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35 Ways To Make Your Dingy Stuff So Much Nicer

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by Allison Scholtz

Our things get worn out after time — and that’s OK. When you notice a few things that don’t exactly look brand new anymore (I’m looking at you, smushed throw pillows and frayed phone chargers), don’t feel like you need to live with them or pitch them, you can totally spruce your stuff up. And this convenient list has 35 ways to make your dingy stuff so much nicer.

It seems like every few weeks, the word “dingy” could describe the throw pillows in a living room — even if they’re brand new. These machine-washable pillow covers will fix the wrinkles and the sad, smushed vibes your pillows give off. They’ll also add a much-needed pop of color to your space, which could maybe otherwise be described as “drab.”

You can even grab easy-to-use solutions for things that seem way too hard to fix, like a rusted and scratched-up range hood over your stove. It seems impossible, but you can easily cover it up with waterproof and oil-proof stainless steel contact paper. It’s the same with a ripped leather chair — just paint it over with the leather repair kit. Got a sweat stain on your top or upholstered chair? Simply grab the less-messy laundry bar on this list.

So, if you’ve noticed a few dingy things in your life, this list has all of the anti-dingy ways to make your stuff so much nicer.

1Use A Concentrated Shoe Cleaner That Comes With The Brush You’ll Need

You don’t have to use your tub cleaning brush or ruin a washcloth on your shoes with this best-selling shoe cleaning kit. This non-toxic shoe cleaner concentrate will last you through all of your stained and neglected shoes — even the suede ones — because you only need a few drops to get the job done. Plus, this miraculous cleaner comes with a brush that’s also a way better shoe-scrubbing size than your normal cleaning brushes, and it’s soft yet touch on your kicks.

2Scrub Your Toilet’s Stains Away With A 2-Pack Of Pumice Stones

You may think of pumice stones as a way to scrub off dry skin, but the fine abrasive material is also amazing for cleaning. With a rectangular shape and a sturdy handle just like your toilet brush, these anti-scratch pumice stones work to scrub stains, hard water deposits, and other grime away from your grill, stainless steel, and toilet, making your surfaces look clean and new.

3Clean Dingy Surfaces & Appliances With These “Magical” Sponges

Walls and counters get dingy, and appliances get seriously greasy — it happens. This big pack of melamine foam cleaning sponges comes with more than enough to clean both over and over again. You can even cut them into a point to fit into those annoying spaces around your air fryer’s buttons. These reusable sponges can erase grime, grease, stains, and more with just a little but of water.

4Get Rid Of Pet Hair Practically With An Endlessly Reusable Lint Roller

Two things make this pet hair lint roller way more practical than other pet hair removers. The actual reusable roller doesn’t stick too much to your clothing or furniture. Plus, it keeps all of the fur nice and secure inside while being easy to empty. Best of all, you don’t have to touch a sticky lint sheet that’s full of hair, which is why this pet hair remover has over 85,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.

5Fix Tears With A 100-Piece Sewing Kit That Comes In A Handy Case

This portable sewing kit looks tidier in your closet than a clear plastic bin with a mess of colorful threads. With 24 thread colors, you’ll also be ready to take care of any torn bedsheets, missing buttons on shirts, frayed seams, or other small fixes and match the hues flawlessly. This best-selling kit has over 100 necessary pieces, including a thimble, seam ripper, pins, snaps, and needles.

6Cover Up Scratches & Dents With These Easy-To-Use Wood Markers

Thanks to both markers and wax sticks in this furniture repair kit, you can do more than cover up small scratches. The wax sticks actually fill in extra-deep nicks to make your wooden furniture and floors smooth again. You’ll also get six colors of markers and the wax sticks, like walnut, maple, mahogany, and more, to match your surfaces.

7Give Your Car An At-Home Detailing With This Best-Selling Vacuum Set

This mini vacuum is perfect for the forgotten upholstery and crevices in your car. With the carrying bag, it can even stay on your floorboard or in your trunk as a reminder to clean your vehicle every now and then. It has a 16-foot cord, helpful car cleaning attachments to reach tiny crevices and give your carpet a scrub, and an AUX outlet to easily power this vacuum in your car.

8Make Your Gold & Diamonds Sparkle Again With This Handy Cleaner

With this jewelry cleaner, cleaning your gold, diamonds, and precious stones can totally feel casual and become part of your routine. Simply hold the handle and dip the little basket (plus your jewelry) into the solution for 30 seconds and swish it around. If your trendy herringbone chain necklace needs a little more scrubbing, this kit comes with a soft touch-up brush to really make your stuff shine.

9Scrub Your Tub With A Hard Water Stain Remover For A Cleaner Shower

You can scrub and disinfect your shower, but it will still look grimy if you don’t use this hard water stain remover. It handles all of the built-up water deposits and grimy spots that seem to accumulate over time. Think: shower knob, tile grout, and drains. Plus, you won’t need to scrub anymore than you do when you clean your tub.

