Life

20 Inventions That Make Cleaning Your House Way Easier

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Gone are the days when you spent your Saturdays watching Lizzie McGuire, organizing your gel pen collection, and hounding your parents for that new phone that was (inexplicably) totally transparent. Now, any day off from work translates to chore day, and the most genius cleaning products that make life way easier could just mean the difference between breezing through the house on a Saturday morning or spending the whole weekend playing catch-up. I don't know about you, but after adulting for five days straight, I lose my mind if I don't get a little downtime.

Thankfully, the world of home products is as innovative as it has ever been, and tons of the newest inventions exist solely to make your life duties a heck of a lot simpler. In the cleaning and chores sphere, this means brilliant gadgets that zap away germs, roam around your house sucking up dust, and even freshen up your dry-clean-only suit for when Monday rolls around again.

Best of all, they're especially efficient, sleek, and require little to no energy on your part, so you can get some much-needed rest this weekend. Whether you've been a tad negligent towards your laundry piles, dust collections, drains, dishes, or appliances, these innovative products practically do all the cleaning for you — and that means more time to put your feet up and relax.

by Maria Cassano
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

1. An Innovative Broom Set That Keeps Itself Neat

This genius broom and dust pan set comes with an extendable broom and a locking dustpan, but the most innovative part is the reliable teeth that comb all the hair and dirt out from the bristles, so your broom never starts looking like a tumbleweed. Glowing Review: "This broom and dustpan is the best set I have ever had, and I've had many over the years. I love that the broom clips onto the handle of the dustpan, and that the dustpan has a rubbery lip that actually stays against the floor when I'm sweeping up the dirt. No more having to move it around trying to get it all in! I really appreciate the light weight of this unit, too. The bristles are very flexible, making it easy to get it into corners, which was always a frustration for me with brooms."

2. Don't Waste Time Wiping Down The Small Stuff

As seen on Shark Tank, the PhoneSoap smartphone sanitizer zaps away 99.99% of germs and bacteria with its specialized UV lights. This model is acutally the third generation of the product and it now fits larger phone models (including the iPhone 8+ and the Galaxy S10+). It also has a USB-a and USB-c port to charge your phone. Glowing Review: "I work in a large dental clinic with 50+ docs and even more assistants. Anyone who knows about dentistry knows that there are a lot of aerosols given out during almost every procedure. Since we don't have a radio in the operatories, I've had to use my phone for music. Before phone soap I had to wipe my phone down every time with Cavicide wipes...not the best for your phone.Enter PhoneSoap! I'm able to sanitize my phone without destroying it with cavicide! We've even tested and swabbed the phone for cultures before and after...this sucker works! Hands down, great investment. I'll be buying another one for the home because this one is staying in my office."

3. Zap Away Bacteria, Mold, & Smells From Small Rooms

Mildew? Smoke? Bathroom odors? This 7-inch air purifer can be plugged into a wall outlet and, with its UV-C light, will eliminate bacteria and fight odors in your home. It's ideal for small rooms and loved by pet owners. Glowing Review: "This product is perfect to control pet odor! Our dog sleeps in our office at night, and every morning when I open the door I get punched in the face with the smell of dog and an overwhelming breath of dog fur. I wanted something to purify the air so I don't have to hold my breath to go into that room. I did not want to spend a ton of money so this product instantly appealed to me. The reviews were great so I decided to give it a try. The first day I noticed cleaner air and after a few days no more smell of dog!! The room is pretty small, around 10'x10'. I do notice a slight smell of dog if the door stays open all day so I try to keep it closed or at least just cracked to let this sanitizer do its job."

4. Sweep Debris Straight Into This Automatic Dustpan

Never bend down with a dustpan ever again. The Eye-Vac EVPRO stationary vacuum sucks up everything push toward it with its automatic infrared activation system. It's especially great for crumbs and pet hair, and it's got an easy-dump canister so everything goes straight into the garbage without spills. Glowing Review: "I have one of these in my barbershop and I loved it so much that I bought one for my house. In the barbershop with several chairs, we empty it and clean it about once a week or so. At my house, I use it to sweep up the massive amounts of dog hair that my dog leaves EVERYWHERE! I've had it for a while now and still haven't had to empty out the one in my home. I don't use it daily at home, but probably every two days or so. I haven't had any issues with clogs and frankly I'm shocked the power this machine has! At the barbershop it sucks up tons of hair (from full head shaves to several inches of trims, curly hair, straight hair, wet hair, crazy long hair, paper neck strips, everything!). At my house it had sucked up everything from the short coarse dog hair to tiny legos to bits of crayon, pretty much everything that comes with its path."

