42 genius solutions to your most common gross problems

When it comes to bugs, bad smells, or other yucky problems that plague the human condition, there is always that last blissful moment before you realize there is a problem; shortly after, there’s the horror of discovery, followed by a desperate search for someone else to rid you of that problem. When you can’t find that someone else, and it comes down to you, you need answers now. Because that bug (or whatever it is) isn’t paying rent and needs to go. So, without a lot of preamble, let me present you with these 42 genius solutions to your most common gross problems.

Whether your bug problem takes the form of moths, ants, or fruit flies, you don’t need to freak out. These are easy to solve with the right tool. And even if your smell problem emanates from deep within an inaccessible appliance, that solution is also easy and quick. Even problems that crop up on your own body, while unsettling, usually have an easy fix. Stay calm and read on for your solution.

1. A wildly popular hair catcher for your drain

If your drain has a constant, nagging habit of clogging, you need a hair catcher to prevent a full-on, emergency-level blockage. Whether the hair that’s going down the drain comes from pets or humans with long hair, this TubShroom will catch it and hold it where you can easily access and clear it out before it washes out of reach and requires a visit from the plumber. It works so well, over 77,000 shoppers have chimed in with a positive rating.

2. The pumice stone that can clean any toilet

If the state of your toilet has you shopping for a new one because you can’t stand to look at it and can’t get it clean, this $12 toilet-scrubbing pumice stone might save you a lot of money and hassle. It will scrub off hard water stains, crusted-on yuck, and more. Almost 18,000 people give this thing five stars for the miracle it wrought on their stained bowls.

3. This silicone dish sponge that smells like peaches

That particular stink of a damp dish sponge is uniquely unpleasant, but this scrubber doesn’t have that problem because it’s made of quick-drying silicone that doesn’t hold onto water. The sponge is also scented like peaches, which is just a nice touch. And since they won’t get mildewy, each sponge lasts longer, too.

4. A toilet spray that stops the smell from escaping

Keep a bottle of this before-you-go toilet spray in the bathroom so that anytime someone has to go, they can prevent the aftermath from causing a house evacuation. It creates a barrier on the surface of the water so that the smell of what’s under the water can’t get out. The bathroom will instead smell faintly of lavender vanilla.

5. These wipes so you can see through your glasses & screen

It’s hard to see what’s happening in the world if your view is impaired by smudged glasses and a screen that’s covered in fingerprints. But these big, pre-moistened lens and screen cleaning wipes will clear up your vista quickly, safely, and without a lot of hassle. Keep a few packets in your pocket, bag, car, and desk drawer and you will be able to see easily. Reviewers give them over 31,000 five-star reviews.

6. This bar that eliminates the smell of fish & garlic

When you handle fish, garlic, or other strong-smelling foods, the scent lingers on your hands because soap fails to remove it. It seems hard to believe but this stainless steel bar works better. The steel molecules bond to the scent molecules on your skin and remove them — and their odor — completely. One bar will last forever, too.

7. This bag to store really dirty or stinky clothes

If the baby barfs all over you, you spent the weekend mudding, or your gym clothes reek after a tough session, this bag is how you get them from your body to the laundry. Put them in the opaque, smell-blocking part of the bag until you get to a washing machine. Then unzip the other side and let out the mesh washing bag. Drop the whole thing into the washing machine.

8. The weird pink stuff that pro cleaners swear by

This weird cleaning paste has a cult following among professional cleaners and people for whom cleaning is a hobby. You just spread it on, wait, then wipe it off of counters, appliances, sinks, showers, and more. It removes all sorts of baked-on messes and is safe for you and your pets. It gets over 62,000 five-star ratings.

9. An exfoliating mask for your feet

If your feet are feeling rough and callused, wrap them up in these mask-infused socks and take a short nap. Then remove the socks, clean up, and go about your life. In a couple of days, your feel will start to shed like a snake. And a new pair of baby-soft feet will emerge from this metamorphosis. It’s a strange process but nearly 26,000 people give it five stars.

10. A specialized laundry soap for gym clothes

If your usual laundry soap leaves your gym clothes smelling like the gym, even after they’ve been washed, it’s time to see a specialist. This performance laundry detergent has a patented cleaning molecule that’s designed to get into tight-knit, synthetic fabrics common in activewear and get them clean. It comes in a choice of fresh-smelling scents.

11. This pen that paints over your dirty grout

If you have been struggling to get the grout in your tiled bathroom or kitchen clean, give up on cleaning and try restoring its color with this bright white grout pen. (Other colors are available.) Just color in the dirty grout with the marker and your bathroom will look so much cleaner.

12. A quick way to clear your furniture of pet fur

You love your fur babies but don’t necessarily want to wear their fur. This pet fur roller cleans it up fast just by rolling back and forth over their nap spot on the chair before you sit in it. A grippy fabric pulls fur out of furniture and stores it in a chamber that’s easy to open and empty so you can keep using it indefinitely. Reviewers love it and give 67,000 five-star ratings.

