larger than life, and still going strong a month after ordering. I love my new monstera! It has a ton of new leaves already and many of them have split into that lovely, now iconic shape." —Jack Bettilyon

Get it from Amazon for $24.

It's alphabetized so you can easily find the one you need!.

Promising review: "This was exactly what I wanted. The book has a heavy plastic cover and heavy-duty wire binding. The paper is good quality, although my favorite gel pens did have some bleed-through. I'd recommend ballpoint or pencil. The entries have wide spaces, with room for website, email, username, password, and notes (which is perfect for noting the answers to those security questions... What's your favorite ice cream flavor? I don't remember what I answered a year ago!). The password section has a good number of extra lines, for those sites that make you change your password with annoying frequency." —Amazon Customer

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

(Yes, I do think a waffle stick maker is practical, tysm.)

Promising review: "I do not normally rave about kitchen appliances but I love this little guy! I impulse bought it after reading some reviews and craving waffles. It seriously is the best waffle maker I have ever used. We had a more expensive one that would flip to cook evenly, but this thing has that beat by a mile. I have used it a dozen times and the waffles come out perfect every time. I spray with vegetable oil before pouring in 1/3 cup of batter (as other reviewers have noted it does not come with a measuring cup) and then set a timer for four minutes. When I am done, I just unplug it and let it cool, then wipe it off with a cloth. I know the color and cartoonish logo may turn some people off but I seriously recommend this iron to everyone." —leahas

Get it from Amazon for $21.58.

Promising review: "We installed this and immediately felt like we'd been missing out on a good shower for years. Definitely recommend! Just make sure to install according to the directions and firmly place the removable shower head in it's resting place or it does look like it will fall." —abf2224

Get it from Amazon for $43.13.

Sheet Keeper is a woman-owned small business based in Los Angeles and their adorable bedding bands will actually make staying organized fun!

Promising review: "Great product. Came quickly and they work great! Such a great idea to keep sheets organized and together while being able to tell what size bedding it is. Will order again for sure!" —devonhansen1

Get a set of two from Sheet Keeper on Etsy for $13.99 (available in sizes twin—California king, as well as in duvet and comforter labels).

I have this blanket and haven't moved from under it since I got it. It's silky soft on the bottom and thickly furry on top. I can't even begin to describe how perfectly snuggly this thing is.

Get it from Anthropologie for $98 (available in nine colors).

Promising review: "Seriously, y'all...if you're looking for a soft and unique blankie, then look no further. This item ranks high up there among my favorite Amazon purchases. The 'underside' is a more traditional blanket weave while the outer is the fantastically soft and 'hair' shag job you see in the pictures. When I'm truly chilly, I tend to flip the traditional side down to cover me up all nice and snug-like. When I want to feel like I'm being draped in a decadent blanket of the gods woven in wispy, (faux) newborn baby hair...I flip that soft sucker over and bellow a sigh of passion (too much?)." —Bitcoin Zeitgeist

Get it from Amazon for $45.99+ (available in five sizes and 25 colors).

Promising review: "These are nice pieces that helped me organize underneath my bathroom sink! They fit perfectly! After organizing everything, I was so surprised I had so much more room that I grabbed more items out of the linen closet to fill it up. I still have a lot of room left. I bought these based off the high ratings and they hold true." —Brad J. Leahy

Get it on Amazon for $24.97 (also available in bronze).

The next time you want to make a mushroom gravy, you'll have Herbes de Provence right there! And chicken is going to taste so much better with a dash of rosemary. This tower comes with 20 jars of spices. I personally have this rack and can confirm it's legit. The construction is obviously a little flimsy, but it spins nicely and doesn't wobble. All the spices are fresh and quite nice!

Promising review: "I LOVE THIS! It looks great on my counter and all the new choices I have to cook with is just exciting!! Plus, the five years of refills is just icing on top." —Imani

Get a rack with 20 spices from Amazon for $33.71.

McMaster3D is a Langhorne, Pennsylvania-based Etsy shop that specializes in 3D printing.

Promising review: 'These are great! They come with command strips and I installed mine side ways on a cabinet instead of underneath and it's working great! Saving so much drawer space." —Etsy Reviewer

Get the set of three from McMaster3D on Etsy for $9.90+ (originally $11; available in 12 colors).

Promising review: "Holy cow this is magic. I have a 230-pound Mastiff. I have purchased any and everything claiming to get dog hair off car carpet. I have used at least three different vacuums and attachments. Lately I have been using a microfiber towel because it had some grip. Then this piece of magic arrived. It gets every single hair no matter how embedded. There were hairs I had a hard time removing with my fingers. The Fur-Zoff pulled them right out. This has cut my hair removal time in half! Thank you for this savior of a tool." —David R.

Get it from Amazon for $11.01.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.