31. Non-Stick Pans

Best Place to Purchase: Walmart, Target, Amazon
Average Product Price: $15-$45*
Scientific American pointed out how easy to clean nonstick pans are. The special coating on the pans is (usually) polytetrafluoroethylene, which most of us know as “Teflon.” The Teflon-coating prevents food particles from bonding to the pan’s surface. Strong though Teflon is, it isn’t invincible.

Non-stick pan @Sukij Pompetch / Shutterstock
Metal utensils can erode the Teflon coating on non-stick pans. Metal tongs, spatulas, or whisks that you use to turn food, stir, or blend erode the coating one use at a time, which leads the product breaking down faster. The best place to buy nonstick pans, assuming that you’re not willing to spend hundreds, is Walmart or local grocery stores.

32. Vacuum Attachments

Best Place to Purchase: Home Depot, Lowe’s
Average Product Price: $50-$1,000 (depending on model)*
Vacuums are lifesavers. Unless you’ve done something really bad to your carpet, they are usually able to suck up anything. Most vacuums, whether they’re from Lowe’s, Target, Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, or a local store, come with attachments such as a crevice tool, dusting brush, extension wand, upholstery tool, and many more.

VACUUM ATTACHMENTS @Great Vacs / YouTube.com
Use these. Your vacuum isn’t designed to pick up crumbs from crevices. Putting these attachments back in the box is a waste of money. The crevice tool especially is irreplaceable, as you’re more likely to damage your wall and/or furniture if you try to squeeze the vacuum where it won’t fit.

33. Garlic Press

Best Place to Purchase: Local grocery store, department stores
Average Product Price: $5-$45*
Garlic presses are essential to a flavorful meal. People who want to press their own garlic can go to any high end store like Williams-Sonoma or a regular grocer like Kroger’s to buy this handy utensil. However, the problem isn’t with the purchase—it’s with the cleaning.

©Adobe Stock
Don’t put your garlic press in the dishwasher, convenient though that may seem. Before you use the press, mist it with cooking spray. After use, use a toothbrush to remove any leftover garlic. Pole a toothpick through the holes to ensure all residue is gone. After, wash it by hand in warm water and gently dry.

34. Iron

Best Place to Purchase: Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Lowe’s
Average Product Price: $40-$80*
This obviously only applies to people who don’t own dry irons. If you fill your iron’s water tank, make sure it is empty before you put it away. This is particularly important if you store the iron on its soleplate. Don’t assume that the water will dissipate on its own.

©Adobe Stock
Leaving leftover water in your iron will cause damage to its internal parts. The water may also leak through, causing discoloration to the soleplate. This is true whether you have a $2,000 iron from Williams-Sonoma or a $9.97 Black + Decker iron from Walmart. Emptying out the water is a must-do.

35. Toaster Oven

Best Place to Purchase: Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart
Average Product Price: $40-$300*
Residential fires (fires at your home) are the leading type of property for deaths from fire, according to the USFA. 75% of all fire deaths happen in your home. In 2018, there were 1.32 million fires that led to 3,655 deaths, 15,200 injuries, and $25.6 billion in property damage.

©Andrew “Donovan” Valdivia/Unsplash
As the old saying goes, a pound of prevention is worth more than an ounce of cure. Unplug appliances such as your toaster oven (no matter whether it’s expensive or a cheap one from Home Depot) after you’re done using it. Edgar Snyder, a personal injury law firm, actually listed toaster ovens as one of the five “most dangerous appliances” in the home.

36. Conditioner

Best Place to Purchase: Local salon, drugstores
Average Product Price: $8.38*
L’oreal Paris filled us in on the proper way to use conditioner—as well as common mistakes that people make with theirs. No matter what brand you buy from ULTA, Target, Sephora, or local drugstores, conditioner and shampoo are supposed to be fundamentally different.

Conditioner ©New Africa / Shutterstock
L’oreal stated that you should only apply conditioner where you need it—the ends to the mid-lengths. This is the driest part of your hair. Apply conditioner to the ends first, working up to the mid-lengths. Stop there, as applying conditioner to your roots can cause your hair to appear greasy and weighed-down.  

37. Coffee Maker

Best Place to Purchase: Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s
Average Product Price: $20-$50*
Like the kitchen sponge, your coffeemaker is one of the most-used appliances in your home, yet it may not be receiving the attention it deserves. It doesn’t matter whether you have a $600 Vertuo espresso machine from Nespresso or a $9.88 Mainstays coffee maker from Walmart, clean your coffee machine!

COFFEE MAKER @HomeHandyHints / YouTube.com
If you don’t clean it regularly, it might grow yeast, mold, and bacteria. As that accumulates, it becomes more and more potentially harmful to your health. If you have pre-existing respiratory or immune system issues, then you are at a heightened risk for contracting some pretty nasty diseases from dirty kitchenware.

38. Greek Yogurt Containers

Best Place to Purchase: Local grocery stores, Target
Average Product Price: $1.05*
Greek yogurt is a delicious snack for when you’re on-the-go and want something filling. Chobani has come up with a flip-flavor cup that lets you mix in the toppings with the yogurt. When you eat your Greek yogurt, you don’t have to dig out the toppings with the spoon—the flip cup lid is meant to flip the toppings into the yogurt.

Greek Yogurt Containers @FAGEUSA / Twitter.com
Cooking Light pointed out that Chobani, which you can buy from any Target or local grocery store, has 210 calories and 22 grams of sugar. This makes it a sweet treat for dessert that is better than ice cream (but still satisfies a sugar craving).

39. Extension Cords

Best Place to Purchase: Dollar stores, Walmart, Amazon
Average Product Price: $1.50/foot*
Few things are more annoying than getting your appliance set up, extension cord and all, only to go to turn it on and find that the extension cord came unplugged. Then, you have to go all the way back and re-plug it in. YouTubers found a simple tip for keeping extension cords connected (thanks, Bunnings Warehouse).

Extension Cords @Bunnings Warehouse / Youtube.com
Tie two extension cords together with an overhand knot to connect them. If one cord accidentally gets pulled, they will not come unplugged, thanks to the knot. This is perfect for your garden, home, or workshop (i.e., where you’re most likely to use extension cords).

40. Pipe Cleaners

Best Place to Purchase: Dollar stores, craft stores, Walmart, Amazon
Average Product Price: $4.99*
The answer’s in the name. We’ve all gotten so used to using pipe cleaners (AKA “chenille stems”) in brightly-colored arts and crafts projects that we’ve forgotten that you can really use them to clean pipes. Yes, those rainbow cleaners from Michaels or Jo-Ann Fabrics have a practical use.

©CHUTTERSNAP /Unsplash
The pipe cleaners can be used to clean any small tubular crevice. While craft cleaners are generally made with nylon pile or polyester, they can help you out in a pinch. For seriously clogged pipes that need a lot of heavy-duty work, consider heading to your local Home Depot or Lowe’s for more serious cleaners.