24 Things To Help You Clean Your Food And Kitchen Way Better Than You Probably Have Been

"Ни разу не упасть — не самая большая заслуга в жизни. Главное каждый раз подниматься." Нельсон Мандела

We demand spotless results or nothing now.

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

1.

A vegetable brush so you can clean tough veggies like potatoes or carrots quickly and efficiently — thick potato skins are no longer a fear of ours.


Amazon

Promising review: “I use this to scrub the dirt off my potatoes while I’m washing them and it works wonders. Gets so much dirt off that you wouldn’t be able to get off with just your hands. Definitely recommend!” —Sarah

Get it from Amazon for $4.99.

2.

A scrap collector you can attach right to the edge of your sink or counter so cleaning up after yourself becomes totally thoughtless. Is that what people mean by ~responsible~ habits?


Amazon

Promising review: “So useful! I use mine more as a small trash collector. I have mine next to the stove for eggshells and anything else I may want to toss quickly. Also, I line it with a plastic produce bag so that it doesn’t get grimy and dirty. Not only this, but using this as a small trash can, I end up using my large kitchen trash bag as a bin for my smaller produce-bag-wrapped trash bags (and/or trash items that don’t have a smell). This means my large trash can usually doesn’t smell bad, since it’s only ever full of smaller wrapped trash bags. Maybe it seems a little strange, but for someone who usually only cooks for one, I don’t like my large trashcan to be partially full and already smell like it needs to be taken out.” —Shaz

Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in two colors).

3.

A set of collapsible colanders to 👏 wash 👏 your 👏 produce properly before prepping your meals. They come in three sizes, meaning you can use the smallest one for quick snack rinses, and the biggest one for heftier portions. And! They’ll take up minimal space (you can stack them together before collapsing).


Amazon

Promising review: “I LOVE that these colanders collapse so they don’t take up a ton of space in my cupboards in the kitchen. They only take up about the equivalent of a dinner plate when grouped together. I’m thankful for multiple sizes, too, since when I am rinsing grapes I don’t need an especially large colander.” —Gretchen Pileggi

Get a set of three from Amazon for $18.99.

4.

A garbage disposal brush for deep-cleaning ~without~ sticking your hand down the *eep* land of soggy leftovers by eliminating food waste itself (and getting rid of leftover odors).


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Promising review: “This product can be a major kitchen product if you have issues with odors in your garbage disposal. We eat a lot of cereals for breakfast and almost all are loaded with preservatives, which are like glue when they get wet. For two years, we could not get rid of a foul odor for more than a day or two. I purchased this as a last resort, but only expecting it to help a little. The first time I used it, I was amazed at how much gunk was brushed away and odor was reduced. ” —C. D. Cornett

Get it from Amazon for $19.48.

5.

And! A pack of Glisten garbage disposer cleaner to fully deep-clean your drains so they’re practically as clean as the day you moved in. It’s powered by a bleach alternative foaming powder that’ll reach every nook and cranny of your system.


Amazon

You just pop the packet down the drain! Can’t get any easier.

Promising review: “Holy cow I didn’t realize how easy and quick it was to clean a garbage disposal until I bought this product! Typically, in my naïve thinking, I’d just use vinegar and baking soda down the drain and call it good. Little did I know that there was an actual cleaning product available until I stumbled across it through a Buzzfeed article. It literally takes five minutes and some hot water and VOILÀ! You have a clean, no-longer-stinky garbage disposal. Let me say that anytime I got a whiff of an odor, all I did was drop one of those packs in the disposal and the smell was GONE! Worth every penny!” —VadersGirl

Get a pack of four from Amazon for $5.99.

6.

A box of coffee machine–cleaning powder so you can get your coffee pot back to super clear *and* put an end to bitter-tasting coffee that’s usually caused by lime scale and oil residue buildup.


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Promising review: “This worked great for our coffee maker. The picture on the left (above) is the first batch of water, including the packet of cleaner. The second was already much cleaner and the third and fourth batches of water were completely clear. Our coffee tastes much less bitter now.” —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $7.86.

7.

A swivel grout and corner brush, because you can attach this to almost any broom handle to sufficiently scrub away tough dirt or grime from any angle without having to get down on all fours.


