28 Ways To Save Time On Annoying Tasks So You Can Focus On More Important Things

Apr 11, 2024

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.

It's like getting a time refund to spend on activities you actually enjoy.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "My 2-year-old has super curly hair and it’s kinda on the thin side…before we started using this product it would get knotted a lot. But then we started using this after bath time and have seen such a great improvement! Her hair is soft, smells amazing, and her curls are so much softer and way less frizzy!" —Katelyn Donohue

Get it from Amazon for $8.19.

Promising review: "I purchased this brush three weeks ago and have used it every day. I like the brush so much I ordered three more for my adult daughters. Not only is the brush gentle on my gray hair, but it also feels like I am giving myself a head massage. Also, I appreciate the wide hand base design. I have rheumatoid arthritis and it is not always easy to grip an ordinary hairbrush. Plus, the brush is easy to clean. It truly glides through my wet hair." —ANS

Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in seven colors and packs of two).

Promising review: "I wasn't impressed at first. This doesn't take the place of cleaning the bowl manually, but it does cut down on how often you need to clean your bowl. I had old stains from the previous tenants inside my bowl, but after about four weeks the stains have disappeared. Love this product!" —Dorine Buse

Get a pack of four from Amazon for $11.99.

Plus, all the water collects at the bottom so there's no mess and no need for paper towels.

Promising review: "I've been a vegan for 13 years and I can't believe I went this long without a tofu press. So much more enjoyable cooking with tofu after pressing it. This press is different than all the rest as it has a tray that catches all the water. You can put the whole thing in the fridge and it's hassle free. Take it out the next day and drain the liquid and you're good to go. The other presses require a plate underneath and some require tightening and adjustments as it presses. I'll admit after reading some of the reviews here of users with broken Tofuture presses I was hesitant to order but I've just been careful with mine and haven't had any problems so far." —Conner

Get it from Amazon for $21.95.

I hate wrinkles *and* am lazy — two at-odds conditions. This stuff has been a staple in my life since approximately ninth grade (thanks to my mama). As a former Catholic school uniform wearer, this stuff was VITAL to freshening up wrinkly dress shirts that spent the after-school hours stuffed in a gym bag. The scent is light and fresh and its wrinkle-releasing powers are nearly instant. It definitely works better on some fabrics than others (great on cotton, less great on some synthetics), but it'll improve the look of most without dealing with an iron or steamer.

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $15.94.

Drillbrush is a small business founded by a car wash owner, Anthony LaPolla, who had carpal tunnel and needed a way to clean rims without the strain of hand scrubbing. Tony started selling the design in 2007 and has since expanded the product line to include varying stiffnesses to handle all sorts of cleaning tasks.

The set includes three brush head attachments: a flat 2-inch detail brush, a flat 4-inch brush for large surfaces, and a rounded brush for corners.

Promising review: "I let my tub get extra dirty on purpose because I knew this brush set was coming. In five minutes my tub was sparkling clean. This item is no joke. The flat brushes are awesome for big surfaces and the cone brush hits the hard to reach corners. I liked them so much I bought a set for my mom." —Jason B.

Get it from Amazon for $18.95 (available in various brush stiffnesses).

Just presoak your feet, apply the gel, let sit for 5–10 minutes, and rinse! It's recommended you go back in afterward with a foot file just to make sure no residue or dead skin is left behind.

Promising review: "I have the driest heels and this is the ONLY product that has ever worked. Before I used this my heels had some pretty deep cracks and now they're almost baby soft again. BUT please follow the directions...left it on my super-dry thick-callused heels for only three minutes and the calluses were literally melting off! Wonderful product! So glad I don't have to go soak my feet in those tubs at the nail salon anymore." —Kiki

Get it from Amazon for $15.99.

Promising review: "This was easy to use. Just pop in and let the system do the work. No downtime, no waiting. Simple and easy to use. I did notice a difference after the first use. Highly recommend it." —vetrie

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $9.95.

Promising review: "I love love love this shaver. It works great. Easy to use. Its design is a comfortable fit in my hand. The side grips allow no slipping. The more I use it the smoother my legs are. I have course hair and trouble with razor burn and ingrown hairs. Thus unit feels like an exfoliant treatment each time I use it. Really great. No irritation. I highly recommend it." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $39.90.

Promising review: "We LOVE this! It works so much better than our four other Roombas. It always returns to its home base to charge. It rarely gets stuck on anything. It’s very convenient. Our robot mop is so finicky and never wants to start. This product is so nice! We add water about once a day." —Ali Bruder

Get it from Amazon for $159.99 (clip the $70 coupon at checkout to get this price; available in two colors).

