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Jan 17, 2024

35 Staple Products You'll Buy Over And Over Again Forever

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.

Delicious dark roast coffee, a Tide pen to get rid of stains on the go, shampoo bars to help you say goodbye to single-use bottles: meet your new go-to's.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "This stuff is amazing! I had a horrible gray ring in the bottom of my shower that was impossible to remove. I had tried the Dawn dish soap method (with a lot of scrubbing) and had even used toilet bowl cleaner to try to remove the soap scum. My next step was to tear out and replace the shower pan and tile. I figured this was my last chance. I ordered the Wet & Forget spray and really coated the shower walls and floor pan and walked away. I CANNOT begin to tell you how happy I was to rinse down the walls sometime later and watch all that crud roll right down the drain!! This is the best product I have ever used in my life!! Works great and no toxic fumes!!" —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $20.08+ (available in two scents, two sizes, and multipacks).

Promising review: "My lips usually crack and bleed in the winter no matter what I put on them. This is literally the first winter ever that my lips are perfect. This is the best product I've ever used! It's nice and soft, not greasy. I've bought it for several coworkers who also suffer like I do. I hope they never stop making this!" —Mel Belle

Get it from Amazon for $10 (available in five flavors and variety packs).

Promising review: "HOLY SMOKES. I wasn't expecting this product to work so well. Literally 10 seconds after spraying and gently stretching as the directions suggested, this was the difference! I let it hang for another 15 mins with a subtle improvement, but the first few seconds after were mind blowing. Highly suggest this product if wrinkled garments are planning your closet." —Dez

Get two bottles from Amazon for $15.94.

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.

Promising review: "I love this! Never using traditional home dye again. I ordered pastel pink. It was so easy; I hopped in the shower, got my hair wet, and added several pumps to my palm. Then I used my hands to work it through my strands like conditioner. I waited for the five minutes, finished showering, then it was time to rinse. That's it. From bleached blonde to pastel pink in less than 10 minutes total. Results were even better than expected. And I didn't need gloves; my hands didn't get dyed." —Tabatha Carpenter

Get it from Amazon for $20.90+ (available in two sizes and 21 colors).

Drop It recommends one to two drops for each glass of white wine, two to three for a glass of red, and seven to nine if you're treating the whole bottle at once. Once it's in the glass, swirl lightly for 20 seconds, and you should be good to go!

Promising review: "I became really sensitive to wine in my 30s and through a lot of trial and painful error, I thought I might have to give up on wine altogether. Then I found out about the preservatives being a possible cause and decided to give this product a shot. So glad I did!! I'm still pretty sensitive to reds but this helps tremendously so that I can have a glass with dinner without a headache immediately settling in. Whites cause me no problem what so ever! I love that it takes so little product to make a difference to a whole bottle. Just a few drops, a few minutes, and we are good to go." —CastawayIrons

Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in multipacks).

Promising review: "It's just the right amount of heat to make it interesting, but not so hot that it'll interfere with other flavors. One of my peeves about spicy versions of normally non-spicy items is that it's often all about the heat but the flavors imparted by the chilies aren't particularly noticeable or interesting. This honey has a great chili FLAVOR to it, in addition to the heat, but it doesn't overwhelm the flavor of the honey at all. I like it on buttered toast and on fried chicken equally well, and this has definitely become a staple 'sauce' for me!" —S. Ferguson

Get it from Amazon for $13.49 (available in three flavors, three sizes, and multipacks).

And read one BuzzFeeder's full review of the hot honey to learn more reasons why we love this stuff.

Promising review: "These are the best shower steamers I've ever tried. Usually they aren't strong enough or they melt too quickly to even enjoy. They are also bigger than what you can buy at the store. I'd say they are about a hockey puck size. One lasted my entire shower and still smelled amazing even after I was done. These are the best shower steamers hands-down. I would definitely buy these again." —Krista

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in three scent combos and as a pack of 12 and 18).

Promising review: "These were a lifesaver. I was walking to the bus and decided it was a great decision to drink coffee while walking. Like a scene from an infomercial, I spilled coffee all over my white shirt. Yes, the classic coffee on the white shirt. Luckily I had one of these in my bag (I put one in each of my most-used purses in anticipation of my clumsiness). I went into a store bathroom and quickly scrubbed the Tide To-Go on my shirt. All of the coffee blobs went away and once the awkward wet splotches dried up, my shirt was perfectly white again. You've got yourself a big fan, Tide." —NAD

Get a pack of three from Amazon for $7.74.