10Use Leather Conditioner To Refresh Furniture & Accessories You Splurged On

The leather pieces in your life that you splurged on shouldn’t look dingy, so grab this water-repellent leather conditioner. It will refresh any kind of leather, whether it’s a couch, purse, belt, or car interior. This non-toxic conditioner isn’t sticky, so your couch will feel just like it used to, and the conditioning protection will last for six months per use. There’s a reason this best-selling leather cleaner has over 30,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.

11Revive Makeup Brushes With An Electric Cleaner That Works In Minutes

Revive that brow brush with months’ worth of product on it with this spinning makeup brush cleaning kit. With the included cleaning solution, it’s not just about making your brushes look nicer, it’s also about preventing bacteria on your skin and in your makeup. This electric spinning brush cleaner washes and dries your brushes in minutes, and it has also has durable collars, so you don’t drop your brushes while you clean off all of all that caked-on brow gel.

12Cover Up Stains & Prevent New Ones With A Stretchy Sofa Slipcover

Your pup won’t even notice that you’re protecting your couch from their paws with this elastic-bottom slipcover. It’s machine-washable and just as comfy as your sofa upholstery with its stretchy fabric. It also comes in 36 colors to match your furniture and seamlessly fit into your living room while simultaneously covering up old stains and preventing new ones. It also comes in seven furniture sizes, including a chair cover.

13Give Your Phone A Longer Battery Life With A Portable Charger

This sleek black charger can keep your old phone powered up when you’re out and about. It’s incredible portable at just 5.8 inches long and 7.5 ounces, but the USB-C and micro USB also make it perfect for charging your phone at home every night. Plus, you can power your phone up to two times over from 0 to 100% before this battery pack needs to be recharged.

14Cover Up A Desk You Don’t Love With A Faux Leather Pad Protector

If you’re over the vibe of your desk, this faux-leather desk pad will easily revamp it. This water-resistant pad comes in 17 colors (including neutral gray and brown as well as brighter shades like violet and turquoise) to make you forget about that wood tone you don’t love anymore. The cork back means it will stay in place, even if you’re using it as a mouse pad.

15Restore Yellowed & Dull Headlights With A Heavy-Duty Cleaning Kit

Heavy-duty doesn’t mean difficult with this headlight restoration kit. You only need a drill to efficiently use the headlight sanding discs and adapter, which wipe away yellow grime from any plastic headlight. You’ll also get polish, finishing discs, and protective tape. In under 40 minutes, your headlights will look as good as new, even if they were really, really dirty. Each order has two full-service cleaning kits.

16Make Red Wine Stains Disappear With This Water-Based Cleaner

Keeping this red wine stain remover around is way better than panicking and looking up household products that might take care of it. The water-based and non-toxic spray also won’t hurt your couch or T-shirt, and it works equally well on fresh and old stains. This clever cleaner looks like a mini wine bottle, so you can quickly recognize it and grab it when there’s a spill.

17Give New Life To A Seriously Flat Mattress With A Fluffy, Cooling Pad

This soft, fluffy mattress pad with a wavy textured cushion will make any hard, flat mattress feel and look better. Not only will your sheets fit better and look more crisp, but your bed will also feel cooler thanks to this pad’s moisture-wicking material, embossed fabric, and cooling zone textures. Plus, the edges have tight elastic, so this pad won’t slip off and look messy.

18Protect Your Chargers From Fraying With These Cable Coils

Frayed cords can ruin the look and functionality of your chargers. This 12-pack of colorful cable protectors will stop you from collecting a bunch of snapped chargers all over your house. That’s because they cover up that frustrating end part on every cord that always cracks — but they’re not too bulky, so your charger can still move around.

19Get Rid Of Sweat & Oil Stains With This Less-Messy Laundry Bar

This laundry bar simply makes more sense than all of the liquid stain products we’re used to. It only needs water and a cloth for light scrubbing to get rid of unsavory stains from sweat, oil, grease, and other hard-to-clean things. Plus, this clean-scented, plant-based bar won’t take up as much space as a spray bottle and is easy to travel with. This bar is also ideal for cleaning things you can’t toss in the washing machine, like rugs and upholstery.

20Repair Torn Furniture With A Kit That’s Strong Enough

Instead of taking a normal sewing needle to a torn couch, use this upholstery repair kit that’s actually strong enough to stand up to carpets, canvas, and more. The thread is bonded 3-ply nylon, which is way more durable than classic cotton thread, so your repairing project will actually hold up. As for those sofa-ready needles — you get seven heavy-duty ones, including curved options that are great for edges

21Make Your Entire Kitchen Shine With A Stainless Steel Cleaning Kit

This stainless steel cleaner kit will make your fridge, stove, and other stainless steel appliances absolutely sparkle. The plant-based spray with coconut oil refreshes dull and smudged stainless steel appliances and leaves a protective barrier that keeps away future fingerprints and smudges. Waking up to shiny and protected stainless steel in your kitchen will seriously make a big difference.

22Give New Life To Pilled Sweaters & Furniture With A Fabric Shaver

Sure, this fabric shaver will help out your clothes, but it will also help to revive dingy furniture. There are three settings to control how close the blades are to your sofa’s upholstery, and the large, safe-to-use head will pick up lint, pills, and fuzz. It’s also rechargeable, so you can go from your living room furniture to your upholstered headboard without an annoying cord.

