As a homeowner for over a decade now, I’m constantly on the lookout for items that make my life a bit easier (especially with three boys running around!). There’s no doubt that having good-quality larger tools (like vacuums, mops, etc) make cleaning far quicker than inferior versions.But it’s the small things that can sometimes make the biggest difference!
These are my go-to items under $25 discovered over the years
1). Chair Socks
As someone who has always had hardwood floors in their home I can definitively say these are one of my absolute favorite items that I’ve discovered. Over the years I have tried all the other alternatives and nothing beats these. They’re impressively stretchy to fit over just about any chair leg, they don’t fall off, they protect my floors from scratches and – my favorite part – they’re machine washable when they get dirty!
Plus, they’re pretty inexpensive! You can get a set of 32 for about $17 on Amazon
2). Reusable Sponge
I honestly don’t know how I ever washed dishes before these amazing little sponges.
If you’re anything like me, your OCD kicks into overdrive when there’s clutter. One of the things I always despised was my collection of items needed to wash different types of dishes. Green scrubbers for stuck on messes, heavy duty sponges for non-stick pans and regular washcloths for everything else. Looking at all those things sitting on the edge of my sink drove me mad.
Until I found these amazing sponges! Super soft yet durable on one side and strong yet safe for use of any non-stick surface, these have seriously changed my dish washing game. Plus, they’re machine washable! I bought a set of five for around $12 two years ago and they still work just as good as the day I bought them!
3). Power Strips with USB Slots
Okay, so maybe I’m a bit behind the times when it comes to these, but up until a few months ago I genuinely didn’t know these existed! Before then it was a constant fight on who got toe charge their tablet (smartwatch, toy, etc) or where the plug adapter went. Cue me stumbling upon these while looking for a power strip with more outlets.
Now not only do I have a nice neat little charging station for all my children’s gadgets, I never have to search for lots adapters or wires ever again!
4). Litter Box with Built-in Sifter
Cleaning the litter box is par-for-the-course for any feline owner, and while we’re supposed to scoop it twice a day, let’s be honest here; most of us don’t. Compound that with multiple boxes for multiple cats and scooping can be a time consuming process.
I found this little gem at Walmart and this beautiful piece of plastic has saved me HOURS over the past months. It comes with two trays and the sifter pan. The intent is to put the sifter inside of one tray, lift it out, and then place the sifter inside the other pan then the clean litter. The whole process probably takes about 30 seconds. Now imagine being like me with three cats and five littler boxes. Thanks to this, I can clean all five in under five minutes!
I’m giving these out to all my cat owner friends for Christmas. You’re all welcome in advance.
5). Curved Shower Rod
All of us with a traditional rod have more than likely found ourselves fighting with a shower liner (and probably punching/kicking it away from us) at some point. Few things are more irritating than having a piece of plastic adhered to you while you’re attempting to wash shampoo out of your hair and there’s soap running into your eyes.
Which is why I’m beyond grateful for the curved shower curtain. I was always under the impression that they were difficult to install, however it only took two screws on each side and about ten minutes of effort. Now, there’s no more needy shower liner to fight during a shower!
If you have a particularly small bathroom consider buying the one with a towel bar as well!