Jing Gao, the founder and CEO of Fly By Jing, is a chef, entrepreneur, and a globally renowned expert on Chinese cuisine. While the flavors are inspired by her hometown of Chengdu, Jing's recipes are deeply personal and offer a unique taste you won't find anywhere else.

I got this sauce as a gift, and I have been obsessed ever since I tried it. It combines the most prized Szechuan peppercorns with fragrant dried chilies, fermented black beans, garlic, shallots and more for a numbing, umami-rich flavor that has enhanced truly everything I've tried it on — without overpowering the other flavors. I've been struggling to find the right sauce to take my home-cooked dishes to the next level, and let me tell you, this is it! Plus, the packaging is super cute and thoughtful, and mine even came with a beautiful little zine that includes a breakdown of the ingredients, some amazing recipe ideas, and more!

Get it from Fly By Jing for $17 or from Amazon for $14.99.

Promising review: "This product does exactly what it says it does. I saw this product from TikTok. I was surprised at how easily it picks up dust and small debris, especially from inside of vents and cup holders. The only complaint is the very artificial smell when you use it. It doesn't last, just when it's out of the container!" —Loren

Get it from Amazon for $6.88.

Promising review: "I really liked this product because it gave me significant results in just a few days. I have tried other whitening products but I definitely think this one is my favorite because it's not only easy to use but also works very well. There is also no weird aftertaste, and all I do is keep my mouth open wide for around 30 seconds. The whitening capabilities were also great, and I know this because my teeth were stained before but now they are not. Lastly, these pens were very easy to use because all you have to do is twist the dial at the bottom of the pen clockwise, and product comes out. So overall I would rate this pen a 10/10 and I am definitely planning on buying more in the future." —Roy Joseph

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $19.99.

Promising review: "Our coffee can start to taste funky after several uses. We run this through once, then two times with just water. Works great and coffee goes back to tasting like normal! It clears out any build up that can affect the taste of your coffee. It is super easy and just as quick as making a cup of coffee." —Maine Customer

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $9.45 (also available as a pack of 12).

Each spike can be used for 30–60 days, depending on the season.

Promising review: "I always kill my plants but I decided to try again. I just bought five houseplants, and three of them were marked down because they were looking pretty puny. Since I tend to kill them anyway, I figured I would give them a try and save some money. I put one of these spikes in each plant and they all looked so much healthier and happier after just a couple of days. I also added one spike to the only houseplant that I've had for years without killing (I was beginning to think it was artificial) the leaves looked healthier almost immediately. I'm very happy with this product and it was a great price." —victoria

Get 48 spikes from Amazon for $5.69.

Here's what BuzzFeed editor Kayla Boyd has to say about these:

"As someone who isn't a big fan of false lashes (the glue irritates my eyes and I'm terrible at applying them) this budget-friendly holy grail does the trick for both lengthening and volumizing my lashes. After you've given it a minute to dry, it lasts all day long and doesn't smudge or fade. It seriously gives the effect of false lashes, without the discomfort."

Get it from Amazon for $4.99 (available in two colors and a pack of three).

For more info and review pics, check out Kayla's full review of the Essence Lash Princess Mascara!

ScratchPad for Dogs is a small biz based in Atlanta offering scratch pads and refills.

Promising review: "Love this scratch pad! We adopted our dog almost a year ago and he's been terrified of clippers and grinders since day one. We've never been able to maintain his nails due to his super reactive anxiety around nail care. That's all changed since we got the Scratch Pad a few weeks ago! He took to it right away and his nails have shown significant improvement in just a few sessions!" —Kira Armajani

Get it from ScratchPad for Dogs on Etsy for $46.95+ (available in two styles and three grit levels).

The Earthling Co. is a sustainable lifestyle brand and small business that aims to offer affordable, plastic-free alternatives to everyday products. They are also part of 1% for the Planet, an org that supports all sorts of nonprofits, and their contributions have so far gone to WIRES (Australian Wildfire Relief), Carbonfund.org, One Tree Planted (Tree Planting), Black Lives Matter, Black Visions Collective the Audre Lorde Organization, and Earth Force.

Promising review: "No lie, I've been recommending this bar to people since the day after I used it. I was water only for months, but it just wasn't working out, so I decided to switch to a sulfate-free shampoo bar. Someone recommended the Earthling Co. to me, which was the best suggestion! After the first wash, my hair was SO clean. I had people complimenting my hair! I don't even need to use it every shower because of how clean it makes my hair. It lathers so easily and the quality of the bar makes it last a while. I also haven't used conditioner because it makes my hair so soft as well! I'm actually about to buy another. I highly recommend this product to those looking for a plastic-free shampoo — it's my favorite shampoo I've used!" —Erin D.

