These 40 cheap products do so many different cool things

I live in a small space where every storage spot is prime real estate, so I am constantly evaluating my stuff for how helpful it is. If a kitchen gadget is big and does only one thing, it’s right out. If there is a corner or wall that could be put to better use, I make a project of turning it into display storage. But it gets really fun when I discover that something I like (and don’t want to part with) can be put to better use — or, even better — several uses. This has become such a pattern that I am constantly on the lookout for cheap products that do so many different things. The ones here are cheap, conquer many tasks, and turn wasted space into useful space. I’m super excited about all of them.

This bar mat, for example, can turn any piece of furniture — or even the corner of a counter — into a slick cocktail bar. And this low-profile matte black magnetic shelf sticks to the fridge so I can keep spices handy without cluttering up the place. And I am so thrilled to be able to keep nine bottles of wine cold in the fridge and still have room for food because of this clever wine rack.

I know you’ll discover something here that’ll help improve the usefulness and aesthetic of your home, so get your credit card ready.

1. This putty repair kit for damaged wood & floors

You don’t have to live with deep scratches in the floor, furniture dings that happened when you moved, or cabinets that’ve seen better days. With a little artistic effort, you can repair all of that with this combination of putty wood filler and paints that match wood colors. The color chart and instructions on mixing will make recreating the wood grain for your repair fun.

2. A silicone mat that holds hair products & protects counters

Where do you set a hot curling iron when you don’t want to burn the place down? This inexpensive silicone mat that doubles as a travel pouch is the perfect spot. You can set the iron down while using it (with no damage to your counters) — and when you want to travel, pack your iron into it and go. The bright colors make it easy to find in a bag, and it gets over 6,800 five-star reviews.

3. The genius clip-on lamp that also stands on its own

Amazon shoppers love this versatile lamp because they can clip it to the bed frame or a shelf, set it on the table, bring it outdoors, or use it on a desk and point the light where they want it with the bendable neck. It’s rechargeable, too, so you can take it where there is no power. And it has three brightness levels that are easy to switch — just tap the switch on the base to cycle through them, so it goes quickly from reading light to mood lighting.

4. A cast-iron grill press that doubles as a panini press

If you are in search of better bacon, steak, or burgers, this heavy, wood handled, cast-iron grill press is the answer. Just set it on top of the meat your are cooking and it will apply pressure and trap heat so it cooks more evenly. The wooden handle makes it easy to use without getting burned and the high-quality pre-seasoned cast iron will become a much-loved tool in your kitchen, especially since it doubles as a panini press.

5. This cup holder that attaches to a bike or stroller

If you run on a treadmill, push a stroller, ride a bike, or are heading out to mow the lawn, this cup holder will let you keep a nice, cold beverage with you as you go. The clamp grabs the handlebar, the swivel lets you set the cup upright — no matter the direction of the bar — and the cup holder fits everything from baby bottles to beer cans.

6. An in-sink storage spot for the sponge & dishcloths

Adhere this sponge rack to the interior of your sink and you will always have a place to set that wet sponge and a dishcloth, where they can drip dry and be ready for use next time you are washing up. A strong adhesive holds two hooks to the sink and the basket clips to those so that it is easy to snap the basket off for cleaning.

7. A selfie light that for your phone or laptop

If you take photos with your phone or sit in front of a computer for meetings, this clip-on ring light will throw the perfect amount of light on you or your subject and none on the background so your photos really pop. Just clip it onto your laptop or phone and adjust the light to the level you like; there are three. Reviewers love what it does for photos and that it’s USB-rechargeable.

8. The headband that you can wear different ways

Who knew that a simple piece of pretty, stretchy fabric of just the right size could be so useful? It’s a hair band, a hair tie, a headband, a mask, a neck gaiter, and whatever else you want it to be. Reviewers say they wear them all the time so they are never without a face mask or a way to contain their hair and they look super cute however they wear them.

9. This dish-drying rack that unrolls over the sink

If you’re short on counter space, you will love that this dish-drying rack rolls up to store in a drawer when you aren’t using it. Just pull it out if you are washing vegetables, pans, or dishes that can’t go in the dishwasher. It’s also a handy place to put hot pans — since it’s made of stainless steel — and is a great stand-in for a cooling rack when you bake.

10. These happy-face sponges that change texture

These happy-face sponges are hard workers in the kitchen. When the water is hot, they are soft and squishy — perfect for washing fragile dishes or glasses. Turn the water cold, though, and they firm up so you can use them for scrubbing pans and caked on food. Reviewers love them and call them “life changing,” which is high praise for a sponge. There are three cheerful, odor-resistant sponges in this package.

11. A mat that looks great & turns any surface into a bar

Set this clever and attractive bar mat down on a counter to soften the blow to glasses or use it on a piece of furniture so you don’t drip on the wood when mixing drinks. You could even put it under the coffee maker to keep messes on the counter to a minimum. It grips the counter, raises glasses or appliances up off the surface, cushions, and captures spills. Just rinse it to wash it and put it right back to work.

