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So you can keep using your go-tos for longer.

As a Deputy Editorial Director for BuzzFeed’s shopping team, I love to get into the weeds of why a product’s worth the money by deep diving into customer reviews, and product-testing as much as possible.

As much as I love shopping (hello, shopping editor here!), I get nearly as much satisfaction from making clever repairs to my worse-for-wear things. Perhaps you do too! Or are just sick of having to regularly replace your foundation brush. Welp, we've got a makeup brush cleaner for that. And so much more! Read on for some repair ideas you've been mulling over and perhaps others that weren't even on your radar. 

Promising review: "Did an amazing job on white Crocs!" —Suzanne S.

Promising review: "Cleaned three items in less than five minutes. Vacuum brush head and two hair brushes that have three girls' long hair. I can’t wait to get the whole vacuum and rug cleaner bristles cleaned. I had to write this review after testing it out. Design is strong, sturdy, and handles great. Highly recommended." —Rob

Also, built-up lint is a fire hazard! Make this a part of your weekly cleaning routine.

Promising review: "This brush is stiff but flexible enough to feed under my dryer's lint filter. Several weeks ago a trouble light came on that indicated the air flow in my dryer was becoming obstructed. I had the dryer vent and area under the lint filter cleaned. (Not much lint was pulled out, so maybe the dryer sensor gave a false alarm.) I felt a small investment in a brush such as this is better than paying for a future vent cleaning. I've been using it once a week and it picks up a little lint each time, but that's lint that won't have a chance to build up in the dryer vent!" —blueskys

This was an impromptu purchase once I realized just how bad my circa-2018 Asos midi coat was looking. It was SERIOUSLY fuzzy, and I'd been walking around in it, not even realizing it. How embarrassing for me! So I took this fabric shaver to it while I finally watched Lost about a year ago. It's a little loud, but it did some WORK. Here's a pic of a sleeve where you can see the difference it's making and also a glamour shot of the gobs of lint and fuzz it's removed from the coat. And unlike with other fabric shavers, there's no guessing how much charge the battery has left. This gadget has a little % countdown that's clear to read. My beloved coat looks brand-new!

Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in seven colors).

Note that it's best to de-pill a sweater BEFORE you wash it because when cashmere is wet, the fibers detangle. 

Promising review: "The before after says it all, easy to use, very happy with the results on my big wool sweater. I look forward to trying on other fabrics!" —reader99

BuzzFeed Shopping editor Jenae Sitzes says: "I've used Ecotools brush cleaning shampoo for years, and it makes cleaning my brushes so much easier. I just add a bit of the shampoo to my brush and gently rub it against a silicone mat under running water, and it makes quick work of removing all the makeup that's built up on my brush for, frankly, way too long. You'll see the water start running brown immediately, which is always super gross but also really satisfying, and once you see your brush return to its original color, you know you're done. And the bristles are always left as soft as before too!"

Promising review: "I'm not very good at makeup, but am practicing. I'm also a clean freak so I was able to use just a tiny bit of this cleaner and my brushes come out clean as new." —William M. Buttlicker

Promising review: "Okay, so these cleaner pods are awesome! I didn't know how gross our Keurig was until today. The big mason jar on the left is when I actually ran the cleaner through plus one rinse cycle. The middle one is another rinse cycle and the last one, on the right, is the last one I did. So yes, I would suggest running two or three rinse cycles instead of the recommended one. But it's still an awesome product for the price! I have a Keurig 2.0 and I had no issues." —Mads0421

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $9.95.

Snug Plugs is a small business that specializes in home improvement products. I had THIS very problem (as a renter) in the top socket in my sole bathroom outlet and one of these little things was a perfect, cheap fix!

Promising review: "I saw Snug Plug on TikTok and immediately ordered them. I have outlets at home AND at work that I couldn't keep anything plugged into because they're so loose. Snug Plug quickly and easily solved that problem and now I can finally have a phone charger in my den. Yay! I highly recommend this product." —KSay

Get a pack of 10 from Amazon for $10.99. 

