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Jun 13, 2023

40 Things You *Shouldn’t* Buy If You Want To Continue To Live In Filth

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.

*Inhales deeply* I just love the smell of wet dog. <3

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "You guys. I’m embarrassed to even show you this. The grout around our tub was DISGUSTING. It was never caulked right and it got gross very quickly. I would scrub. The cleaning lady would scrub. It would get worse. Well, I came across this in a BuzzFeed list, and this stuff made me curious. I don’t know why it doesn’t have 10,000 good reviews. Seriously. All I did was squeeze it on and walk away. I let it sit overnight. Check this out. Buy it. Like today." —KarynB

Get it from Amazon for $14.99.

Promising review: "We cannot BEGIN to tell you what a lifesaver this is! We have two old fiberglass tubs with vinyl shower enclosures that no matter what amount of scrubbing we have done with everything from bleach to cleanser to vinegar and baking soda would NOT come clean. After I took my shower last night, I sprayed down the tub and walls. Within minutes, all the built-up water deposits and dirt and grime began to melt away in front of my eyes. I left it on overnight, and when I got up this morning, it did not look like the same tub and shower. This product is a godsend, especially for old folks like us who have difficulty getting down on our hands and knees and scrubbing anything. More importantly, it performs as advertised. We plan on using it as part of our weekly cleanup routine. This is truly an overnight sensation!" —Amazon Customer

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

Promising review: "When I pulled the orange plastic spiked strip from the package, I was immediately skeptical and felt like all those 5-star reviews were from people who exist in an alternate universe. I was tempted to initiate a return on Amazon but decided that I might as well gamble on a piece of $9 plastic before gambling $200 on a plumber. I slipped the plastic strip down my shower drain and literally FIVE SECONDS LATER I was pulling up gobs and gobs and gobs of hair. HOLY COW!!!!!!!! OHMYGOSH. I can't believe I still have any hair left on my head. SO MUCH REPULSIVE GUNK!!!! I saved my prize hairball on the shower floor to show my husband because I knew he would be as skeptical as I was. We both agree it looks like a small raccoon or a large squirrel lying helplessly on my shower floor. It's a grisly, messy, smelly and oh-so-rewarding job." —Chocolate and Chips

Get a six-pack from Amazon for $9.29+ (available in two colors).

Promising review: "This is an excellent purifier for those who are affected by cat dander, mold, and other problems associated with breathing difficulties. I have several cats so there is so much hair in the air in addition to their dander. This machine has solved my breathing problems during the night (I use it in my bedroom). In fact I am sleeping better every night, which I'm sure is due to the cleaner air that I am breathing. Another plus is that I'm using a great deal less tissues." —Linda Cruz

Get it from Amazon for $89.99 (available in white and black).

Blue Poppy Bath is a small biz based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Sheri, the owner, has created an amazing line of chemical-free cleaning and body care products.

Promising review: "These toilet bombs foam in the bowl when dropped in and clean well. Smells great and much more eco-friendly than bottled cleaner!" —Barbara S.

Get 10 tablets from Blue Poppy Bath on Etsy for $11.40 (available in two scents).

Promising review: "Convenient, easy, quick way to keep the dishwasher fresh and working at peak." —Amazon Customer

Get a pack of six tablets from Amazon for $8.99.

Promising review: "So I brought this for originally for my son who gets really bad allergies to dust. At first we didn't know what was causing this until someone told me to check our beds and furniture. Even though we change our bed sheets regularly, there will be dust left over. So I decided to give this a try and they were right! I couldn't believe much mites and dust there are. I took my time cleaning everyone's bed and our sofa, which was easy to use and light. My son haven't had a reaction in a while for means this product works for my family!" —Lisa

Get it from Amazon for $109.99+ (available in two colors).

Promising review: "Works as incredibly as the reviews said! Super fast, no strong smelly chemicals, amazing results!" —Michelle B

Get it from Amazon for $9.87.

Promising review: "Great product at a good price. Used this power washer to wash my stucco house for pre painting. Unit worked as advertised. Fairly quiet, but yet powerful sprayer. Great customer service and would highly recommend this product to anyone." —Boy Wonder CTS

Get it from Amazon for $169.53.

Promising review: "This stuff is AMAZING. We have a 1.5-year-old puppy and have make several futile attempts to clean up carpet stains from her potty training days. Another dog owner clued us into this, and we cannot believe we didn't buy it sooner. Seriously, the same night this arrived, I spilled an entire bottle of beer on white carpet (oops), grabbed the Folex, sprayed a bunch onto the stain, massaged it into the carpet with my finger tips, and blotted with a damp towel. You can't see ANY remnant of a stain. I've also attacked old stains (like one-plus year old) and saw the same results. Seriously, buy this!!!" —AKM

Get it from Amazon for $6.65.

