Genius Things That Make Your Home Way Less Germy & Gross

Cleaning the baseboards is an odious chore. But this baseboard cleaning tool makes it less physically challenging. Load the lightweight, baseboard-shaped tool with one of the three included reusable pads and walk through your home, cleaning as you go. It grabs dirt and dust and wipes away grime and pet mud. Then toss the pad in the laundry to use another day.

Some things are impossible to clean with a disinfectant spray and a cloth. For those items, pull out this UV light sanitizer. Wave it over toys, pillows, keys, phones, and other items you touch but can’t scrub, and it uses light to kill 99% of germs, viruses, and bacteria. It’s small enough to pack along when you travel and it’s rechargeable.

Dusting decorative sculptures, glassware, and other intricate items can be dangerous with a duster that might knock them off and break them, or do a poor job. Wear these microfiber dusting gloves, and this task becomes so easy. Pick items up and handle them. Run your hand along shelves and screens. The gloves remove all the dust as you go. They come in six sizes and several colors.

Every day you put that toothbrush in your mouth to clean your teeth. But who is cleaning the toothbrush? Once you think about it, you will need this toothbrush sanitizer. Snap it over the brush, and it uses UV light to sanitize the bristles completely in three minutes. It is small enough to use as a travel cover and fits all toothbrush heads.

All those tiny, hard-to-reach places around your faucet, toilet, window track, fridge, and sink are much easier to clean with the right tool. This crevice cleaning brush is that tool. The rigid, skinny brush head gets under the toilet seat and into those plumbing joints and metal tracks to scrub out grime and crud. This is a pack of two, and the comfy handle comes in lots of colors.

If your showerhead seems to be getting less effective, the nozzles are probably plugged with mineral deposits or mold. You can clean those with these showerhead cleaning tools. One or more of these 20 tiny brushes will fit into whatever size nozzles your showerhead has and scrub them clean. “It took less than 10 minutes to clear the calcium or lime or whatever from the clogged jets, and it works just as good as new!!” wrote one reviewer.

If you made the mistake of looking up and noticing how dusty your ceiling fans are, grab this ceiling fan duster and deal with that STAT. It’s easy to do with the right tool. The extendable handle reaches to 56 inches. The fluffy duster slides over the blades, dusting both sides at once, and it grabs and holds the dust so it doesn’t rain on your head. And it comes in 14 colors.

Letting hair wash down the drain quickly leads to a messy clog. These clever shower drain protectors prevent that clog. Drop the chain into the drain and leave the charm resting on top of the drain. The chain traps hair as it goes by. After a month or two, use the cute flower to pull the chain out. All that trapped hair will come with it. Throw it all away and install another chain. This is a two-pack, and there are four charms to choose from.

Is there anything more frustrating than energetically scrubbing your shower and tub and failing to get it clean? Start with this cleaning brush. It has a handle so you can apply sufficient pressure. The scrubby surface is just abrasive enough to get those surfaces clean in one go without damage. And the absorbent sponge sandwiched between the scrubber and the handle holds lots of water.

If you are tired of cleaning out the hair trap in your shower, these disposable shower drain stickers are a clever way out of that chore. Stick them over the drain, and they stop hair from getting into the pipes and causing a clog. When it gets jammed, remove it and apply another. It’s so easy that your drain will always be hair free. “The pack of 25 lasts a long time and makes regular bathroom maintenance much easier,” said one reviewer.

All it takes is one bubbly casserole spill-over to create a huge chore for you. Prevention is the best cure. Install these oven liners in your oven so that the next spill is easy to clean up. Instead of cleaning the oven, pull out the liner and clean that. Or, if the situation is dire, throw it away. This is a pack of three. They come in three colors.

Getting a pan clean is easy with this cordless electric spin scrubber, no matter how big the mess in that pan is. When the pan is clean, you will move on to scrubbing the sink, counters, and stove with it because it is fast, effective, and fun. It’s rechargeable and comes with six brush heads that range from tough bristles to soft sponge.

When bugs get into your house, it is hard to convince them to leave. Plug in this flying insect trap, though, and you will no longer have to put up with these irritating guests. The UV light is an irresistible temptation for them. Once they fly toward the light, they will get stuck on the adhesive pad, where they will end their days — no longer breeding or flying around the fruit bowl. One sticky cartridge is included and is easy to swap out.