5. Clean Your Stove In Seconds With These Dishwasher-Safe Protectors

This set of eight reusable gas range protectors make it insanely easy to remove all the crumbs and stains off your stove come cleaning day. They're nonstick and reusable so you can just peel off and wipe clean, or you can even put them in the dishwasher for zero headaches whatsoever. Glowing Review: "This product has been a huge help with keeping the cooktop splatter free and clean. Easy to fit over the burners and easy to either clean off with a damp sponge or periodically to remove and wash off with dish detergent, dry and replace. My constantly splattered black cooktop was driving me insane with the amount of time invested into keeping it clean. These protective covers don't show grease spots as much and are a breeze to clean. Great find and great value for money!! I've used them a few weeks now and they are still in great shape."

6. Recharge This Vacuum And Bring It Anywhere

Imagine all the places you can clean without a single cord. The BLACK + DECKER cordless Lithium hand vac uses a rechargeable and long-lasting battery to pick up dirt and dust in the most difficult places. It offers surprisingly impressive suction and a sleek, lightweight design, so naturally, reviewers are thrilled— in fact thousands of reviewers. Glowing Review: "Can I express my love for a vacuum? I shall! This vacuum is top notch! I use it daily! And by using it daily, I mean I carry it around when I'm bored and suck dust off of random crap."

7. A Trashcan That Attaches To Your Cabinet For Easy Counter Clean Up

This trashcan is easy to hang — just pop it on a cabinet door — and was designed to be used with a standard plastic bag from the grocery store. It's perfect for sweeping counter crumbs into and storing away when not in use. Glowing Review: "I love this product because Im always chopping vegetables and cutting up meat. I would be making several trips to the trash. Now I'm able to make meal prep quicker and easier and cleaner! A good way to use up some of those plastic bags from the grocery store too!"

8. Effortlessly Clean The Microwave In Minutes

This adorable Eruption Disruption microwave cleaner loosens up all the grime and stains in your microwave oven. All you need to do is fill it up with water and vinegar, microwave it for a few minutes, and let the steam melt away all those impossible splatters. Glowing Review: "This little gadget worked great at softening up the caked on / baked on food inside my microwave. Easy to read lines for how much to fill the vinegar and water up to. I only had to run the microwave for 5 mins. Afterwards the stuck on food wiped off very easily with a damp towel. Wish I would have bought this sooner."

9. Ensure That Your Hair Ends Up In The Garbage

I shed like crazy when I'm drying my hair, and if I don't clean out my brushes on a weekly basis, I need to vacuum every other day. This smart self cleaning hair brush catches all those strands and effortlessly releases them into the garbage with its retractable bristles. It's also durably made with a stainless steel suspension and water-resistant backing. Glowing Review: "This brush is amazing!!! Always loved this type brush and it doesnt disappoint but was always hard to clean...this is ingenious..simply retract the bristles and slide the hair off...wish i could give it ten stars!!!!!!"

10. This Mat That Traps Up To A Pound Of Dirt

Spend less time sweeping up dirt and wiping up mud with the GrassWorx doormat, which is capable of holding over one whole pound of dirt. It's made from an AstroTurf material that resists mildew and moisture, and it's incredibly durable. Glowing Review: "We live near the beach, so needless to say a lot sand tries to make its way into our house. Before this mat, it was a constant battle and now it's much easier. When I shake it out, I'm amazed at all the sand and debris it catches. This is a great mat that I highly recommend!"

11. Get That Gross Grime Without Any Elbow Grease

The Sonic Scrubber is a genius little tool that gets rid of hard-to-tackle grime and dirt in difficult areas. It has a small oscillating brush head that does all the work for you, especially in showers, behind faucets, on grout, and on your cast iron cookware. Best of all, it's battery-operated, so no wires. Glowing Review: "I was skeptical when I saw "as seen on tv" on the packaging, but decided the low price warranted giving it a chance. THIS PRODUCT IS FANTASTIC!!! My mother has lived with us for the past 3 years and struggles with arthritis from a severe injury which prohibits her desire to participate in many household chores. This scrubber allows her to quickly and easily load batteries, change heads to match the job and easily grip the device until the scrubbing job is over."

12. Save A Trip To The Dry Cleaners

For those dry-clean only outfits, the Dryel at-home dry cleaner is a total lifesaver. It freshens and removes odor from clothing in only forty minutes, and all you need to do is place multiple outfits in the garment bag, hit the button, and save a trip to the dry cleaners. Glowing Review: "As a landlord and owner of a 117 year old house, I've had to deal with more than my share of clogged drains. I was really skeptical but figured I'd try it since I was sick of using chemicals, ineffectual snakes, home remedies that did little to help or, even worse, calling the plumber ($$$!) Really glad I took the risk and bought it! So far this has unclogged two different bathtubs that were not draining at all, plus it unclogged a backed-up toilet. (Note: one of the tubs was VERY clogged and I had to use the BAAM about 10 times before the drain finally cleared. Blasted it a couple more times for good measure and it hasn't clogged again since.) This is a real gamechanger and I wish I'd bought one sooner--it would have saved me a lot of time and money."