Amazon

Promising review: “This works great standing up. I have very old and deeply-worn grout. Trying to get the floors clean was a hands-and-knees job. This brush cleans really well, is easy to use, and I am so glad not to be on my knees. Plus, I wrap a microfiber towel around the bristles and can then dry those really deep grout lines so the dirty water doesn’t fill them.” —OAH

Get it from Amazon for $8.16.

8.

A swivel vegetable peeler for efficiently cleaning and prepping your veggies before cooking — reviewers say it’s particularly good for maintaining control while peeling odd-shaped food. It can even remove potato spots, thanks to its handy tip design.


Amazon

Promising review: “I was perfectly content with my generic vegetable peeler. It did a decent job. Then I tried this peeler at my daughter’s house over Thanksgiving. Where has this little peeler been all my life? It made peeling potatoes effortless! It’s super comfortable, lightweight, and glides over vegetables — for an unbelievably reasonable price. I’m buying one for my sister, and highly recommend it to anyone. Even if you’re happy with your current peeler, just try this one — you won’t regret it.” —Mary W.

Get it from Amazon for $9.97.

9.

A silicone drain cover that’ll be a great solution if you don’t have a garbage disposal. It’ll catch everything *before* it goes down the drain so you don’t have to go digging — or more likely, avoid cleaning altogether and let a mess pile up. Now you can just wipe it all off.


Amazon

Reviewers also say this is easier to clean than alternative hair catchers in showers (hello, conditioner buildup 🙃). They have suctions on the bottom so they’ll stay in place.

Promising review: “We do not have a garbage disposal in our kitchen. We have been using the sink drain stopper, but finally got tired of constantly cleaning them, as food would get stuck in the holes. I looked for a different solution for some time and thought this would be a cheap thing to try. They suction well and it’s easy to pick up and wipe the food in the garbage. They clean so much faster than the original ones.” —Deloris P.

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $9.98.

10.

A set of Affresh dishwasher cleaning tablets you can rely on super easy way to instantly dissolve food residue that’s been hanging out for awhile now. This may be why our parents told us to ~rinse~ dishes first…well now we don’t have to, anyway.


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Promising review: “This works extremely well. We haven’t done any cleaning on our dishwasher in five years, and the sliding dish trays were tough to pull out or push in, there was detergent build-up all over the inside, and there was a milky film on all our cups. I bought Affresh, ran the dishwasher with two tablets while it was empty, and the difference was astounding. No more film on the glasses, no more dirty dishes from clogged sprayers, no more odors, or build-up around the door seals. I’m going to be buying Affresh from now on, and hopefully it will extend the life of my dishwasher.” —Martoune

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $5.99.

11.

A pair of silicone dish-washing gloves, because these’ll encourage you to get post-dinner chores OVER WITH in a faster amount of time. I’m sorry to say a clean kitchen can’t involve a pile of dirty dishes in the sink.


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And! These’ll last longer and stay cleaner than your traditional sponge.

Promising review: “I bought these gloves to save my dry cracking hands and they are wonderful! I just had a baby and I’m constantly washing bottles and pumping accessories, therefore constantly washing my hands, and they are taking a beating. I love these gloves because I can still wash my bottles in hot water and can’t feel the heat through the gloves. I also love that they have bristles on the palms so I can wash anything with them. They are a little big on me, but other than that they are a great pair of cleaning gloves!” —Kelsi Wilde

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

12.

A flexible coil brush to reach underneath your refrigerator — there is almost certainly a colony of dust and crumbs living there. Now you don’t have to pretend it doesn’t exist.


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This is also great for cleaning your dryer’s vents!

Promising review: “I use one in the dryer filter area and one under the refrigerator. They get dust I can’t get any other way. I gave five stars for durability even though I’ve had them for only a short time. They feel sturdy to last long enough for me.” —ASF

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $7.95.

13.

A granite countertop cleaning spray for making daily wipe-downs totally effortless and easy. It quickly removes grease, food buildup, water marks, and stains *without* leaving streaks behind. You may even want to show off your kitchen now.