12. This set of baking tools you need even if you don’t bake

This is the set of tools you don’t know you need until you start baking and realize they are useful for everything you do in the kitchen. The two board scrapers — stainless steel for precision and plastic for delicate surfaces — make precise cuts in dough and scrape surfaces clean, but they’re also terrific at carting chopped foods around the kitchen. Plus, the rounded edge scraper lifts everything out of bowls.

13. A small hammer with screwdrivers in the handle

Keep this handy tool at your desk or in a kitchen drawer so you don’t have to haul out the tool box just to make small fixes around the house. In the space of a pen or kitchen knife, it has a small hammer, a Phillips screwdriver, and three slotted screwdrivers. They all screw together, are made of stainless steel, and are great for fixing or working on small projects.

14. These convenient shelves that stick to the wall

These shelves stick to the wall and hold everything from your phone to cosmetics to baby supplies (or whatever you want to organize). There are three shelves that range in size from 11 inches wide to 5 inches wide to hold a lot of small items in what’s otherwise wasted space (aka the wall). If your walls aren’t smooth and solid enough for the adhesive, they also come with screws.

15. A set of self-adhesive wall hooks to create order anywhere

Hang your bag at the entry, create a display out of your hats, or create order in your shower with this ten pack of hooks that stick anywhere. They are easy to hang — just peel and stick — and have a clean look and low profile so you can put them in the office, bathroom, kitchen, entryway, or car.

16. This hook for the dash that reigns in car chaos

Keep the things you want within reach off of the passenger seat and where you’ll always be able to find them by sticking this hook to a handy spot on the dashboard. Peel and stick it on a convenient place and hang your mask, keys, sunglasses, or charging cables to it. It’s also handy on the side of your desk, in a closet, or anywhere you want to keep something small within easy reach.

17. The big basket that wrangles anything

A quick way to clean up a messy bedroom, children’s room, living room, or bathroom is to put this basket in there to hold all the toys, pillows, clothes, or whatever accumulates and toss everything into is as you walk through the room. It’s fun, fast, and inexpensive. This extra large basket — which spans 21 inches across — is woven from cotton rope, has two integrated handles for easy carting, and comes in seven color options.

18. This spackle that comes with all the tools you need

This spackle in a toolkit is the only thing you need to clean up holes in walls when you are moving or redecorating. Just squeeze the putty into the hole, flip the container around to smooth it, put the lid back on, wait for your spackle to dry, and use the container’s built-in sander to polish it off. Over 12,000 people give this five stars because it is so easy and convenient.

19. A magnetic shelf system you can stick right to fridge

Stick this slick shelf to the side of your fridge and create an instant spice rack—or kitchen storage—with a built-in paper-towel dispenser. Super strong magnets keep it in place and the shelves are less than four inches deep so it won’t get in the way, even in a small kitchen. People love how it keeps the counters clean while keeping lots of items within handy reach.

20. This versatile whisk made for biscuits, scones & more

This weird-looking kitchen tool has a cult following because it makes fast work of whipping up no-knead bread dough, mixes scones super fast, and is much better than a spoon for mixing biscuits. Reviewers have written that it’s so much faster and easier on the hands and wrist than any manual tool.

21. A scoop colander that makes draining easy

Tipping an entire pot over to drain really requires three hands — not two. Instead, use this scoop colander that allows you to spoon out pasta, fried foods, and vegetables without a lot of mess. Made from toughened nylon, it’s dishwasher-safe and heat-resistant up to 392 degrees Fahrenheit.

22. The wine rack that fits in the fridge (or anywhere, really)

Keep nine bottles of white chilled in the fridge, clean up the water bottle storage in your cupboards, create a wine cellar in a bookcase, or just use it for soda bottles. This wine rack is slick and versatile, creates order in the kitchen or pantry, and gets 2,200 five star reviews from people who say it fits into cabinets other wine and bottle holders would not.

23. A strong epoxy that makes broken things solid again

When you break a dish or the tile falls off your counter, you need a reliable, clear-drying glue to make fix it and this high-strength epoxy is the one that will do the job when others wimp out. It sets quickly, is clear when it’s dry, has a thick consistency that’s easy to work with, and has a very high holding strength for situations where the fixed item will get used or asked to hold something with weight.

24. The set of drawer dividers you can customize

If tiny containers aren’t what your drawers need, these four beautiful, water resistant expandable bamboo drawer dividers let you create roomy drawer spaces that work for your utensils, underwear, or office supplies. They’re spring-loaded with rubber bumpers on each end, so you just insert them and let pressure hold them in place. Place them vertically or horizontally or, if your drawers are deep, stack them.

25. This caddy that moves appliances on the counter

If you have low cabinets that make it hard to pour water into the coffee maker (or ingredients into the mixer or air fryer that sit under them), set an appliance on this caddy and slide it forward with a light touch, fill it, and push it right back under the cabinets. Reviewers love it, saying it makes coffee brewing and other kitchen tasks so much easier.