Promising review: "WOW!!! This stuff is incredible! I work in an environment that is very dirty and our office is always covered in a fine layer of dust. Just a few minutes spent mashing this slime into all the cracks and crevices of my keyboard, mouse, phone, etc and it's all clean as can be! This stuff picks up dirt on contact and leaves behind a clean, no smell, no residue surface. I bought a second jar for my vehicle and it works miracles in there as well. My air vents, shifter and seats are now spotless. I couldn't be happier with this product." —Jenna75

Get it from Amazon for $6.88+ (available in three colors).

Promising review: "I could not get my flatware to come out clean from the dishwasher and I wondered if it was the hard water. I was using up to three soap blocks in each load with only partial improvement. I used this the first time and voilà! Perfectly clean flatware for the first time. I LOVE this!" —Susan A

Get it from Amazon for $7.24.

Rocco & Roxie is a family-owned small business named after the Magleby family's pets Rocco, a Labradoodle, and Roxie, a former shelter tabby cat. They make a variety of pet supplies, including cleaners, treats, grooming tools, accessories, and toys.

Promising review: "I have six elderly cats, and a few of them oftentimes leave smelly pee puddles to register their disdain at whatever cats get 'peed off' about. It's not a litter box problem and, although I've caught one or two of them doing it, I can't blame them all. This product works great on fresh messes as well as dried ones. After blotting up fresh pee pads, I saturate the area with Rocco & Roxie's odor remover and let dry. For dried stinky stuff, I just saturate the area and let it dry. It has a pleasant odor and completely eliminates the ammonia odor. Believe me, I've tried all kinds of products, and this one works the best. I buy gallons now just to have on hand. It's better than smelling that awful pee!" —mona mia

Get it from Amazon for $19.97.

Check out our in-depth Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength Stain & Odor Eliminator review.

Promising review: "I was sooo skeptical and was confused about how they’d work but the gel solidifies and with every flush, suds wash through with the water and it really makes a fresh difference. Also the scent is light but really nice and fresh! I recommend these 100%! They’re super interesting but they do the job." —Janet

Get six stamps from Amazon for $4.99 (or Subscribe & Save for $4.74/month).

Promising review: "Thought I was having problems with my machine. Used two cups to flush the entire coffee maker out and it started working like new. Totally satisfied!" —Dara Pazooki

Get a box of six pods from Amazon for $9.95.

Therapy Clean is a family-owned small business based in Dover, New Hampshire.

Promising review: "This is hands-down the only product that has ever perfectly cleaned my stainless steel appliances. It deserves 10 stars because nothing else comes close to removing streaks and toddler finger prints as easily and completely as this. I have tried for years to get my appliances to look like new. Everyone who has stainless should own this." —Danielle

Get a bottle from Amazon for $19.95.

Promising review: "Grout-Eez works great. My powder room had about 10 years of dirt on the white tile grout. I used Grout-Eez and the brush that came with it and was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked and how easy it was to use. The grout looks almost new and is very clean." —Curt Sims

Get it from Amazon for $30.95.

Promising review: "I am a NEAT FREAK! I love to clean. I literally clean my house daily. It can’t be clean enough. I have a two-story, three-bedroom three-bathroom house with two dogs. This vacuum cleans all of it! This gadget is legit like a little human vacuuming your floors, but super throughly. It goes over all my rugs and hardwood floors, and it goes in the bathrooms and closets and under all the furniture. Once in awhile it gets caught in the wires underneath my TV but most of the time it is able to get itself out of it. It’s quiet. My dogs barely even notice it. This is worth every penny! It’s easy to set up, and easy to clean after each use. It does all the hard work for you. Since I’ve had mine, I’ve literally gotten five friends to buy one and they all love it too." —Shannon

Get it from Amazon for $199.98+ (also available in white).

Promising review: "I have a small three-tier water fountain in my patio, naturally the birds in the community have come to rely upon it for drinking and bathing. I literally sprayed this product and walked away, I actually left it on overnight, I got busy with other tasks. When I checked back all of the mold was gone, everything, with no damage to the painted stucco wall or cement and no scrubbing. Literally spray and leave." —Mark

Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in four sizes).

Promising review: "I had tried four different cleaners before discovering this one and I wish I would have found it sooner! All of that caked-on liquid that runs out of the pans and burns into the stove top while you’re cooking?? This removes all of it. It doesn’t scratch your glass top stove top and it leaves it looking brand-new. I won’t ever buy another cleaner — this is it for me!" —Christine

Get it from Amazon for $14.68.