Promising review: "So I bought this product back in 2023 and put it in my little toolbox and didn’t touch it, eventually forgot about it. Bought it to use on my brass faucet that is an absolute nightmare to clean and keep clean. It’s gorgeous when polished, and I’d used jewelers' sticks to polish it with etc. within the day it was tarnishing. So while looking for another item in my toolbox, I came across this product and decided to give it a try.

It was absolutely amazing!!! So much easier than the Dremel polishing tool and a red polish stick. For how long it will last is yet to be seen, I just put it on today so fingers crossed it lasts for me because I was ready to get rid of that faucet set and find another. Mind you, I’ve had this in my house for 25 years and was in the house when I bought it, it stayed looking like the first picture I’m going to post, and drove me crazy!!!🤪" —Nora

Promising review: "Saw on TikTok (don’t judge) and automatically added to cart. So easy to use, takes probably a minute to fully bubble up and clean, and you’re left with a clean sink! I use with other drain cleaning products, but would 100% recommend for weekly maintenance." —Jessica Hamilton

It's basically really thick foam you can put inside your cushion, under the stuffing. Plus, there's a piece of thin foam that goes near the back of he cushion for extra support. 

SagsAway is a small biz specializing in these inserts that help revive furniture. 

Promising review: "The sofas are sturdy and only three years old but several cushions were sagging. I ordered two of the large size for our love seat to try them out. I easily cut an inch off to have it fit with an Exacto knife. Easy to slide in, easy to close with my husband's help. The difference when sitting on the sofa is amazing. Firm and they feel like new cushions. I just ordered three more for the large sofa." —doris

Get them on Amazon for $34.99+ per kit (available in two sizes; each kit fixes one cushion).

Note that based on the reviews, this tends to work best on poly-filled cushions. As one reviewer noted, it helped some but not as much as expected on their down-filled cushions. 

Promising review: "We have an older sofa (10 years) that we love, but the middle was sagging. The cushion support board helped tremendously. We are also going to put an extra foam insert in the middle cushion that is also sagging. Altogether, it is much cheaper than getting a new couch, and it is noticeably more comfortable. Very easy to install." —David Rizor

Get it from Amazon for $44.99 (available in three sizes).

It can be used on leather shoes, accessories, interiors, furniture, upholstery, saddles, jackets, and tack. Also, Leather Honey is a small biz! 

Promising review: "I use this for my everyday boots as well as my dress shoes. I'm not always gentle with my boots and I thought I had ruined them the other day (worn out color, scuffs all over), but I cleaned the muck off, gave them a brushing, then applied this leather honey, and after letting it sit, my boots look almost like the day I bought them! It keeps the leather supple and restores color. You only need to use a small amount per use!" —David Horning

Get it from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in three sizes; clip the coupon for this price).

Promising review: "Amodex took ink out of my expensive scrubs. A pen leaked in my pocket and made a thick glob of ink stain on the scrub jacket and a little on the pants. After using the Amodex and washing in cold water, there is no evidence of a stain, and the fabric looks exactly how it looked before the stain. There was no damage or discoloration of the fabric. Thank you, Amodex. This product just saved me the $75 that it would have cost to replace the scrubs." —Michelle hammer

Promising review: "I don’t normally write reviews, but this product has worked amazing. From Sharpie marker on the upholstery to, most recently, ink from an ink pen my 3-year-old daughter got ahold of and decided to draw on my Lululemon bag. Within seconds, the ink was gone!" —Amazon Customer

Reviewers say this stuff has also worked on lightening pen stains on a Dooney & Bourke leather purse, ink smeared on a corduroy sofa, ballpoint pen on a movie screen, pen scribbles on a white leather couch, lipstick on a rug, and more.

