45 Clever Things Under $30 You’ll Get A Ton Of Use Out Of

Ever walked away from doing the dishes only to find your torso soaking wet? It’s an annoyance easily solved by the BLUE GINKGO sink splash guard, a curved silicone barrier that prevents water from splashing out of the sink. It protects you, as well as your cabinets and floors, from getting wet, and built-in grooves for your arms make it comfortable to work with.

Give your feet the thorough cleaning they deserve with a pair of foot scrubbers. The unique slippers suction to the floor while you scrub your feet with the bristles on the sole and strap. Plus, each slipper incorporates a pumice stone on the heel. They work to clean, exfoliate, and massage your feet at the same time. Win, win, win.

Two AA batteries power this adorable ladybug tabletop vacuum, which is ideal for cleaning up dust and dry spills. Use it in hard-to-reach corners or on a desk, where it doubles as a paperweight when it’s not in use. It’s small but mighty, and so cute you’ll want to use it every day.

This nifty five-in-one jar opener can open practically any can, jar, or bottle. Use it on glass jars and bottles, pull-top cans, and more. The rubber grips the lid while you lightly squeeze and twist to open. For particularly stubborn containers, this jar opener is a lifesaver.

Switch up your breakfast routine with these pancake molds that leave fun shapes in your food. The nonstick pancake maker holds up to seven items at once, and you’re not just limited to pancakes: Crepes, eggs, veggies, sausage and more are all fair game. Reviewers have noted that low heat achieves the best-looking pancakes.

This set of BPA-free, food-grade silicone pot holders are as useful as they are colorful. Not only can you use each one as a small trivet to protect your counters and tables from hot pots and pans, but you can unfold the outside edges of each one to make it larger. They expand from 5 inches to 8.8 inches inches across, so they can accommodate different pots. Plus, you can use them together for even larger pans.

Have you ever burned your forearms reaching into the back of an oven to retrieve an item? Try adding these silicone oven rack shields to the outside edge of each of your oven racks. Designed to work with standard oven racks, these heat-resistant accessories can stop burns before they happen. Just slide each guard over each oven rack (while it’s cool!) and enjoy the extra protection while you’re cooking and baking.

If you really struggle to get out of bed in the morning, a sunrise alarm clock may be the answer. A blaring alarm can be shocking first thing in the morning, but with this alarm you’ll wake up slowly and, hopefully, with less stress. It gradually brightens over the course of a pre-set amount of time to simulate a sunrise and help you wake up naturally. It even has white noise and a sunset light with a sleep timer to help you fall asleep at night, too.

If the water in your faucets heats up too quickly, consider installing this temperature-sensitive LED faucet light, which tells you exactly when your water crosses certain temperature thresholds. The light is blue when the water’s temperature is below 89.6 degrees, green when it’s between 91.4 and 105.8 degrees, and red when it reaches 107.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tea lovers absolutely need this Norpro tea bag squeezer, a pair of small metal tongs meant to help you get the most flavor out of each tea bag. After allowing your tea bag to steep, use these stainless steel tongs to fish the wet bag out of your mug, and gently squeeze out the excess water. It helps prevent messy drips, and you get more flavorful tea.

A defrosting tray might not seem like a kitchen essential, but if you cook a lot of meat, trust me, it’s a necessity. The aluminum material draws out heat, helping to defrost your meat faster. A large, thick piece of frozen chicken breast, pork chops, or steak takes just 30 minutes to an hour to fully defrost, and smaller, thinner pieces of meat or fish take even less time.

A waterproof notepad that suctions to your shower wall is exactly what the doctor prescribed for those genius shower thoughts that tend to be forgotten as soon as the water turns off. The notepad comes with a water-safe pencil, which means when that thought hits you in the middle of shampooing, you can instantly write it down. Aqua Notes are manufactured with soy-based, non-toxic ink, and have perforation, so you can tear them off and take them with you when you get out of the shower.

Wash and chop your produce all on one surface with this innovative cutting board with a built-in strainer. The oversized board sits over your sink, with a basket on one end and a cutting board on the other. Finally, you can clean and cut your veggies without awkwardly carrying them from one part of the kitchen to another and making a mess. The strainer holds 2.5quarts, and collapses into itself for storage purposes.

With this cereal bowl, even the slowest eaters won’t be stuck with soggy cereal. A divider keeps your cereal and milk separate while you’re chowing down, and the bowl is designed with a grip to hold your bowl with one hand and eat with the other.