13. These popular pods that get rid of that smell in the washer

When the washing machine starts to give off an odd smell, drop one of these tablets in and run an empty load. It will clear away the bacteria and build-up that causes that smell while washing the basin that washes your clothes. This box incudes six tablets to help you start a monthly habit. It’s easy, effective, and gets 105,000 five-star reviews.

14. This hilarious trick for a clean microwave

Don’t forget that mess in the microwave when you are cleaning the kitchen. It might look like a hassle to clean, but with this Angry Mama in your arsenal, it could be a lot of fun. Fill it with water, set it down in the microwave, and let it run for a few minutes. That water will turn to steam, and that steam will soften the cooked-on mess so that all you have to do is laugh and wipe to get a spotless interior.

15. A proven life hack for keeping your car clean

It’s not really possible to keep a car clean if you have no easy place to put trash, and this waterproof one solves that problem. Attach it to a seat, console, or wherever — it has a grippy bottom so it stays put — and will hold lots of trash. The opening expands for big items and keeps everything inside and out of sight. Line it with an included liner or a grocery bag and all you have to do is empty it once in a while.

16. This adorable cure for shoes that smell

After a run or a long work day in those shoes, you can take them off without worrying that your housemates will complain by replacing your feet with these decorative scent balls. They come in 12 fun themes with six balls in each package. Just twist the ball to activate them and they eliminate odors in shoes, gym bags, lockers, or wherever you need it.

17. A boot cleaner that stops muck from getting inside

Set this boot cleaner on the porch or mount it to a step or board and you can stop worrying that you will track whatever mud, dirt, or yuck you walked through into your house. Stiff brushes on the bottom and both sides scrub the sole and sides of your boots clean, letting the muck fall below.

18. The rotating scrubber that cleans hard-to-reach places

Whether it’s the grout in your bathroom, the corners of a sink, or a highly detailed piece of cabinet hardware, this spinning brush gets in there and gets it clean. The head rotates 60 times a second, you can get additional heads for various cleaning projects, and it runs on four AA batteries.

19. A weird plastic tool that can save you a small fortune

If your go-to response to a clogged drain is to call for help, you need this three-pack of barbed drain snakes. Just push one deep into the drain that’s not clearing and pull it out again. It will catch the hair and gunk that’s stopping the water and yank it out on those barbs. Do this a couple of times and your drain will probably clear.

20. This clever trick for getting rid of fruit flies

That fruit fly problem that invaded your house on those bananas? It’s so easy to get rid of with this trap that looks like an apple. Just fill each apple with some of the included sweet-smelling bait and set it near your fruit bowl or trash can. The flies will go into the apple in search of that heady aroma and meet an untimely demise. You won’t have a fruit fly problem anymore.

21. These burner covers so your stove is easy to clean

These sturdy burner covers can be cut to fit and are easy to install. And once you have them in place, they will catch splatters and spills so they don’t land on your enamel stove. These are Teflon-coated so they wipe clean easily but you can also just drop them in a dishwasher.

22. A wall-mounted toothbrush sterilizer

Do you worry about how germy your toothbrush might be every time you put it in your mouth? This rechargeable, wall-mounted ultraviolet sanitizer will fix that. Just peel and stick to mount it to the wall and hang your toothbrushes — it holds five — inside and hit the button. It uses a UV lamp to sanitize and kill 99% of germs on the brushes.

23. This oven mat that catches all the spills

That lasagna was delicious, but the mess it left on the bottom of the oven took hours to clean up. We’ve all been there. This oven mat will stop it from happening again. Just put it on the rack below your creation and it catches all the spills. Cleanup is a matter of pulling out the oven mat and washing it in the sink.

24. The solution to the spills down the side of your stove

The gap between the stove and counters could not be in a worse place. Every spill leaves a trail down the side of the stove and sometimes utensils go down there, too. These two silicone gap covers prevent a world of hassle. Just cut them to size, insert them, and cook. Spills are now easy to wipe up and nothing falls into that irretrievable dead zone.

25. These traps that catch all the pantry moths

When you open the flour and discover moths, it’s the beginning of a huge project. These moth traps are the end of that project. They attract the moths — like moths to flame! — and the moths get stuck and die. Over 17,000 people are thrilled with how quick and effective these traps are at completely eliminating this pesky problem.

26. A zinc-infused chewing gum that helps with dry mouth

If you have a chronically dry mouth, chewing this zinc-infused gum can bring instant relief and fresher breath. This gum is sugarless and tastes delightfully of citrus and mint so it’s nice after a meal or anytime. And the breath-freshening effects from the zinc last for hours.

27. This caddy keeps all the water & soap suds in the sink

Suction this clever in-sink sponge and brush caddy to the wall of your sink and get that wet, soapy sponge off your counters and into the sink where it can drip all it likes. Everything stays dry and odor-free because the water goes down the drain, leaving your sponges dry. Two suction cups hold it on and the brush holder pops out to accommodate longer brushes.