Promising review: "After using this product, I am happy to report that my $5 investment saved me over $500. I was ready to replace my dishwasher due to super cloudy glasses, residue, and dishes just not getting clean. Then, I became aware that the water softener was no longer doing its job so I had the rental company replace it. Dishwasher performance improved somewhat. I decided to do two more loads before deciding to purchase a new one. Then I saw a product test review for Affresh. I was ordering some stuff from Amazon anyway so I added that to my order. When it came, I tossed one of the tablets into the bottom of the full machine per the instructions and ran the regular cycle. I did not expect the results I got! The glassware that I thought was permanently etched and ruined came out like new. Same with cutlery. The difference is unbelievable. I will use this faithfully every month, as recommended. I can even put it on my subscribe and save order so I will get a new pack every six months. I am amazed!" —Sheila

Promising review: "It feels like carrying a new purse again! Look at that hardware sparkle! I used a cotton swab to clean the hardware and only used a very small amount at a time, so it did not get into the leather." —Curious007

Reviewers say it also worked great on their Louis Vuitton locks and belt buckles.

Promising review: "Worked wonders! I spilled nail polish remover on my nightstand. This worked like magic! Just rub lightly with the cloth." —JMac

Promising review: "I can’t believe how well these work! It was much better than I had expected. I just had my home interior painted, and the painters damaged a fiberboard medicine cabinet when they removed the masking tape. It ripped off the fake wood veneer. These markers completely filled in the ugly spots, and the colors blended well. I love that it appears to have some clear coat in it, too, as it dries with a slight shine that makes it look more like a wood stain rather than a marker. I also used them to stain wood filler in two spots in my maple kitchen cabinets where a previous homeowner had hung a paper towel holder, and I really struggled to see the hole! It looks fantastic. I highly recommend this set. It’s a good value and works very well." —Shane

Promising review: "Pricey but worth it! My patio cushion covers would have cost a fortune to replace, given their unique shape. This is the ONLY fabric spray that has EVER held true to its promise of preserving the fabric’s original soft texture. Shake Suddenly Sapphire well, it will need at least three coats for an even application because it comes out very fine. Example: I needed one whole can for the first coat on the tops and sides of two cushions. At $14 a can, it can get up there, but it’s still better than replacing cushions!" —Juanita

Get it from The Home Depot for $14.98 (available in eight colors).

Promising review: "This is by far the best investment I’ve ever made. After buying a white couch, my dog jumped on it covered in dirt. My first thought was to hire a cleaning company, but the quote was nearly $700. Instead, I bought this machine for a fraction of the cost, and let me tell you — it was worth every penny. The results were so incredible, I would’ve gladly paid ten times the price. I ended up cleaning all my couches, and I can confidently say this is the best purchase I’ve ever made." —AT

Promising review: "I have a few designer bags. I never really thought to use any cleaner to clean it, but the Louis Vuitton seemed dirty looking, so I decided to try this product, and it really amazed me. It exceeded my expectations! Doesn’t have any strong smell and really cleans your leather! Definitely recommend!!" —Mabel & Grayson

Promising review: "This weekend, we cleaned five leather jackets that were completely covered with white mold. We used microfiber cloths and sprayed the leather cleaner on them, and followed the instructions, and we got wonderful results. We could see the leather really getting clean, and the cleaner also gave the leather a soft feel and a nice shine (we like it because it's not too shiny but looks great). It's GREAT!!" —Sandy Z

Fellow BuzzFeed writer Amanda Davis swears by this spray. Check out her Foot Matters Shoe Stretch spray review for more information!