Why is it that when a dog is wet, they always want to run around the house, shaking and rolling on every clean rug and couch? This dog shammy helps you get in front of the wet dog problem. The big absorbent fingers soak up water and mud, leaving your dog dry and clean. And the big mitts you put your hands into make it easy to towel the dog without letting them escape. It comes in three colors.

Who knows what happened on that couch when you weren’t looking? This fabric disinfectant spray will take care of it, though, whatever it was. Just spray it on any fabric to kill viruses and bacteria that might be lurking there. “I feel confident using it to sanitize couches, pet areas, and other soft surfaces,” said one reviewer. It smells like lavender.

When the grout needs to be cleaned, but you can’t find the energy to get down on your hands and knees and scrub it with a tiny brush, this long-handled grout cleaning brush will save the day. The stiff bristles are angled to get between tiles and scrub that hard-to-reach grout clean. Attach it to a broom handle or the telescoping pole that goes with it, and you don’t even have to bend over.

Keeping the shower door and tile clean is so much easier when the tool you need is mounted within reach on the wall inside the shower. For that, you want this elegant and sleek shower squeegee that looks pretty hanging there. It comes in three colors and has a matching wall hook.

Dusting is almost fun with a duster brush like this, and this big refill pack of duster refills makes it affordable to clean the whole house that way. Dance through the house, sweeping dust into those electrostatic and fluffy dusters that are like dust magnets. Then toss the dirt and the duster into the trash. This kit comes with one handle and 20 refills.

The trick to keeping the toilet bowl clean is keeping plenty of toilet bowl cleaner on hand and near the toilet so that anyone can give the bowl a squirt when it needs it. This toilet bowl cleaner lets you do that without worrying about using too many chemicals. It is super effective and smells like tea tree and peppermint, but is made without chlorine, bleach, or petroleum solvents.

How many shower curtains have you had to throw away because of soap scum and mildew? This scum-resistant shower curtain liner will put an end to that irritating waste. It is designed so water slides off, drying instantly, so there is no moisture to attract mildew or leave scum. It comes in 21 fabric styles and seven sizes.

When you are done throwing debris down the garbage disposal, throw one or two of these deodorizer drops down there, too, so the kitchen doesn’t start to take on the odor of whatever is happening in that dank hole. They smell lemony and are super easy to deploy. This is a pack of 50, so they won’t run out anytime soon.

Messy grout, dirty details, and hard-to-reach places in your stove, sink, and bathroom might be annoying to clean, but leaving them makes your home look messy. This oscillating power scrubber will help you get rid of those. The head spins and swings back and forth, doing all the hard work for you. It comes with four different brush heads, four scouring pads, and four polishing pads to help you tackle a variety of situations.

This cordless vacuum cleaner is designed to get your couch, mattress, and carpet super clean using a combination of suction and UV light. It is HEPA-filtered, so it is a great way to catch and eliminate allergens from pet hair and dust. “It’s easy to handle, has strong suction, and you can really see the difference on the mattress and pillows,” said one reviewer. It comes in three colors.

Walking on the trail of cat litter your cat left after leaving the litter box is no way to live. This cat litter trapping mat keeps it contained. The textured surface removes the litter from your cat’s paws, and the deep grooves trap it in the mat. A rubber backing keeps it in place, and it’s easy to vacuum clean. It comes in 10 colors and nine sizes.

If the machine you use to wash your clothes is dirty, how clean can it get your fabrics? Make everything you wash cleaner by cleaning the machine with these washing machine cleaning tablets. Just toss one in and run an empty load, occasionally. It will scrub away accumulated grime and remove odors so that everything from your socks to your sheets gets cleaner.

Getting rid of mineral deposits and stains caused by hard water calls for some modern magic. It seems impossible until you use the right chemistry. This hard water stain remover is the science-informed alchemy you are looking for. Spray it on and wipe away those stains. “Amazing!” according to nearly 900 five-star reviewers.

When mold shows up and leaves stains on your windows, shower, or washing machine, you have to deal with it, or it will quickly expand its territory. This gel cleaner is the easy way to do that. The viscous texture allows it to sit on the mold for several hours, which is what it takes to kill it. Wipe it away, and it leaves behind a clean, bright, mold-free surface.

Stainless steel appliances look sleek in your kitchen — unless they are streaked, fogged, and covered in fingerprints. And they will be if you use the wrong cleaner. This stainless steel cleaner kit wipes away the grime without leaving a streaky mess. Then it leaves an invisible protective barrier that protects against fingerprints. And it smells like lavender. It comes paired with the perfect cleaning cloth.