Promising review: "These are THE BEST. They collect so much dirt and dust from my tote bag and keep everything clean. Super small and easy to clean as well!!" —SueMagoo29

Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (available in three colors).

Promising review: "Makes life so much easier. I can't imagine chopping onions or bell peppers by hand anymore, and it does so much more. We used to have a Prepworks chopper which was a similar idea, but you had to press so hard to chop, and it broke after not too long. This one requires very little effort to cut through the food and it has a generous container." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in two sizes and three colors).

Promising review: "I have very thick, wavy hair. I can never blow out my hair because it's too hard to hold the round brush and hair dryer in the right spots. THIS!! It is everything all in one and the oval shape makes it so easy to use. It gets really hot. It is a little loud on high, but I've found if my hair is already a little dry then I can just use it on low. I used a blow-dry primer spray to accelerate the drying time and protect my hair. I'm in love! The flat iron always flattens my hair and makes it look dry. This straightens and retains the volume and gives it a soft, nondamaged look." —SAHM2011

Get it from Amazon for $49.94.

Some reviewers with 4a–c curls like the barrel brush, but if you're looking for something to blow out tighter curls or coils considering checking out the Revlon one-step paddle brush, which is designed with curlier hair in mind!

Promising review: "As whitening pens, these work perfectly! And for the cost, I personally think it's a good deal. I could tell a legitimate difference by the third or fourth day of using them. Super easy to use, convenient, and the whitening gel comes out really evenly for me (that was a problem for me with other brands). I've also had really bad pain sensitivity with Crest pens and a couple of others. But I didn't experience any pain with VieBeauti's. I'll definitely keep buying these for my at-home whitening treatments."—Blake

Get a three-pack from Amazon for $16.99 (clip the $3 off coupon for this price).

This bundle includes one spray bottle and three refills.

Promising review: “The first place I tried this was in my air fryer basket. It gets caked with the grease that comes from the food. The dishwasher doesn't get it clean. I sprayed this on it and within a few minutes, the soap started turning a brownish color. I sprayed a little more and let it sit for an hour. All of the grease came off with a rinse!! Bonus use: I just used it to get resin off of mine and my daughter's hands!! How did I ever live without this??" —A D

Get it from Amazon for $16.63.

ChomChom Roller is a Massachusetts-based small biz creating an eco-friendly, reusable alternative to sticky lint rollers.

Promising reviews: "This is the best thing I have bought on Amazon to date. I have always tried to lint roll comforters and furniture when guests come and/or stay. Finding this gadget has made that task SO much easier and productive! Put this guy in your cart. Yep." —Kelsey Funk

Get it from Amazon for $24.99.

Promising review: "Changed my life. Helps remind me of what we’re missing in the house and helps keep me on track while shopping and restocking the house." —Jasmine Miranda-Ferrari

Get a 60-sheet pad from Amazon for $10.50+ (available in four colors).

Promising review: "I have been having shower draining issues, so there was a buildup of soap scum in my shower. I have a very weak stomach and cleaning the shower makes me physically ill. I have tried several products that have claimed to be no scrub/wipe but this has been the only one that has worked. I sprayed it after my shower and left it to sit until the next night. Found that A LOT of the grime had disappeared. Now, was it perfect? No. But I think with consistent use it will get there. Highly recommend this product." —KZ

Get it from Amazon for $20.98+ (available in two scents and refill packs).

Grampa's Weeder is a family-owned, small business that's home to a standing weeder design that's been around since 1913.

Made with a bamboo handle and powder-coated steel, it uses a simple lever system to made weeding easy.

Promising review: "Oh my god, I friggin' love this tool. I bought this on a whim given we bought our first house and know nothing about caring for a yard. Boy has it come in handy. Our new house had a ton of weeds in the front yard and this tool helped me get most of them out in no time. In fact, the process of yanking out the weeds was strangely satisfying! I don't think anyone can say that weeding is fun but this tool made it as close to fun as you can get, especially when you see a long root along with the weed you pulled." —JG

Get it from Amazon for $39.99.

Promising review: "Wow. Game changer. I have to change my shower curtain liner a lot because of a humid bathroom (yes, even with a fan on 😬). Though there are greater issues in the world, why wouldn’t you want to save yourself some time with these hooks! Not having to take the curtain off each time I change the liner has really been more satisfying than I had anticipated. Added bonus are the rings themselves; the balls that were added hug the shower curtain rod so they never pop off. Something I never knew I needed either. Love these!" —Jdbouchart

Get 12 hooks from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in eight colors).