23Clean Glasses, Rings, Razors & More With An Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner

With this gentle ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, you won’t have to pay to have your things professionally cleaned. The stainless steel cleaning bowl only needs regular water plus your jewelry or glasses to start cleaning. This device works on basically anything, including eyeglasses, jewelry, razors, combs, watch bands, tools, utensils, and more.

24Give Your Surfaces A Scrub With These Efficient Drill Attachment Brushes

Scrubbing your tiles and grout with these scrubber attachments is so much easier (and more fun) than your old, handheld shower cleaning brush. Each one attaches to your drill for heavy-duty scrubbing that’s super efficient. Plus, the six color options are designed with different bristle strengths — depending on which household surface you want to scrub. There are brushes for delicate surfaces like leather and tile as well as harder-to-clean spots like grills, gutters, and brick.

25Keep Your Trunk Clean & Tidy With This Organizer

Instead of vacuuming up onion skins and stray kale from your trunk every week, use this car trunk organizer every time you go grocery shopping. The waterproof lining catches the occasional broken egg, and it’s easy to wipe. With pockets and slots on the side as well as clips that keep this organizer secure, you can keep this organizer in your trunk for anything from tools to backpacks to beach day materials and more. It can be used at full size, half size, and folded up when not in use.

26Make Your Grill Clean Enough For Hosting With A Stainless Steel Brush

You can actually let your guests hang out by the grill after you use this acacia wood handle grill brush. That’s because it’s sturdy enough to get the grates clean and barbecue party presentable. The stainless steel design lets you finish cleaning five times faster and can remove many meals’ worth of grill grime. Plus, there’s a scraper on the front to make everything even easier.

27Wash Away All Kinds Of Messes With This Stain Remover

It’s a good idea to keep this stain remover in your laundry room (and another bottle in your kitchen), because it can eradicate all kinds of stains and messes. The non-toxic formula is obviously good for other stains, but it’s really perfect for any bright red ketchup that lands on your kitchen rug. It’s also concentrated, so this biodegradable works hard while you use very little.

28Refinish Scratched Appliances With Stainless Steel Contact Paper

Scratches or rust on your range hood isn’t really fixable — except with this stainless steel contact paper. It’s waterproof and oil-proof, which is always helpful for over your stove or on your fridge. It also means you won’t run into the rust problem again with this glossy contact paper. Add a shine to anything, from your appliances to your backsplash for a clean, modern look.

29Use A Hard Drive To Make Your Laptop Run Faster

Your laptop may or may not look dingy, but it might feel dingy and slow if you’re not using this portable external hard drive. To make it run better, store up to 500 GB of stuff on this drive instead of your laptop. It also has a scratch-resistant finish and thin design that you won’t mind displaying next to your laptop.

30Sanitize Your Home With A Handheld Steam Cleaner

You won’t have to add any harsh bleach or disinfectant into your home, because this steam cleaner only uses water. From the trusted brand Bissell, this steamer comes with scrubbers, a scraper, a precise nozzle, and even a grout attachment to get grime and germs away from any carpets, counters, walls, appliances, and more hard-to-clean surfaces.

31Paint Over That Ripped Leather Chair With This Repair Kit

With this leather and vinyl repair kit, you can totally just paint over that rip or scratch on your leather chair — for real. There are mixing supplies to create a color that matches the vinyl in your car or the leather on your dining room chair. The included patches help make big tears totally invisible. Plus, this fix dries super quickly, so you won’t accidentally sit on it before it’s set.

32Decorate With Velvety Throw Pillow Covers That You Can Actually Wash

You can breathe new life into your living room with these trendy velvet pillow covers and prevent them from getting dingy. Washing these covers regularly not only helps with stains but also that worn-out look that throw pillows can get. Plus, the zipper cover means this pillow-refreshing process isn’t annoying. You can also choose from 26 colors and seven sizes to suit your style and existing throws.

33Give Your Cookware A Polished Look With This Powder Cleaner

Obviously, your normal dish soap is good most of the time, but this cleaner and polish is a necessity if you have pricy cookware. It gives your stainless steel and aluminum cookware that extra-clean and super shiny moment they’re missing now and then and can make your kitchen look luxe again. This powder scrub is also environmentally safe, and the waterproof packaging makes it last under your sink.

34Dye Your Stained Clothes & Curtains With This All-Purpose Dye

If your adorable shower curtain has old stains (it’s inevitable in bathrooms), simply dye it with this all-purpose dye. Unlike dyes at craft stores, this non-toxic dye comes in over 30 colors, including trendy hues like rose quartz and aquamarine. If you have some left over, it works on wool, cotton, silk, and more to breathe new life into some of your favorite old clothes.

35Take Care Of Your Wooden Cutting Boards With This Mineral Oil

You can’t maintain your trendy charcuterie boards or heavy duty butcher block without this food-grade mineral oil. It keeps the actual board looking new, and it even protects it from cracking (which would obviously ruin your cheese board’s vibe). It’s also odorless and tasteless, so it won’t mess up the flavor of your baked brie.