Install these solar-powered ground lights to light the way in your backyard, patio, garden, or walkway. You’ll receive a set of eight water-resistant LED lights with each purchase, which you can stake into the ground anywhere that needs a little extra illumination. They automatically turn off and charge during the day, then switch on after sunset for up to eight hours.

This cool-to-the-touch bamboo blanket is a good fit for hot sleepers and those without AC. Bamboo is known for its breathability, and this blanket is designed to release heat generated by your body throughout the night. The blanket is machine washable, but make sure to air-dry it to prevent shrinking.

There’s no need to mess around with complicated wired doorbell systems when you’re looking to upgrade or fix your current setup. Use the AVANTEK wireless doorbell, which has 52 different chimes and a 1,000-foot range. The battery boasts a three-year lifespan and is both waterproof and dustproof. Simply plug in the receiver into a socket indoors and screw the transmitter to the wall near your door — and you can have it installed in minutes, according to reviewers.

Transform your desk into a bright vanity with these vanity mirror lights. The set of 10 lights come wired together, with adhesive on the back of each bulb to stick to a mirror. They’re bright enough to see your face from every angle and super easy to install. They’re even dimmable so you can adjust the lights as needed.

Unlike most traditional drying racks that are made of bulky plastic and take up tons of counter space, this bamboo drying rack rolls up and extends over your sink. That means your wet dishes and produce can drip into the sink instead of a tray or your counter, and you can easily store it away when it’s not in use. It can hold up to 24 pounds and measures 17.5 by 13.5 inches — large enough for most standard sinks.

As a kid, I dreamed of having clapping-activated lights that I could turn on and off without moving from bed. I never would have guessed that I could have something even better: color-changing smart light bulbs controlled by my phone or Alexa device. These dimmable Kasa bulbs offer more than 16 million possible light colors and effects. Set the mood for any occasion, from studying to date night, or set timers to better manage your energy consumption.

Umbrella fairy lights are exactly what your outdoor gatherings need this summer. They cover each bar of your patio umbrella to evenly illuminate the entire thing, and have eight different lighting modes for different occasions. Use the included remote to switch them on and off, and the rest assured that the battery pack has a water-resistance rating of IP65.

Hard water and other common sediments can take a toll on the health of your hair, leaving it more susceptible to dryness and damage. After installing this filtered shower head, reviewers have found that it helped their skin and hair feel softer. One customer described, “This shower made a huge difference in the softness of my hair.”

Use this multifunctional tablet stand to follow along with a recipe, watch Netflix hands-free, or listen to music. It’s compatible with most smartphones and tablets, and can be adjusted to different angles. The Bluetooth speaker has high-quality sound and a built-in microphone for answering calls or activating a voice assistant.

What do chips and dip, soup and crackers, and milk and cookies all have in common? They’d go great in this Kitchen Gadgets mug, according to reviewers. Its genius design has an extra compartment for dipping foods. The mug holds 1.5 cups and is made of a quality ceramic material, but be sure to handwash it to make it last.

Add dimmer functionality to any light in your home with this smart dimmer switch. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant devices as a voice-activated light switch. Plus, you can even set timers and schedules via the Kasa app so your lights fade on and off throughout the day as you please.

Add shade to your outdoor space with the Lulu home sun shade sail. The UV-blocking canopy measures comes in six different sizes and can be hung with rope and the stainless steel D-rings on each corner. Use it on your patio, next to a pool, or in a sunny backyard for a cooler seating section. It’s available in three colors: a pale yellow, crisp cream, and terra-cotta red.

If you’re constantly online like me, you may have already spotted a sunset lamp like this one while scrolling through Twitter or TikTok. The BBAMK lamp casts a spotlight-type effect that emulates the vivid orangey-red shades of a romantic sunset. It’s great for ambiance, photoshoots, and just for fun. The clip at the bottom of the light attaches just about anywhere, and the neck can be pointed at different angles.

Getting space-saving hangers that match is one of the easiest ways to make your closet more organized, and it’s also one of the easiest hacks for making you feel more like you have your life together. These Amazon Basics velvet hangers not only look sleek, but the slim design allows clothes to hang neatly. The velvet material makes them nonslip, and they’re strong enough to hold even heavy winter clothes.

Steep an entire pot of loose-leaf tea at once with this stovetop kettle. The stainless steel insert in the middle holds tea leaves, which begin steeping as soon as you fill the kettle with hot water. Remove the stainless steel components, and you can even put the kettle on the stove or in the microwave to heat the water. The kettle itself holds 40 ounces of water, enough for 8 cups of tea.