13. Instantly Unclog Drains, Tubs, Sinks, & Toilets

If you shed a lot in the shower and find yourself snaking the drain every other week, then the BAAM! Drain Blaster cleaner will save you countless hours. It uses the power of compressed air to unclog any sink, shower, tub, or toilet without any chemicals, and it's reusable and environmentally-friendly. It also comes with a full set of attachments. Glowing Review: "For more than a decade I have been using Dryel. I am surprised dry cleaners everywhere haven't gone out of business. This stuff is great. I stuff five items in the bag and 30 minutes later they are ready to go. After about five times, I have to either hand wash an item or actually take it to the cleaner, because Dryel refreshes the odors but doesn't actually lift body oils off garments. I have saved hundreds of dollars by not having to take business suits, blouses, pants, and dresses to the cleaners after every wearing. I even take Dryel when I travel in case I need it."

14. A Holder That Helps Your Sponges Last Longer

Sponges get smelly. This sponge caddy helps keep them fresher for longer with open sides and a ventilated bottom. This design is simple, but according to hundreds of reviewers, it's also very effective. Glowing Review: "This keeps both handy and relatively well preserved. Minimizing funk is a good thing with your sponges, and this does the trick. I'd imagine over the course of a year it pays for itself by reducing your sponge consumption, which may be good for the environment over the very, very long-term."

15. These Spaghetti Scrub Sponges

These weird but innovative Goodbye Detergent Original Spaghetti Scrubs are made of recycled cotton and corn cob to effortlessly remove stains on cookware, metal, sinks, and grills. Its unique shape makes it easy to get in the nooks and crannies, they dry quickly to eliminate mildew, and they're super durable, so this pack of two will last you months. Glowing Reviews: "I love these! I have been using them for 2 years now, and it seems like I can use one for 6 months with out needing to replace it. I do run it through my dishwasher on the sanitize option once or twice a week. It never gets moldy smelling, and food participial come right off of it but it still acts like a sponge with the rough side for scrubbing."

16. Clean Both Sides Of The Window At Once

This genius double-sided window cleaner uses a super strong magnet to clean the inside of your window while simultaneously cleaning the outside. It comes in three different options for certain window thicknesses. Glowing Review: "Is the best invention I've ever seen to clean my windows from the 14th floor! Fast, easy and effective! I recommend this product 100 percent!"

17. Clean The Inside Of Your Bottles & Jars

These cute little Bottle Cleaning Beans are basically weighted edamame-shaped sponges that effortlessly clean the insides of your bottles, jars, travel cups, and glasses. They're especially good for stubborn stains and fruit residue, they take no time at all, and this set comes with two sponges. Glowing Review: "Easy to use. Water efficient cleaning of all types of water bottles. Cleans bottles better than a brush & easy to use. I also gave some as Christmas gifts & recipients loved getting them."

18. A Robot Vacuum For Less Than $200

This robot vacuum is like having your own personal maid, except you only need to pay one time. It roams around your house sucking up dust on hardwood, and when it's done, it docks and recharges all by itself. It's also a slim 2.85 inches tall and as quiet as a microwave — no wonder it's the most popular robot vacuum on Amazon. Glowing Review: "I've been in the market for a robovac for quite some, and, after a recent back surgery, vacuuming manually wasn't easy. I purchased this vacuum and have been very pleased with it. Its slim design gets under the dressers, beds, other furniture, and all the tight spaces that I couldn't get to with an upright vacuum cleaner. This makes a very low sound while in use, and honestly, I don't even realize it's operating, as the sound is pleasant (not loud at all). The price is right at under $200, and replacement filters and so are very inexpensive."

19. This Mini Dishwasher Fits On Your Countertop

Small kitchen? No worries — dishwashers no longer need to take up all your precious cabinet space. With this countertop dishwasher, you get full-sized dish cleaning power in a compact design that hooks up straight to your faucet. That means that even in an apartment, you don't have to wash everything by hand. Glowing Review: "This does what it promises at an unbeatable price and high end customer service. I plumbed this as a regular dishwasher and it works beautifully. I was installing some new modular Ikea kitchen cabinets, and found that the cabinet where of my dishwasher was supposed to go, was just an inch too small and too tight."

20. Purify The Air With Your Favorite Plant

I'm in love with this AIRY Natural Air Purifier, which pulls the toxins out of your air, transforms them into nutrients, and then feeds your plants with it. It's also sleek, super durable, and uses natural ingredients to keep your air clean and allergen-free. Glowing Review: "I was very impressed with the look and the quality of AIRY. It's a nice large size too, which will give my spider plant plenty of room to grow. I got it for my office, but I'm seriously considering getting another for my home." Bustle may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from Bustle's editorial and sales departments.

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