Promising review: "I purchased my second pair of Dr. Martens three days before I was headed to New Orleans. Seemed like a mistake, right? Maybe it would have been, if I didn't have this spray. I used it once and then walked around the house for a bit with some thick socks on. Then I sprayed the boots again, and put beer cans inside of them and let them sit overnight. I wore my NEW boots all over three different airports (thanks layovers), and all over New Orleans. These were the only boots I packed too. It could have ended up a nightmare but it didn't! My boots still have a little ways to go to be fully broken in, but definitely ahead of schedule when I compare them to my first pair. I will use this spray on every pair of boots from now to forever." —lauren

Promising review: "This totally worked. Been walking on my repaired boot for a month now, and it’s still glued back together. The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the glue dries white (not clear), and I had to use a Sharpie so it didn’t look ridiculous. Way better than buying new boots, though!" —Elicia

Promising review: "Changed the oil on my girlfriend's car and some oil spilled on my NEW driveway...which I didn't notice 'til four days later. Four spots all about the size of a dollar bill baking in the Arizona sun for four days. Found this searching on Amazon and I thought, whatever. That's one less vodka soda tonight for dinner. Put the stuff on (sits on the stain like pancake batter — don't be afraid to pour liberally) and let it sit from 6 p.m. 'til about 9 a.m. the next day. It dried and the instructions said to just sweep the stuff up (right, like I am not going to need a scraper and wire scrub pad for an hour. HA). Well it broke apart with the broom and the stains were gone, just swept up the powder pieces — took about a minute. I WAS SHOCKED! Something that actually works on oil and it's easy. Absolutely NO sign of anything that was there. My driveway is smooth concrete so I can't vouch for what would happen with a rougher surface but whoever makes this stuff is a genius. If they tried to take on World Peace, Earth would be a better place." —AmazonBob

Check out a TikTok of the SneakErasers in action. 

Promising review: "I have a couple of pairs of sneakers I stopped wearing because they started looking a bit grungy. Just couldn't justify throwing them away though, because they were still in great shape and not very old. I came across these sponges and took a chance. They work like a charm. I cleaned two pairs of shoes and could not believe the results! Awesome." —Spencer

Check out how to dye your canvas sneakers on Rit.

Get a bottle from Amazon for $5.99 (available in a range of colors).

Promising review (for the pic on the right): "I used the bucket dying method on a white 100% cotton dress I bought from a thrift store. It worked perfectly. No blotchy bits or anything to give away that this dress was ever anything but yellow. The key is to follow the instructions. You'll want to use a cup of salt and a little squirt of soap with your hot water, and make sure everything is completely dissolved before dying your fabric. Also pre-wet the fabric. The RIT website has very clear instructions with various methods of dying. I highly recommend RIT dye." —Loren

Get it from Amazon for $4+ (available in 16 colors).

It can remove oil, grease, ink, grass, and blood stains for all my vampires out there. Psst, a few months ago I recommended this to a friend who fell in a puddle of motor oil on a sidewalk, then accidentally wiped it on her camel coat. It got the stains out!

Promising review: "So….my son pays no mind to the amount of grease that he is covered in while working in the farm shop!! 🤣😂 I had basically said these jeans are work jeans now!!! I am amazed at how these look after two washes!! If you haven’t ordered it, go do it now!!" —Mommyof20607

Promising review: "What can I say, never sew another button on your pants again, These are sturdy and easy to install. I use them on jeans and I've used them on shorts and khakis, too." —J R

Puffer Jacket Repair is a small biz Etsy job specializing in, well, patches for puffer jackets! 

Get it from Puffer Jacket Repair on Etsy for $11.18 (available in a variety of colors). 

Promising review: "This was my first time tie-dyeing and this kit was very simple to use! The instructions are very clear and everything needed is included in the kit. I did have some tiny clumps of dye on my shirt, but I turned it inside out before starting so you can’t hardly see them when the shirt is worn. I did avoid the black dye as another review had issues with that one, so I have no feedback on the black. Overall, excellent kit and my experience makes me want to tie dye more! —Emily

Get a five-color kit from Amazon for $12.69 (also available in much larger kits). 

Promising review: "I do not know how I lived without them. I have saved a bunch on unnecessary alterations." —Gerald Voigt

"Pregnant with my second child. I'm barely pregnant but since it's my second, pants already don't fit. I'm not committed to maternity pants yet so I got these. Super! I can now wear my pants a little longer and isn't noticeable!" —H. Hun

Get a five-pack of pants extenders for $6.99.

