Maggie Horton is a shopping writer for PEOPLE who regularly covers buzzy kitchen products, newly released home finds, must-shop sales at furniture outlets, and more.
Writing about cleaning gadgets, from cordless vacuums to spin scrubbers, is part of my 9 to 5, but I'll be the first to admit that everyday chores are not exactly high on my list of favorite activities.
So, I go out of my way to invest in and recommend tools that actually make housework less of a hassle -- saving time, effort, and even money on professional cleaning services.
Streamline your cleaning routine with tools recommended by our testers, celebrities, and shopping writers (myself included) that have proved to be game-changers, such as a futuristic pool-cleaning robot and a $6 cleaning paste that easily removes "years-old stains." And yes, they're all available at Amazon.
Martha Stewart, a self-proclaimed "cleaning fanatic," once dubbed this wet-dry vacuum the "best new home appliance" she received. "The design is simple, the parts easy to clean, and anyone can use it," she wrote in a September 2024 Instagram post. "This is an unpaid recommendation because I love the machine," she continued, and added that the two-in-one tool "does it all."
By allowing users to vacuum and mop at the same time, this clever gadget can easily cut your floor-cleaning time in half, and its self-cleaning cycle eliminates the need to manually clean the vacuum's brush roll and water tank, too.
"It easily removed years-old stains from pots, leaving them looking refreshed and spotless," one shopper raved of this affordable yet powerful cleaning paste that's sold more than 40,000 times in the past month alone at Amazon. "It's easy to use, with no weird odor or smell, and provides impressive results."
Lugging out a heavy mop bucket -- and dealing with the dirty mop water after the job is done -- is far from a joyful activity. I ditched this antiquated and time-confusing floor-cleaning practice years ago in favor of the lightweight convenience of this Swiffer Sweeper and Mop, and haven't looked back since.
Thanks to its collapsible pole, it takes up minimal storage space and comes with disposable heavy-duty mopping pads pre-equipped with cleaning solution, saving time and making cleanup a breeze. Plus, it's safe to use on all floor types, including hardwood, tile, and laminate.
If you're a pool owner, you know how time-consuming and back-breaking maintenance can be. Take back your Sunday afternoons and summer evenings and invest in this robotic pool cleaner that will do the hard work for you.
We put it to the test in our backyards and found that it effortlessly scrubs pool walls, steps, and floors, conveniently trapping debris inside its easy-to-clean filter.
A favorite among TikTok's #CleanTok community, this Rubbermaid tool is the best electric scrubber kit we tried. We found that its rotating heads tackle tough scrubbing jobs -- like grout lines, stovetops, and shower walls -- without the elbow grease a traditional scrub brush requires. The kit comes with six different brush and scrubber pad attachments tailored to a variety of cleaning tasks.
Stanley Tucci's New Year's Resolution for 2025? To clean less. Although the actor is still holding space for his Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum, which he put to good use on New Year's Day, vacuuming nooks and crannies in his living room, kitchen, and laundry using the handheld crevice tool attachment.
What about this tool makes everyday cleaning easier? It has a cord-free design, a flexible handle that can bend to reach under furniture, an easy-to-empty dust cup, and offers up to 60 minutes of runtime on a single charge.
I haven't had a dishwasher in nearly three years, so I'm essentially an expert when it comes to handwashing dishes, and this dishwand is my most-used tool. Its ergonomic handle provides leverage for scrubbing pots, pans, and plates easily removing even cooked-on food while keeping my hands clean. Plus, it doubles as a dish soap dispenser saturating the sponge with soapy suds making quick work of washing a sink-full of dirty dishes.
Shopping writer Toni Sutton swears by this upholstery cleaner that lifted seven years' worth of stain, dirt, and debris from her sectional with virtually no scrubbing required. She noted that it's a huge time and energy saver when it comes to deep cleaning carpet and rugs too particularly for spot cleaning the occasional spill and pet-related messes.