Get it from The Earthling Co. for $12.79 (originally $15.99; available in seven scents).

Check it out on TikTok to learn more!

Promising review: "Found this product on TikTok. I don't think I’ve ever seen value like I do this product! Literally use it on EVERYTHING!! Kids and teens have dirt, grime, and grease on their walls? ...This will make it look like a new paint job. Baseboards need some love? A pea-size amount of this makes them look brand new. Need a shoe cleaner? PERFECT for sneakers. I could name a million more uses, but I can ASSURE you this is worth every penny. What's more? You need such LITTLE of this product, it will last a VERY long time. Thank you, TikTok!!!" —Rachel in CLT

Get it from Amazon for $5.97.

Promising review: "These did exactly what they said they would. I had a rather large-area acne breakout under my chin. Overnight it nearly disappeared! I will say these are best on spots with a whitehead as they work by drawing the yucky stuff out. I will definitely be getting these again." —Heather E Tapp

Get 40 round patches from Amazon for $8.49 (also available as a pack of 80 or in XL square patches).

Rocco & Roxie Supply Company is a family-owned small business established in 2013 that specializes in pet odor eliminators, pet toys, pet snacks, and pet accessories.

Promising review: "Y’all! This stuff is AMAZING! I sprayed the carpet thoroughly to where it was pretty saturated and let it sit overnight. I woke up the next morning and the carpet was mostly dry I’m assuming from the ceiling fan air so I didn't have to lay any towels down to soak up any excess moisture. Let me just say I was EXTREMELY impressed. The carpet was brighter, smelled fresher and it wasn't stiff how other carpet cleaners tend to leave your carpet!

The thing I was most impressed by though was that the dark spots on our carpet were completely gone and this was without having to do any scrubbing! I literally sprayed the carpet the night before and I woke up to a cleaner like new carpet the next morning! I’m extremely extremely impressed and will be ordering the gallon size to do the entire carpet." —Ieshia M.

Get it from Amazon for $19.97+ (available in two sizes).

Meowy Janes is a small business based in New Egypt, New Jersey that specializes in catnip and catnip alternatives. Matatabi is a plant is native to the mountains Japan and China, and is more popular than catnip in East Asia!

Promising review: "The second I put a stick down our kitty was obsessed! Our cat loves 'chewing' so these are a great fit for him. All natural, great pack\aging, and quick shipping! Thank you." —kr323

Get it from Amazon for $10.21 or Meowy Janes on Etsy for $11.85.

These tablets are designed to penetrate, dissolve, and remove odor-causing residue that accumulates inside your dishwasher over time, as well as remove lime and mineral build-up. Using Affresh tablets once a month can prolong the life of your dishwasher and make it more effective at doing its job: cleaning your dishes.

Promising review: "Works extremely well. We haven't done any cleaning on our dishwasher in five years, and the sliding dish trays were tough to pull out or push in, there was detergent build up all over the inside, and there was a milky film on all our cups. I bought Affresh, ran the dishwasher with two tablets while it was empty, and the difference was astounding.

There was still some build up and I figured it would require another cycle, so I popped another two tablets in, ran the machine a second time, and now it looks and sounds brand new. No more film on the glasses, no more dirty dishes from clogged sprayers, no more odors, or build up around the door seals. I'm going to be buying Affresh from now on, and hopefully it will extend the life of my dishwasher." —Martoune

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $8.54 (also available in packs of 12).

Promising review: "I purchased with skepticism, but after using them I am pleasantly surprised. I LOVE this product!! Our laundry used to come out smelling WORSE than before I washed it. I thought I needed to buy a new washing machine. NO!!! I used two tabs initially (two different wash cycles), then use one a month for maintenance. My clothes always come out smelling fresh and clean! What a miracle, money-saving product. Only wish I’d known about them sooner!" —Ashley

Get a box of six tablets from Amazon for $11.95 (also available in packs of three and five).

Promising review: "After my acrylics came off during quarantine, I wanted to make my natural nails stronger as they had had acrylics on them constantly for the better part of two years. I searched around Amazon and gave this product a try. I'm glad I did. I started using it twice a day, once in the morning and once towards the end of my work day. I'm down to once every few days now and my nails are much stronger after the past two months. I'll continue to use it until I can get back to the salon." —Alice B.