Promising review: "I have been trying to clean my glass shower for three years since we moved into our house. There was a buildup of hard water spots that would not come off. I tried all the advertised products claiming to easily clean it. None of them worked. I tried vinegar and steel wool and homemade mixtures. Nothing worked. Then I came across a mention of BioClean somewhere on the Internet. I don't recall where. BioClean is really incredible! It's non-toxic and safe to handle. And importantly it takes off all the old hard water spots. It also cleans other surfaces. I've already tried it to remove water spots on chrome and it works beautifully. I cannot recommend this product more highly." —Anonymous

Get it from Amazon for $19.99.

Promising review: "A bit pricier than I wanted, and I was skeptical at first. But this is a great product. Cleaning the grill works well and washes up nicely. The detachable and replaceable head makes it easy to clean for future uses. I especially like the fact that there is no more worry about finding metal bristles on my grill or in my food which I have found when using other grill cleaning instruments. Would highly recommend this product!" —David Knauth

Get it from Amazon for $49.95.

Promising review: "Two months ago we got an 6-month-old puppy who has needed some time to get adjusted. That included more than a few accidents in our living room and on his bed. This machine has made clean up of everything so much simpler and I love that it's deep cleaning and has a nontoxic pet cleaner so that our not-so-little puppy can isn't harmed through exposure or smells. Also helpful since my teenage sons like to camp out on the couch with their friends on long weekends and our couch gets that fresh clean smell in an hour." —Kindle Customer

Get it from Amazon for $123.59.

Hustle & Sew is a small shop based in Saint Helens, Oregon.

Promising review: "LOVE these splash catchers! They save me from having to chase the puddles that form around the base of our faucet before they start creeping over the counter. So reasonably priced, made well with neatly finished edges, and packaged with gift-ready care." —Alina

Get it from Hustle & Sew on Etsy for $13.50+ (available in four sizes and six colors).

Promising review: "I used this product for my stove because it's one thing I dislike like cleaning. I have used multiple degreaser sprays and they all are so toxic and don't work for me. The Magic Eraser was OK but I used several at a time and I had to scrub so hard. But this product oh my goodness; legit a miracle. It doesn't have any type of smell. I put the paste on a cloth, clean the area then wipe it off with a damp cloth and voilà — magic!" —May

Get it from Amazon for $5.97.

Drillbrush is a small business started by Anthony LaPolla, a former electrician who opened a car wash. Tony suffered from carpal tunnel so he created a device that would allow him to clean car rims without the painful strain caused by hand-washing — and thus the Drillbrush was born.

Promising review: "I let my tub get extra dirty on purpose because I knew this brush set was coming. In five minutes my tub was sparkling clean. This item is no joke. The flat brushes are awesome for big surfaces and the cone brush hits the hard to reach corners. I liked them so much I bought a set for my mom." —Jason B.

Get it from Amazon for $18.95 (available in soft, medium, stiff, and ultra stiff bristles).

Promising review: "I ordered this after trying myriad products and home remedies that failed to rid our kitchen sink of a lingering odor that made each of us in the house suspect that one of the others had ground up a corpse in the garbage disposal. To our surprise, it neutralized the rotting flesh-whiff in the first use. Seriously. It is pretty awesome." —Shay E. Meagle

Get a pack (good for four uses) from Amazon for $3.22.

Saged Home is a small business based in Portland, Oregon that sells home products that'll help you on your zero waste journey.

Promising review: "So easy to use and love that I can just throw them in the laundry when done!" —Sabrina

Get a six-pack from Saged Home on Etsy for $18.50 (available in white and gray).

Promising review: "These are magical! I've tried toothbrushes, sponges, rags, scrubbies, and everything to clean my nasty bathtub grout and these brushes worked better than all of them combined. I have arthritis and these are easy to grip and use for the duration of cleaning. They're very effective at lifting up the mold and mildew, as well as cleaning the soap scum and hard water lines. I used the littlest brush to clean around the fixtures on my bathroom sink and now it's sparkling. I'm so happy with these!" —BrooklynBeaches

Get it from Amazon for $8.99.

Promising review: "Where has this been all my cat-loving life? Sticky rollers work fine for clothes, but this is the only product that has ever COMPLETELY removed all the cat hair from my bed. I have a long-haired 20-pound tabby and if you run your hands up his back a few times and fling the hair everywhere, it looks like it's snowing — he never stops shedding no matter what I do. After using the ChomChom, I can put on a black dress and roll around on my bed and not get a single hair on me. It's absolutely amazing. Everyone is getting one for Christmas, even if they don't have a pet. I don't care, it's THAT good." —Stephanie

Get it from Amazon for $26.95.

They're safe to use with pretty much any type of washer: HE or regular, top-loading and front-loading.