28. The ant trap that kills the entire colony

Once an ant colony has discovered your kitchen or deck, it’s hard to get rid of them. No matter how many you kill, the colony just sends more. The slow-acting poison in these 48 traps, (six packages with eight bait stations in each) though, allows the ant time to bring the poison back to the colony to stop the invasion at its source.

29. These blue apples that keep your produce fresh

Drop one of these ethylene gas-absorbing balls into your produce drawer and watch as science keeps your vegetables fresher. One reason fruits and vegetables overripen and rot in the fridge is that they are in close company with other fruits and vegetables that are off-gassing ethylene, which naturally ripens them. Eliminate that gas and your produce will last longer.

30. The steel tongue scrapers for better mouth hygiene

These two stainless steel tongue scrapers are your new weapon against bad breath and that gunky feel on your tongue. Just drag them across your tongue as part of your daily dental hygiene routine for instant results. There are two in the set, each with a travel case, and 41,000 people give them five stars.

31. A set of erasable labels so you know how old that food is

Not sure what’s in that storage container in the fridge or how long it has been in there? Stick these erasable labels to all your food-storage containers and make a note of what it is and when you put it away. You will never give yourself food poisoning again. This set comes with 140 reusable labels in three different sizes.

32. These four cleaning brushes for your power drill

Make cleaning the bathroom, kitchen, or whatever mess you are facing so much easier by tapping into the power of your drill. Just connect one of these four brushes to your drill as you would a drill bit and scrub away. These medium bristle brushes are perfect for grout or bathroom fixtures, and the small-head extended brush gives you extra reach into tight corners.

33. A dishwasher cleaner for easy maintenance

If your dishwasher isn’t cleaning dishes as well as it once did, it might not be failing — it might just be dirty. And this natural cleaning powder that uses citric acid to get rid of build-up is here to clean it. All you do is empty a packet into an empty dishwasher and run it on a normal cycle. It scrubs the interior clean. Use it once a month and your dishwasher will run more effectively.

34. These charcoal bags that deodorize

These 12 linen bags are filled with bamboo charcoal and are sized to fit neatly into shoes, gym bags, laundry bags, or the fridge. Without emitting any scent themselves, they absorb the odor-causing elements in the air surrounding them and trap it. When they are spent, set them in the sun to reset them, and you can keep using them for up to two years.

35. A gorgeous compost bin with a lid that filters

This lovely compost bin will look handsome on your counter or wherever you collect the compost. It’s also easy to grab and take to the outdoor compost bin to empty. But the best part might be the lid with a built-in charcoal filter, so your countertop compost doesn’t stink up the kitchen.

36. This quick, easy way to clean your garbage disposal

It’s no wonder the garbage disposal starts to smell, given all the debris it has chomped down. Fortunately, cleaning it is easy. Just turn on the hot water, drop one of these cleaning tablets in, and turn it on. It will foam up as it runs, cleaning away all the built up detritus. Do this once a month and your disposal will stay clean.

37. These fridge liners for a bright & clean interior

Line your fridge shelves with these colorful, absorbent liners and your produce will have a soft and comfy place to rest, your bottles won’t make a harsh glass-on-glass crash when you put them away, and cleaning up spills and other messes will be super easy. Just wipe them down or remove the liner for a deeper clean in the sink.

38. A cleaning gel that gets into all the crevices

Cleaning a car, keyboard, or anything with a lot of tiny crevices is fussy, painstaking work with your average cleaning tools. But this cleaning gel makes it fast and easy. Just grab a handful of it and push it into the tiny places. It grabs all the dust and dirt it finds there and holds on. When it changes color, it’s full. Just throw it away. Also? It smells like lavender.

39. The cleaning attachment that gets all the dryer lint out

Cleaning your dryer’s lint trap is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the lint a dryer collects. To prevent fires and keep your dryer working well for years, get in there once in a while with this vacuum attachment that goes deep into the lint trap and vents and gets out the gunk that’s been accumulating. It comes with a long-handled lint brush that’s also useful for cleaning behind and under the fridge.

40. A small air purifier for your desk or bedroom

This desktop air purifier pulls the air through a HEPA filter to remove impurities from the air while zapping the air around it with UV light for an extra boost of air cleaning. It’s great for keeping the air you breathe while you work or sleep free of allergens and other impurities. It’s also a nightlight — if you choose to turn that on — and lets you scent the room with a bit of essential oil.

41. This spray that helps you sleep & can help with acne

Spray this mixture of healing and relaxing essential oils and waters on your pillow before you go to sleep, and it can help relax your mind and help clear up — and prevent — facial acne. It’s loaded with botanicals that purify and heal — tea tree, mint, aloe, cucumber, and watermelon — while also creating a clean and calming scent.

42. A tool so you don’t have to touch any dirty surfaces

Who knows what’s on those elevator buttons, the checkout kiosk, or that door handle? This keychain tool insulates you from whatever it is by doing the touching for you. There’s a nubby end that works well on buttons or touchscreens of all kinds, plus a hook that can pull door handles open.