Get it from Amazon for $9.90+ (available in three sizes).

Here's all you have to you do: run some hot water, pop one of the packets in your disposer, let it foam, then wait for the foam to fully disappear. Garbage disposer = clean and odor-free.

Promising review: "Works like a charm! These are pretty cool! I was a little skeptical but I followed the easy-to-use directions and it worked just like the product said it would. Foamed up and cleaned the drain!! Smell removed!!" —Jennifer K

Get two packs of four from Amazon for $9.88 (also available in packs of three and six).

Promising review: "I’ve bought a lot of shoe pads recently and this is the best. Very sticky and does not slip off the shoe. The skin contact side is soft, comfortable, and grips the foot well. I’ve used it for work shoes that dig into my ankle, and for a pair of Christians that used to slip off my foot. Would purchase again. It comes with four pairs so should last a while." —icecubes

Get four pairs from Amazon for $9.99 (available in two colors, a combo pack, and packs of six).

Promising review: "Simply UNBELIEVABLE. Fume-free and no gloves needed, but dissolves ANYTHING cooked on! I had not cleaned my oven EVER. I simply sprayed it on, shut the door overnight, and wiped it off with paper towels. Now I don't have to dread cleaning the oven ever again! I can use this for everyday spot cleaning. I also used this on a broiler pan that would not scrub clean, even with steel wool. My Crock-Pot recipe leaked over the bowl and burned on inside heating chamber; I just sprayed, covered, wiped in morning. I plan on using this to clean the grill in the spring and I'm sure it will be a breeze." —Andrew J.

Get it from Amazon for $16.81 (available in four sizes).

Check out some other products that'll rescue your messy house.

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

Promising review: "This product is amazing! It works fast with pretty minimal elbow grease. The stainless-steel sponge that comes with it makes it easier. And it smells great!" —Melissa C.

Get it from Everneat on Etsy for $19.99 (available in three scents).

Promising review: "I have naturally blonde, medium length, more coarse hair that gets damaged from heat styling and is just naturally dry. I was looking for a hair mask to help heal my dry ends and just general damage. I followed the directions on the box, and left it in my hair for 15 minutes, and rinsed my hair, and styled as normal, and my hair has never been so sleek, and NOT weighed down, and the hair cuticles are together, and not frizzy.

AND it's sooooo humid outside today and my hair stayed looking fresh. BONUS! I've tried so many masks and treatments that have weighed down my hair or left a weird residue, and this is the best one I've ever tried. For my hair length/thickness, I could get about five treatments from this size of a bottle." —Annie J.

Get it from Amazon for $7.90.

Former BuzzFeed editor Bek O' Connell has this and loves it! Check out her full review (#1) for more deets!

Promising review: "I have always stayed away from foundation because I could never get the color right, it was thick, felt gross on my skin, then would look too heavy. THIS IS AMAZING! I will forever purchase this. It's light, smooth, and matches my skin. It doesn't cake into my fine lines and makes my skin look perfect. It's creamy and soft and moisturizes my skin without it feeling sticky." —Ot

Get it from Glossier or Sephora for $26 (available in 11 shades).

This is a great small, Black-owned small business from San Francisco! Their goal is not only to make high-quality, sustainable coffee, but also promote "diversity, inclusion, social and economic restoration, entrepreneurship, and environmental sustainability." They also prioritize hiring people of color, the formerly incarcerated, women, and people with disabilities.

Promising review: "I'm a big fan of darker roast coffees and l.o.v.e. East Fourteenth. That blackberry note is AMAZING — tiny bit of cacao/rich chocolate on the finish. Worth breaking my one-cup-a-day rule for. Red Bay is awesome — beautifully fresh roasted, and shipped quickly." —Shelby De Mello

Get it from Red Bay Coffee for $19.

All you have to do? Drop one in the bowl, swish once or twice, let it fizz for about five minutes, then scrub for a minute or so with a toilet brush. Juniperseed Mercantile is a Littleton, Colorado–based small business with a passion for great skincare, simple living, and the Earth.

Get the pack of five from Juniperseed Mercantile for $12.

Promising review: "I can not give it enough stars, this item is so great. It does everything it claims to do. I have hard water so extremely bad, but this has taken care of it. I am very satisfied with this product and will definitely purchase again." —KyBlueFire

Get six stamps from Amazon for $4.99 (also available in multipacks).