Amazon

Promising review: “I have been looking for a good cleaner/polish for my new black quartz counters for over six months. Either I didn’t like the smell (too chemical) or it didn’t clean well. I love this stuff. I was shocked that after cleaning, you won’t even get fingerprints. And anyone knows with black quartz, you will have fingerprints. This is a great product.” —Lori B

Get it from Amazon for $6.19.

14.

A Shark steam mop reviewers say is worth every cent thanks to its ability to streamline deep-cleaning hardwood floors to almost half the usual scrubbing time. Dirt truly quakes in fear at the sight of this cleaning ~machine~.


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It comes with three steam-level controls and a washable double-sided microfiber pad.

Promising review: “Ok, I admit it was an impulse buy. Wow, was I shocked when I used it the first time! Three dogs with a doggie door causes paw prints and dirt and it would take me up to three hours to really deep-clean my hardwood floors. From setup to cleaning, getting shiny floors took about 45 minutes! It was super easy and fast deep-cleaning!!! I really do believe whoever created this is a genius! Brilliant!” —Michelle

Get it from Amazon for $99.99, and get two extra microfiber pads for $19.98.

15.

An over-the-door organizer so you can stay fully stocked on cleaning supplies without getting disorganized. You’ll probably be more efficient with everyday cleaning when everything has a known spot and is immediately in reach.


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This is also great for organizing shoes!

Promising review: “I purchased this to hang on the inside of my broom closet door, and store all my cleaning supplies. I got tired of looking for things, and this has been the perfect solution. The four hooks that hold the organizer fit my door width perfectly and I know the organizer is secure. I was able to put all my supplies in there, including a rather bulky bottle of Febreze. There’s enough room to put a spray can of Pledge with the dusting cloth inside the same pouch. They are deep enough that I could put two shorter jars of polish in the same pouch. The pouches are clear so I can see where everything is and I don’t have to hunt for things anymore!” —CactusMomma

Get it from Amazon for $9.47.

16.

A wood-polishing conditioner, because this’ll bring your worn-down kitchen table back to brand spanking new (something you previously couldn’t do no matter how hard you scrubbed). It’ll get rid of scratches, water marks, and whatever else your kids managed to do.


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Plus it feeds your wood protective carnauba wax and beeswax to give it some ~luster~ and extend its lifetime.

Promising review: “OMG! This is the most AMAZING product! We inherited some antique furniture from the ’30s that had been in storage forever. It was dry, dirty, and not much to look at. I used this product on it and the oak wood literally came alive, showing the beautiful grain and texture of the wood. I have since used it on my oak kitchen cabinets and they look AMAZING! I will never use anything else other than this product on my wood surfaces! No greasy feel, just a fantastic smell!” —Tiffany Sadowski

Get it from Amazon for $8.48.

To learn more, check out “This Wood Polish’s Before-And-After Photos Will Make You A Believer”.

17.

A microwave steam cleaner to get rid of the remnants of exploded lasagna that’s been living on your microwave’s roof for months. Five minutes with this, and all you’ll have to do is wipe.


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Just fill ‘er with vinegar and let the microwave run for five to seven minutes!

Promising review: “People in my household always forget or are too lazy to use plastic film when microwaving things, so my microwave is constantly dirty which isn’t the easiest to clean. Upon searching on Amazon for microwave cleaners, I stumbled upon this which I thought was so cute and funny. The product is sort of bigger than expected which is great, because that means I can store more solution into the product. I added vinegar and some lemon juice into the product to clean it, and it works so well! It makes cleaning the microwave so much easier and is so so simple to use. It saves me a lot of time.” —Lara

Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in four styles).

18.

A pack of microfiber cloths for using in just about every cleaning scenario. They can be used to wash dishes, dry glass without leaving a single streak, wipe down counters, and help with whatever else you want to clean. They’re machine-washable and promise to leave whatever they touch *spotless*.


Amazon

Promising review: “I am the cook of the house and I make a mess. My white linen towels bite the dust for stains regularly, which doesn’t go without comment from everyone. These rags are absorbent, good looking, and dark enough that stains don’t show (much). I use one per day and the kitchen is always spotless — saving a tree or two in paper towels in a year. We have lots of standard lint-free rags for house/auto cleaning and think these are a big step up — worth the price.” —burnn1

Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $11.99.