If you enjoy sleeping or working with a humidifier providing a cool mist for your eyes and skin, but don’t enjoy cleaning the machine, this ultra clean cool mist air humidifier lets you have mist without mold. A built-in UV light stops mold and bacteria from growing in the water or inside the machine. Meanwhile, the big, 4-liter tank runs for up to 40 hours.

When you have fur babies, it might seem like there is nothing you can do to keep your furniture free of fur. But there is! The Chom Chom roller is a fast, easy way to effectively remove that fur. Roll it back and forth on your furniture or carpet, and the fur is gone. Well, it’s in the handle, which is easy to open and empty. It does not use adhesives and requires no refills. Choose from three colors.

Touch screens are great. At least until the light hits the screen just right so you can see all those fingerprints. Keep this screen cleaner spray on hand so that cleaning that screen is easy. It’s safe and effective, and it comes with a microfiber cleaning cloth. It works well on glasses and phones, too.

Soaking in icky water is not what you signed up for when you got a jetted bathtub. Fortunately, this jetted tub cleaner makes it routine to keep that water clean. Every three months, run a 15-minute cycle with this added to the water, and you can go back to relaxing in clean water. “I used it on my jetted tub for the first time and was honestly amazed (and a little grossed out!) by everything it pulled out of the jets,” said one reviewer.

When your toilet has rust or hard water stains, it is impossible to make it look clean. You might be considering replacing that mess with a new toilet. But this two-pack of pumice cleaners can save you a lot of trouble and expense. It scrubs away mineral deposits quickly and easily without harming the porcelain, and the big handle keeps your hands out of it.

Dusty, water-stained leaves make your plants look dirty and uncared for. It also damages their health. They breathe through their leaves and need to feel the light in order to achieve photosynthesis. These plant cleaning wipes make it easy and convenient to keep their leaves shiny and clean. Keep them near the plants so you can give the leaves a wipe while you are watering or admiring your greenery.

There are some odors that won’t come off your hands no matter how much soap you use. For those, pull out this stainless steel odor absorber that looks like a bar of soap. The molecules of the steel bond with sulfur and remove it — and its smell — from your skin. It is super effective, with or without water.

Bad odors in the fridge are not very appetizing. You could replace the box of baking soda that has been in there for years, or — even better — put this refrigerator deodorizer in there and never think about it again. It decomposes those smelly gases so you never have to smell them, and it keeps working for a decade — and quickly eliminates persistent odors. “Works like magic,” said one reviewer. “The smell was gone within a couple of days.”

When you want to walk through the house without taking off your shoes — but those shoes are covered in dirt you don’t want to track through your clean home — pull on these disposable shoe covers. This is a box of 50. Keep them near the entry so you never make a mess. They are waterproof, too, so you could pull one on to protect your slippers when you want to run to the mailbox in the rain.

When you want to add power to your cleaning efforts, pull out the power drill and attach one of these drill brush attachments designed to clean whatever is on today’s to-do list. This is a pack of 30 brushes, in a variety of shapes and stiffnesses, as well as scrubbers and sponges — that can get anything from grout to counters or the car spiffy clean.

When pet smells — and other persistent scents — get into the carpet or the fabric of the furniture, getting it out might have you shopping for a steam-cleaning service. But this carpet and upholstery deodorizer can work wonders with far less expense or effort. Sprinkle it on the fabric. Wait. Vacuum it up. The baking soda removes the bad smell, and it leaves behind the scent of lemon and eucalyptus.

When your pet has an indoor accident, it’s essential that you completely get rid of the smell, or that will turn into a habit. Even if you can’t smell the urine, your pet can, and they will return to the scene of the crime. This pet odor eliminator attacks the problem with orange oil, which eliminates the lingering smell of urine, feces, and vomit.

If the bathroom, basement, or a closet feels damp, it probably is. That means there will be mold, mildew, and bad smells in there. In spaces where a plug-in dehumidifier is not an option, hang these moisture absorber bags. The humectant crystals in them absorb moisture while the activated charcoal cleans the air to eliminate smells. This is a pack of four.