You do have to dampen the fabric first, but that takes all of two seconds.

Celsious is a Black-owned, woman-owned small business based in Brooklyn that specializes in effective laundry products!

Get it from Celsious for $8.

Here's why BuzzFeed editor Emma Lord loves this stuff:

"FWIW re: scars, this stuff really works. I had thyroid surgery a few years ago and Bio-Oil took me from looking like I'd stumbled out of the Red Wedding to virtually no detectable scar within a few months. All I did was apply it once in the morning and once at night."

Promising review: "I bought this for my scars but because of the current COVID-19 crisis I have been washing my hands so much that they are painfully dry. Hand cream hasn't helped enough so I decided to use the Bio-Oil on them and even after the first application they felt SO much better! I'm glad I bought the big bottle!" —L. Strand

Get it from Amazon for $10.14+ (available in two sizes).

Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Promising review: . I ordered the Wet & Forget spray and really coated the shower walls and floor pan and walked away. I CANNOT begin to tell you how happy I was to rinse down the walls sometime later and watch all that crud roll right down the drain!! This is the best product I have ever used in my life!! Promising review: This is literally the first winter ever that my lips are perfect. This is the best product I've ever used! Promising review: I wasn't expecting this product to work so well. Promising review I used this the first time and voilà! Perfectly clean flatware for the first time. Promising review: Never using traditional home dye again. It was so easy From bleached blonde to pastel pink in less than 10 minutes total. Results were even better than expected. one to two drops for each glass of white wine, two to three for a glass of red, and seven to nine if you're treating the whole bottle at once Promising review: really sensitive to wine in my 30s and through a lot of trial and painful error, I thought I might have to give up on wine altogether. this helps tremendously so that I can have a glass with dinner without a headache immediately settling in. Promising review: This honey has a great chili FLAVOR to it, in addition to the heat, but it doesn't overwhelm the flavor of the honey at all. Promising review: One lasted my entire shower and still smelled amazing even after I was done. These are the best shower steamers hands-down. Promising review: Like a scene from an infomercial, I spilled coffee all over my white shirt. All of the coffee blobs went away and once the awkward wet splotches dried up, my shirt was perfectly white again I've been struggling to find the right sauce to take my home-cooked dishes to the next level, and let me tell you, this is it! Promising review: I was surprised at how easily it picks up dust and small debris, especially from inside of vents and cup holders. Promising review: The whitening capabilities were also great, and I know this because my teeth were stained before but now they are not. Promising review: It is super easy and just as quick as making a cup of coffee. Promising review: I put one of these spikes in each plant and they all looked so much healthier and happier after just a couple of days. Promising review: He took to it right away and his nails have shown significant improvement in just a few sessions! Promising review I don't even need to use it every shower because of how clean it makes my hair. It lathers so easily and the quality of the bar makes it last a while. I also haven't used conditioner because it makes my hair so soft as well! Promising review: I don't think I’ve ever seen value like I do this product! Literally use it on EVERYTHING!! I could name a million more uses, but I can ASSURE you this is worth every penny. Thank you, TikTok! Promising review: These did exactly what they said they would. Overnight it nearly disappeared! Promising review: The thing I was most impressed by though was that the dark spots on our carpet were completely gone and this was without having to do any scrubbing! I literally sprayed the carpet the night before and I woke up to a cleaner like new carpet the next morning! Promising review: Promising review: I bought Affresh, ran the dishwasher with two tablets while it was empty, and the difference was astounding. No more film on the glasses, no more dirty dishes from clogged sprayers, no more odors, or build up around the door seals. Promising review: My clothes always come out smelling fresh and clean! What a miracle, money-saving product. Promising review: I'm down to once every few days now and my nails are much stronger after the past two months. Promising review: Promising review: Promising review: I simply sprayed it on, shut the door overnight, and wiped it off with paper towels. Promising review: It works fast with pretty minimal elbow grease. And it smells great! Promising review: my hair has never been so sleek, and NOT weighed down, and the hair cuticles are together, and not frizzy. this is the best one I've ever tried. For my hair length/thickness, I could get about five treatments from this size of a bottle Promising review: Promising review That blackberry note is AMAZING — tiny bit of cacao/rich chocolate on the finish. Promising review: It does everything it claims to do. I had thyroid surgery a few years ago virtually no detectable scar within a few months Promising review: Hand cream hasn't helped enough so I decided to use the Bio-Oil on them and even after the first application they felt SO much better!
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