Simplify your bathroom storage with this hardworking multipurpose holder for toothbrushes, toothpaste, cosmetics, and more. There are all sorts of storage components built into it, including slots for four toothbrushes, an automatic toothpaste dispenser, space for three cups, a towel bar, and four hooks. It also mounts with adhesive, so there’s no need for a drill.

Homes lacking convenient outlets could benefit from some outlet extenders. This extender features six three-prong outlets and two USB ports — all packed into the space normally provided by one standard outlet. It can be used practically anywhere in your home, and there’s also a built-in night light which automatically senses when to turn on and off.

Tech enthusiasts and large families will find a lot to appreciate about this device charging station. It has five divided slots with a corresponding cord for each one, making it possible to charge five devices at once without a tangled mess of cords. The charging cables are compatible with a wide range of electronic devices.

Charge your phone and keep an eye on your route with this phone mount-charger hybrid. Easily installed on your car’s air vent, it’s suitable for use with most smartphones, as long as they’re capable of wireless charging. You even have the option to mount the phone vertically or horizontally.

Be gone, bugs! These Pamkelle pest repellent devices hang on your wall and drive away unwelcome critters from your home. They release both ultrasonic and electromagnetic frequencies, which is harmless to humans and pets but might repel insects and rodents. One purchase gets you six repellants, which you can install throughout your home for all-over pest control.

In an emergency, you’ll be glad to have this tiny self-defense siren keychain with you. Compact and subtle, it clips onto your keychain or belt — but when you pull the pin, it emits a bright strobe light and alarm (reaching 130 decibels, which the manufacturer specifies can be heard up to 1,000 feet) to alert others around you.

Parents of sneaky pets need this blacklight flashlight, which uses UV light to detect urine stains otherwise invisible to the naked eye. But that’s not the only use for this flashlight: It can also be used to identify everything from scorpions at night to fake documents (like IDs). The battery lasts up to six continuous hours, and the LED lights can last up to 15 years, which equates to many years of sleuthing.

Whenever I wash off my makeup in the shower, I always end up with raccoon eyes upon exiting. Installing this fogless shower mirror seems like the perfect solution to making sure I get all the product off the first time around. If you like to shave your face in the shower, this mirror works great for that as well, and even has a built-in razor hook. It attaches to the wall with a strong suction cup, and you can rotate it in any direction to see exactly what you’re working with.

Buying a new couch can be costly and taxing, but fixing a sagging couch with these cushion supports is fairly inexpensive and super easy. The wood and vinyl supports slide between your couch’s cushions and frame, and they can be folded or unfolded to fit your setup. They can help extend the life of the furniture you already have and love, without compromising on comfort.

Install these small motion-sensitive lights in the nooks and crannies of your home that are just too dark, such as closets, stairways, or bathrooms. They’re battery-powered and activate automatically, and you can stick them practically anywhere with the adhesive backing. After 15 seconds without sensing movement, they’ll shut off automatically.

Use this dual thermometer and hygrometer to keep an eye on the temperature and humidity levels in your home. This can help you manage common ailments that are triggered by dry air, and make sure your central air conditioning, heating, and humidifiers are working properly. Mount it to a wall with the included adhesive, or use the tabletop stand.

Keep annoying pests at bay during outdoor gatherings with the Thermacell Mosquito Repellent Lantern, a flame-free, DEET-free, unscented alternative to bug sprays and candles. It creates a 15-foot radius of protection from mosquitoes, and it’s perfect for pools, patios, camping, outdoor dining, and more. Simply insert an unscented repellent mat, and enjoy up to four hours of bug-free activities.

Whether you’re staying in an Airbnb with limited privacy or a room in a shared hostel, sometimes it can feel better to have an extra layer of security. A portable door lock like this one from AceMining can stop outsiders from unlocking your door, even when they have the key. It’s easy to install on almost any door, providing some peace of mind on the road.

Do you forget to water your plants? A self-watering planter can do the work for you. This one waters your plant from the bottom up, preventing flooding and root rot. Just fill the 8-ounce water reservoir every couple of weeks, and your houseplants will practically take care of themselves.

I love sitting outside while working remotely, but I don’t love it when my Wi-Fi cuts out halfway through a Zoom call. A Wi-Fi extender is an ideal solution for that work-from-home problem, as well as in spacious houses where one router simply isn’t enough. Plug it into any outlet and increase your coverage by as much as 1,200 square feet.

If you experience hair breakage while you sleep, it may be time to switch to satin pillowcases. They can cause as less friction and absorb less moisture than a traditional cotton pillowcase. You may also notice a difference in your skin. On top of all that? The pillowcases are machine washable.