Promising review: "I've been using this product for several years now. I have two teens and a husband who's an auto technician. Boy do they get filthy! After time this grime buildup will make your washer stink bad. I don't do it every month as they say to as I don't have that type of money but when it stinks, this product is the bomb! Makes your washer smell really fresh, like brand new. If it still stinks after one tablet, pop another one in and no more stink!! Yay! I would give this 20 stars if I could. Really love this product so much so that I bought the ones for my dishwasher too!! (they work great too!)" —berja

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $11.98.

Everneat is a small business based in Fairfield, Connecticut that specializes in natural cleaning products.

Promising review: "Love love love these! The label on each towel and the color coding system is perfect for the neat freak like me. Quality and size are great and will definitely make cleaning easier." —Helen

Get a six-pack from Everneat on Etsy for $19.99.

Promising review: "Something I didn't believe until I tried it. So easy to follow directions, written on Angry Mama. Was disappointed when I opened the microwave to see the filth still on it. Was wishing it would magically taken care of itself. But all it took was a quick swipe with a paper towel and GONE. Loosened everything, which is half the process. My microwave was sooooo white once cleaned!! Would buy as gifts." —JDesmond

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

Each sponge should last around four months.

John, the founder, dreamed up the Cleanzy sponge after realizing there wasn't an effective way to clean drink containers without bulky tools and a lot of scrubbing. Enter the Cleanzy sponge — an adorable and fuss-free way to clean that requires minimal effort on your part.

Promising review: "I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about this small ball really cleaning my water bottle. There is a spot in the middle of the 'floor' of my bottle that my bottle brush never gets to. I use electrolytes in my water, so I just assume it’s an accumulation of powder over time. After using this product once, that stubborn powdery spot was gone. Amazing!" —coppertop906

Get it from Cleanzy Sponges on Etsy for $9.99 (also available in a small and medium size).

Promising review: "This stuff is AMAZING!!!!!! It is completely worth the price. You will be AMAZED at how fast it works and how efficiently too. I admit, I was a little skeptical, even with other users posting pictures. For me, it was a try it to believe it. I did and I totally do. It works so well that it has made one of my tea tumblers look better than when I bought it. I would highly recommend this product!" —T. V. Henson

Get 12 tablets from Amazon for $8.

The Fizz Whiz is a small business based in Tampa, Florida.

Promising review: "Washed my clothes and they came out very clean. I put my sneakers in the wash and they were very gross. They came out so clean that they almost looked new. Will buy again, and recommend." —Daniel Law

Get 50 fizzies from The Fizz Whiz on Etsy for $16.

Promising review: "I’m doing a happy dance right now! My toilets have had mineral rings in the bowls from well water since we bought our house five years ago. During those five years, I have purchased NUMEROUS products to try to remove the rings. Every single one failed. I had come to terms with the idea that if I wanted pristine looking crappers, I was going to need to replace them. Three of them. Ugh! I ordered the pumice cleaning stone as a last ditch attempt. Received it today, and immediately went to town. My extreme enthusiasm for scrubbing johns was actually a bit odd, but I was feeling optimistic. Turns out I had reason to. THIS PRODUCT IS AMAZING!!! SO amazing, it actually inspired me to take a picture of my TOILET!!!! My hoppers are saved!!!!! Seriously, the rings are COMPLETELY GONE. If I could give 10 stars, I would." —Sassyscribbler

Get it from Amazon for $11.99.

Promising review: "BUY THIS THING! I got mud on my new suede boots and thought for sure they were ruined, but this brush completely restored them. I was shocked. I even used it on an old pair of boots from college that I have considered 'ruined' for several years and it did wonders on getting rid of the filth on top of the suede. I was so impressed! It's absolutely worth getting and trying for yourself! Scuff marks take a bit more time to improve but they do look better after brushing them." —Gaby Scott

Get it from Amazon for $6.99.

Because this scrubber is metal, you should avoid using it on nonstick pans as it can scratch and damage the surface.

Promising review: "I love the product. I wish I had known about it when I first got my cast-iron skillet over a year ago. It is really easy to use and did a great job getting the crud off of the skillet without stripping the seasoning away and it was fast. I find myself using my cast-iron more frequently since purchasing this product because I no longer dread the cleanup process. If you have cast-iron cookware then you need one of these babies. I will definitely recommend it to others." —KeCaRi

Get it from Amazon for $17.99. This customer review is long but it's full of great tips if you end up purchasing this scrubber.

Promising review: "When I went on my first solo backpacking trip across Ireland, I only had enough room in my pack for three sets of clothes. I contemplated buying individual packets of laundry detergent, but was glad I decided to go with Zote soap instead. It was easy to carry with me and to use to wash my clothes in the sinks at the hostels I stayed it. This bar will last you forever and made my clothes super clean and smelling nice." —Maryann K.

Get it from Amazon for $3.97.

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