19.

A cooktop cleaning kit that’ll ~smooth~ over any tension with long overdue messes. It’ll undo stubborn stains, burnt-on residue, and everything in-between from all those times you thought you could flip an omelette like Julia Child.


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“NO FEAR, JULIA. Oh, I guess I can just eat this off the stove.” This comes with a *handy* cleaning pad and scraper!

Promising review: “This works amazingly! I hadn’t thoroughly scrubbed my glass cooktop in years — I only wiped them down with random multi cleaners which never seemed to do much. Then a friend recommended this product — AMAZING! The included scrubbers and scrapers really make the difference. As others have said it will leave your cooktop shiny and new — even marks that had been on there for years came almost completely off: 98% better.” —B. Swartwood

Get it from Amazon for $10.25.

20.

A julienne Y-shaped peeler so you can be more exact when cleaning with things like carrots, cucumber, and zucchini — especially if you plan on also using the strips for later.


Amazon

Promising review: “You know how you like carrots, but they’re so chunky and hard to cut? This is perfect. I can also make my cucumber perfect for sushi in seconds. It’s really handy and sturdy. I have loved every OXO product I have ever used.” —imaFox

Get it from Amazon for $6.99.

21.

A pan scraper, because this’ll help you properly clean cast iron pans, burnt cookware, or tough residue without scratching the surface. Now you don’t need to let your dirty pan soak for several hours.


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Promising review: “These are surprisingly handy. We use them on our cast iron and stainless steel pots and pans since we’ve stopped using non-stick cookware. They clean super easily and take up zero storage space, which is convenient. We’ve used them for other random tasks like cleaning gunk off the the counter from the kids’ snacks or art projects. Definitely handy.” —J&CBaxter

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $7.54.

22.

An extra-durable sponge to conquer super tough messes together without ever worrying about this falling apart (or starting to smell). It’s designed to last for MONTHS so you always have a handy ally when confronting burnt grease.


Natalie Brown / BuzzFeed

Promising review: “To preface, my family doesn’t use a dishwasher, but hand-washes everything. So our sponge is used daily and extensively. This sponge has been great. We’ve been using the first one for over two months now and it’s still going strong. It doesn’t smell weird like some sponges do after a while. It’s sturdy, I love using both sides depending on what needs to be scrubbed off. I definitely recommend getting this, I highly doubt you’ll regret it. Plus, the black looks classy and doesn’t get discolored or anything.” —Tammy

Get a pack of three from Amazon for $14.48.

To learn more about why a BuzzFeed editor swears by this, check out “This Miracle Sponge Literally Never Stinks And Actually Lasts For Months”.

And! See why this was our splurge-worthy kitchen sponge pick on BuzzFeed Reviews!

23.

A cutting board cleaner that’ll gently wash your wooden block with a mix of coconut soap and lemon oil to prevent weakening the wood fibers. It’ll also neutralize orders and help you maintain your cutting board so it lasts years.


Amazon

Promising review: “I purchased a home with butcher block counters. They were dingy and gross. I used the cutting board cleaner several times followed by the conditioner and the counters have come back to life. Now I feel good about making our food on them.” —Skromann

Get it from Amazon for $18.98.

24.

A can of Easy Off oven cleaner so you can easily scrub away old, baked-on messes without a whole lot of *elbow grease*. Basically, you can hit the restart button if you’ve been fruitlessly fighting old stains for years.


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Did I mention it’s lemon-scented?

Promising review: “I’m a little embarrassed to write this review; it’s been six years since my last oven cleaning. After seeing the results, I couldn’t help but spread the word. Sure, it took some beer, a little John Mayer, and a lot of elbow grease, but I got the job done, thanks to this handy little product. It did require two treatments; however, given the circumstances, this product accomplished quite a feat in just an hour. The attached pictures (above) speak for themselves.” —William Fredericks

Get it from Amazon for $6.44.

Forever cleaning mood:


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

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Looking for more great Amazon finds? Check out some of our favorite cheap things to buy on Amazon, some of the weirdest things on Amazon you might actually want, or read through all the rest of our incredible Amazon product recommendations.

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