The set comes with two double-ended pens. Each pen has one side with the wing stamp, and the other with a traditional liquid eyeliner tip.

Promising review: "Honestly, I wish I had thought of this. A stamp for the right eye and left eye on the end of liquid eyeliner pencil with a liner on the other side of each pencil. I always mess up the wing but these are perfect! Much more subtle from the front but just what I love." —Mona G

Get it from Amazon for $14.98+ (available in three sizes and in a two-pack).

Promising review: "This product is great. My puppy is a digger and we have red clay–type dirt. It gets her paws clean fast and easily. So much better than having to get a bath every time she digs." —Mandi Bultman

Get it from Amazon for $15.08+ (available in six colors and three sizes).

Wad-Free is a small biz that was launched during the pandemic by Cyndi Bray, who learned CAD (computer-aided design) to create the pads.

Promising review: "Wow!!! You wonder if things like this really work and well, I can absolutely confirm it does! First, I was impressed that the package came with two of the devices because I was only expecting one. So there was one for the fitted sheet, and the flat sheet. Finally, I tried it out and my sheets not only did NOT wad up, they came out of the dryer feeling fresher, feeling more dry, and unwrinkled! I will be buying a set of these for each of my immediate family members and close friends! What a great gift!!!" —katy

Get it from Amazon for $19.99.

Promising review: "I'm a nursing student and have to wear my hair in a bun every day. I've tried all the bun makers, watched YouTube videos, and spend way too much time on getting my hair into a bun. I was able to make a pretty bun that was secure in under 30 seconds. I thought it was a fluke so I did it again, and then again. I just ordered two more packs because I know if I lose one of these, I'd have to tear the house down looking for it. I have hair to my mid back, and three of these worked perfectly for me. If I can get my hair in bun in under 30 seconds, trust me...anyone can." —Tina

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $6.89+ (also available in a three pack).

Click & Carry is a Los Angeles-based, woman-owned small biz founded by Kim Meckwood, who wanted a way to solve her own struggles lugging shopping bags. Since then, the Click & Carry has been utilized for a range of uses, from carrying paint cans to sports equipment.

Promising review: "I heard about this product from a friend and had been meaning to check it out. My only regret about this purchase is not getting it earlier! I used to dread going to the grocery store due to the hassle of struggling with all my bags and the multiple trips to and from the car. Now those days are a thing of the past because of this ESSENTIAL product. After realizing my newfound love of this product, I did some research and found all sorts of other uses for it such as using it to secure my purse to my shopping cart and hooking my dog leashes together to walk both dogs at the same time. I love this product and love gifting it to others as well!" —Lisa Gilroy

Get it from Amazon for $13.99+ (available in seven colors and a pack of two).

This is essentially a tape measure with sliding pins and a built-in leveler, which is perfect for anyone who can't keep track of a bunch of different tools (me).

Promising review: "For some reason I’ve always had trouble hanging pictures on the wall. ESPECIALLY pictures with two hangers. A typical picture hanging session used to look like this: measure, measure again, mark the wall, measure again, measure yet again, drill holes in wall, hang picture, step back and look at my CROOKED picture. Repeat. I have no clue why or how my pictures ended up crooked after measuring and leveling so many times. It was quite frustrating and left my wall with lots of extra holes. Well, this tool changed ALL that! It makes it so easy to hang pictures...STRAIGHT...the FIRST time! A chore that used to take 30 minutes now only takes five. Would be a perfect gift for new homeowners." —MommyRN

Get it from Amazon for $11.98.

Planning meals and going to the grocery store is the actual bane of my existence. The fact that EveryPlate sends me everything I need at a very affordable price is such a weight lifted off my shoulders! I've been using EveryPlate pretty regularly for over two years and there has never been a recipe I (a novice chef, at best) couldn't handle. And lately, it's been a really easy way to eat more creative meat-free meals, because of their increasing (and delicious) vegetarian options.

Subscribe to EveryPlate for $7.49+/serving.

Promising review: "I am obsessed! I have an heirloom diamond set high in a solitaire band and it gets dirty quickly. This worked awesomely and cleaned my ring back to a sparkler in 30 seconds! It looks as good as it does when it gets cleaned at the jeweler! I love that it fits in my purse too! Recommending it to all my friends!" —Shyan

Get it from Amazon for $8.88 (also available in multipacks).

The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.