Cleaning up after an in-microwave explosion is easy if you start with this microwave steam cleaner. Fill it with water and vinegar and microwave it to steam the interior. It will soften up all the baked-on food so it wipes away easily. “It has taken off years of grime that I've been trying to clean since it appeared on the unit,” said one reviewer. This is a pack of two.

If scrubbing sinks, floors, the tub, tile, and other surfaces in your home and car leaves you exhausted, outsource the hard labor to this electric spin scrubber. It’s fun to power it on, point it at a problem, and let it clean it away. The handle length adjusts to suit the job. It comes with brushes, sponges, and scouring pads to tackle any mess. And it's powerful and rechargeable. Choose pink or blue.

Are you setting the plunger right on the floor? That leaves a germy mess you will have to clean up later. Set the plunger in this tray for toilet and sink plungers instead, and contain all that gross, wet, yuck. It keeps the plunger upright, allows air to flow around it so it dries, and has a handle so it is easy to move around.

Whenever someone walks through your door, their shoes track in dirt from the outside. You could make everyone remove their shoes, but it is easier to drop this welcome mat at the door — inside or out — and let it grab and trap that dirt before it gets any further into the house. It has a grippy backing, so it stays in place. Dirt shakes or vacuums off of it easily, and you can rinse it off periodically.

When the cat pukes on the carpet, or you spill coffee on your favorite rug, grab this stain remover. It will blast it away in seconds. All you have to do is aim and shoot. “Amazing!” said one reviewer. “Doesn't matter what the stain is or how long it's been there, it disappears immediately!”

Whether you are cleaning delicate electronics or hard-to-dust vents and filters, this rechargeable, compressed air duster is much better than air cans. It has three settings so you can gently clean keyboards and other delicate items or turn up the power to blast larger spaces clean. It will inflate pool toys and help start a fire, too. It comes with lots of attachments and cleaning brushes.

This handheld steam cleaner is a fast way to get rid of dirt, grease, and germs without using harsh chemicals. Fill it with water. Choose the attachment that suits the task. Then let its intense steam clean that mess. It comes with an assortment of brushes and nozzles to tackle everything from toilets to air vents to grout to car parts. It will also steam the wrinkles out of fabrics.

When was the last time you cleaned up the dust and debris that migrates under the fridge and other furniture and appliances? It can get gross under there. This bendable microfiber duster makes it easy to stay on top of that. Use it dry to sweep up dust, cat toys, and other detritus. Use it wet to clean up spills or wipe away grease. It has a long handle, a flexible base, and a machine-washable microfiber cover.

If it seems as if you are constantly cleaning the tile, stone, and other solid surfaces in your home, try treating those areas with this ceramic coating spray. It creates a slick surface that resists fingerprints, stains, water spotting, and soap scum. “Goes on easily, spreads evenly, and leaves a subtle glossy finish,” wrote one reviewer. “Water and liquids bead up nicely, making cleaning much easier and helping prevent stains.”

Getting the tiny spaces in your car clean is tedious with a cloth or duster. But this car cleaning kit makes it fun. Press the putty into the console, cup holder, and other crevices, and it grabs the grime and dust and absorbs it, slowly getting darker and dirtier. When it’s too dirty to use anymore, throw it away. It even smells good — like lavender.

Mopping the floor can turn wet and messy fast with the wrong tools. This spin mop lets you easily control how much water you use on the floor. The mop head fits perfectly into the strainer. Stepping on the lever wrings the mop out so you use just the right amount of water. A splash guard keeps the water from spilling out of the bucket. The thirsty microfiber mop head can go right in the wash for a refresh.

Keeping your desktop or dining table clean is much easier when this mini desktop vacuum is waiting in the wings to help. Turn it on and run it over your keyboard, mouse pad, or place setting to grab everything from paper scraps to crumbs. Then empty it into the trash. It comes in five cute colors.

This foam cleaner is wildly popular with the cleaning-obsessed crowd. The foam clings to surfaces so the cleaning solution has time to work its magic on grime, grease, and germs. It is super effective at removing soap scum, mineral deposits, and grime without making you scrub away at it. “It worked like magic on two-year-old water and lime spots on my shower glass doors,” said one reviewer. “Smells good too.” It comes in seven sizes.

Instead of letting the shoes you kick off when you come in the door create a messy pile at your entry, set this foldable shoe rack there, and turn that pile into convenient order. It stacks all those shoes in very little floor space. The open shelves allow for airflow and collapse when you want to put everything away. Choose from eight size and color options.