26. These shelves that double as drawers

Need some storage on your bedside table? How about a place to set your keys and wallet when you walk in the door? These shelves with drawers are genius for all of that. Hang them on the wall, set them down, stack them, arrange them into artful wall displays. One has a large drawer, the other has two smaller ones, they come with hanging hardware, and there are three color options.

27. A pair of shelves that create quick storage anywhere

Stick these two shelves to the wall to create a place for wipes, a charging station, a speaker, small objects, or whatever you need. They use 3M double-sided tape to grip any wall surface and are just the right size for the small items you reach for often. Many reviewers love how they make the bathroom more organized and convenient.

28. This broom holder that can hold other cleaning supplies

That mess of mops and brooms that falls out of the closet when you open the door can be quickly transformed into an easy-access display with this solid, stainless steel organizer that sticks to any surface and holds three handled tools as well as four items that can hang from hooks. It’s great for garden tools, too, since it’s weatherproof.

29. A multi-use knife that cuts all the cheese

This knife is designed so that when you cut cheese of any kind, it slides easily through it and does not allow cheese stick to the side of the blade. Those holes break the cheese’s grip on the blade so the slices fall away. The serrated edge makes quick work of hard cheeses and clean lines on soft ones. And the entire principle applies equally to fruit.

30. These genius storage bags for the cargo area of your car

These mesh storage bags stick — using a hooks and loop closure — to the fiber covering in your trunk or behind the seat back to create storage bags for the sundries you like to keep handy in the car (and that are now just flying around back there). They’re big enough to hold your battery charger, some cleaning supplies, an umbrella, and your road emergency kit — and they pull right off if you have to put the seat down.

31. This collapsible water bottle for sipping on the go

With this collapsible water bottle, I can go anywhere and get a smoothie or a drink from the soda dispenser without using anything disposable. It’s super lightweight and folds down small so I can always have it on hand to pop open and fill. It holds 17 ounces, comes with a carabiner, is tiny enough to clip to a backpack or toss in a bag. It also comes in four colors.

32. A collapsible basin that’s so easy to store

If you like to fill a basin of soapy water to soak the dishes but have no place under the sink to store one, this collapsible basin is the solution. It folds down flat and slides easily into cupboard  — but expand it and it’ll hold lots of water for dishes or make washing greens easy. Over 3,700 people love it and are using it for everything from hand-washing laundry to camping to dishes.

33. The food storage containers that take up almost no space

This set of food-storage containers will free up miles of cupboards in your kitchen because they let you store leftovers safely, have a snap-close lid, and can go in the microwave. But, when empty, they collapse down super small. People are also using them for camping and for replacing restaurant takeout containers, and they make a great lunch box because they port home easily.

34. A laptop tray that’s perfect for working from bed

If you enjoy working from bed or the couch, you probably know things can get disorganized. But this laptop bed tray is designed to accommodate everything your work needs in this situation. From the angled spot for your laptop — so you don’t hunch over it — to the flat space for your mouse and coffee, it has everything. There’s even a drawer where you can keep pens, notepaper, and treats for you and the cat.

35. These absorbent dishcloths that work like sponges

The size and usage of a dishcloth seems to have conjoined with the absorbency and texture of a sponge in these Swedish sponge cloths. And you know what? It works. Reviewers have written that they’re super absorbent and ring out completely dry. They’re also durable and have gotten over 17,000 five-star reviews.

36. This multi-use moisturizer with rose petals in the bottle

This luscious blend of apricot oil, sweet almond oil, and Vitamin E is a nourishing moisturizer that strengthens and nourishes hair, skin, and nails while smelling like roses. Rose petals swim in the mixture imbuing it with their restorative qualities and looking beautiful. Just apply a few drops your hair’s split ends, dry skin, or nails to rejuvenate and moisturize.

37. The bamboo makeup remover pads that are so soft

If you’ve been using wipes or disposable cotton rounds in your skin care routine, these bamboo pads are a serious upgrade. The texture is amazing, they are super absorbent, and they can go right in the washer and dryer — in the woven bag they come in — and get right back to work indefinitely. In other words, there’s no waste or need to keep purchasing.

38. A supply of storage bags so you never need plastic

These reusable storage bags are so much better than single-use plastic — and not only because plastic is destroying the ocean. They each boast a solid closure, a substantial feel, and strength that can go into the freezer or your travel bag. There are three sizes, from the nine small snack bags to the nine sandwich bags — up to the 4-gallon freezer bags.

39. This bee’s wax wrap that replaces disposable plastic wrap

Using this delightful bee’s wax-infused cloth for wrapping leftovers or lunches is an easy choice. Aside from bee’s wax, they’re made with a combination of cotton, jojoba oil, and tree resin. Just press your hand to the wrap to warm the wax and seal it, then fold it up to store it.

40. These reusable straws that collapse down for storage

If you’re in need of a reusable straw to use on the go, attach one of these to your keychain bag. Unscrew the storage tube, telescope the stainless steel straw to full size (with the silicone tip so it feels nice against your teeth), pull out the telescoping cleaning brush, and drink. It cleans up easily and goes right back in the storage tube when you are done.