Promising review: "There are the best things ever. I have jeans that fit great but the waist is always too loose. So I saw these on TikTok, and I was so curious to see if they worked or not. But seriously, you need to buy these, the buttons are great material and just the most useful things overall." —Alexa Botello

It's from a family-run business that specializes in cleaning products, especially ones for homes with pets!

Promising review: "After reading the reviews I thought I could at least try it, and holy smokes, this is a miracle cleaner!!! I think I have tried every cleaner on the market for pet stains and nothing ever really works on my carpets. Even if I get it off the top, it somehow comes back up. My crazy dogs hate the rain and they have one spot that they always go on when they decide they are not going outside. I have cleaned the spot probably 100 times. I cleaned this area one time with this cleaner and my spot steam cleaner and it is completely gone! The stain and smell are 100% gone, not just covered up like before, completely and absolutely gone. Miracle cleaner for sure!" —PLLane

It has four sides: one to clean heavier scuff marks and stains, one to gently clean fine suede and light scuff marks, one to clean rounded corners, and one to clean hard-to-reach crevices and grooves.

Promising review: "I was really sad when I thought my bucks were at the end of their road, because I had always heard that suede couldn't be cleaned. With this brush and a little elbow grease my bucks are looking great again! I didn't use any water or cleaner, I just kept wiping the brush off on my jeans to keep the brush clean, then hit the shoe again with a clean surface. It even brightened the leather up a bit." —Roberto

Promising review: "So easy and quick. I had no idea I could get these this clean!" —tammi p. 

Promising review: "Great quality, great colors. These laces are long enough for my boots... I use them with my canvas Keds sneakers too. It's nice to be able to change my laces with my outfits... It feels like a new pair of shoes every time I wear them!" —Tdelarme

Check out how one reviewer used the paint to give a pair of cowboy boots a colorful new twist. Angelus is a small biz. 

Promising review: "I was a bit skeptical of a shoe specific paint — it seemed more marketing hoodoo than a real improvement over other paints — but I was mistaken. This stuff rocks! It works well with stencils and brushes, has good opacity, great adhesion, and remains flexible when it dries. When combined with Angelus Paint 2-Thin, you can use it in any fillable paint pen. You lose some opacity but gain the ability to do longer continuous lines before needing more paint compared to a brush. I look forward to working on a few other projects with this paint." —Xaq F.

Get it from Amazon for $42.95 (12 colors available in a multipack).

Promising review: "Bought these for my pregnancy based on a tip from a recently pregnant friend. Total game changer. Only had to buy a new size bra once, and then used these for the rest of my pregnancy, as my cup size didn't change anymore, but omg my ribcage just kept on expanding and expanding to accommodate the baby. IMO, these make wearing a regular bra possible during those body-changing portions of pregnancy, saving me money in the long run. Additionally, they work as expected...they clip onto the original spacers easily, they match up with the original hooks really well, and they are very comfortable and easy to use. Best $6 I've ever spent on Amazon. Buy them, you won't regret it." —K

Get a pack of three from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in four colors and various packs).

It's great for leather furniture, car interiors, shoes, bags, and more!

Note: Furniture Clinic (the maker of this product) recommends testing to see if your leather is absorbent before using this product by seeing if a drop of water will soak into the undamaged part of the leather. If the water is able to soak in, use this balm! If it cannot soak in, they recommend using their leather repair paint instead. 

Promising review: "The sofa in the pictures [above] is 10 years old and well used. My wife and I could not believe the results after using the balm. Really got rid of the cracks. Amazing stuff. Highly recommend it. The two pictures are before and after using the product on one arm of the sofa. Match the color, and it is magic!" —Loyal Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $24.94+ (available in 16 colors and two kits). 

BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.