34 Problem-Solving Products Just Perfect For Anyone Living Alone

Buzz Feed

07-02-2025

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
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Including a sturdy beverage caddy for your couch to hold all three of your drinks you require while watching RHOSLC.
1. A double step stool with a safety lock and a weight limit of 330 pounds so you can reach stuff in the tippy-top of your kitchen cabinets without climbing on the counter. Trust me, you need one of these. (I live solo and use mine all the time in the kitchen, despite being 5-foot-9.)
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "I recently moved into my first solo apartment and I knew I needed a step ladder to reach things because your girl is 5'2. This ladder is very sturdy, and I love that it folds up easily so I can hide it in my storage room. Would definitely recommend." — kmill
Get it from Amazon for $36.99.
2. An organizing couch pillow with a sturdy spot for everything you require as you catch up on the Interview with the Vampire TV series, lest you forget your third beverage you need to watch as you thirst after Lestat.
www.amazon.com
Cup Cozy Pillow is a small biz as seen on TV specializing in cleverly designed cup holders.
Promising review: "I liked that it worked with cups and mugs, perfect for clumsy friends." — YAZ
"This thing is great! I'm home on maternity leave with my new baby and spend most of my time on the couch under a sleeping baby. This product makes it easy for me to keep my drinks, remote, etc close by even with crazy dogs running around. It's a little more expensive than I would have liked but it works and I love it so money well spent!" — Amber
Get it from Amazon for $22.99 (available in more colors).
3. A pair of blackout, noise-canceling, AND thermal insulating curtains to help solve a plethora of problems — even if you've brought them on yourself by staying up all night marathon-ing Interview with the Vampire series. Ya gotta watch! I'm telling ya!
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Truly life changing sound barrier curtains!!! They definitely help with the quality of sleep, quietness, and solace for me and my whole family. The sound isolation is incredible! There was so much noise pollution around with constant main road traffic, pool/deck construction, chainsaws next door, water main construction on the main road with giant trucks/bulldozers and jackhammers, several lawnmowers, outdoor concert noise, birds constantly chirping, weekly Brazilian parties. Especially with people coming out of the woodwork after the pandemic with the noisiest, most annoying things on the planet all at once. These curtains truly dampened ALL that noise to a distance or to completely nothing. Almost all of it gone. Our sleep at night has dramatically improved and deepened. Best in our lives and finally feeling fully rested." — Heather Lascano
Get two panels from Amazon for $59.09+ (available in 12 sizes and 16 colors).
4. A powerful dishwashing spray that, honestly, if you buy anything from this list, this should be it — especially if your old house *doesn't* include a dishwasher. You can spray down that casserole dish caked with enchilada sauce, let it sit, and you simply wipe and rinse away that saucy mess in a few minutes after you've conquered your meal. (Can you sense an enchilada theme here?)
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
I live in an apartment without a dishwasher, and I honestly use that as an excuse to order takeout food instead of cooking. But, as soon as I got my hands on a bottle of this stuff (regular Dawn is my go-to dish soap, BTW), I put it to use on both a saucepan I used to make homemade enchilada sauce *and* the casserole dish I baked those enchiladas, which had a ton of caked-on food. It really does work like I say it does! Like, scary well.
Get the starter pack from Amazon for $16.88.
5. A Shark Tank -featured Click & Carry Grocery Bag Carrier that'll help you take way fewer trips from the car to the house. It allows you to hook on your bags (up to 80 pounds!) and *comfortably* rest the carrier on your shoulder.
Click & Carry is a Shark Tank and QVC-featured small business that specializes in easy carry accessories.
Promising review: "TikTok made me buy it. This is great when you have a few bags and a box — for example, if you balance the bags, you can throw it over your shoulder and walk inside and have two free hands to carry the box, which is great. Product seems well built, and is comfortable on your shoulder or hand because of the padding." — Hung
Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in seven colors).
6. Or perhaps a stair-climbing trolly dolly because I don't know about you, but the only time I hate living solo in a walkable city is when I have to grocery shop and then carry said groceries up my stairs. (Ugh, I think I need this.) Even if you have just a few stairs at your home, this'll come in handy for trips from your car to inside the house post-shopping trip. It can carry up to 150 pounds and the wheels LITERALLY climb stairs. (As you can see here.)
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Check out a TikTok of the dolly trolley in action.
Promising review: "I was getting so tired of making several trips to my car to retrieve my groceries after each shopping trip. I saw this trolley on Amazon and decided to buy it. Best purchase ever. I now can bring all my groceries in with one trip to the ca r. I also love that its wheel design allows the trolley to climb my front steps, making it so easy for me. I have used it in the house to help me carry things upstairs, and the climbing feature makes it safe and easy." — m Robinson
Get it from Amazon for $75.68+ (available in three colors).
7. Self-heating soothing foot masks made with Epsom salts, lavender, and peppermint for those nights when you REAAAALLY want a foot massage but no one but your precious cat is around to help. Your kitty is busy making biscuits overtime. He knows the rent is due!
Check out a TikTok of the foot masks in action.
My colleague Emma Lord loves these: "I'm a long-ish distance runner and these were certainly an interesting experience for my feet! You slide them on and after a few minutes feel a tingling, mildly burning (in a good way) sensation. It doesn't quite numb your feet, but it relaxes them. I kept them on for 30 minutes and then toweled my feet off, and the tingling sensation slowly faded over the next 30 minutes. After that my feet felt very refreshed and relaxed at a time of day when they're usually aching from all the miles I put in. The whole thing was a mess-free, easy process, and I will definitely keep them on hand for longer run days!"
Promising review:"Very soothing. My husband and l used these on our European vacation and they definitely felt good on our feet!" — KS2018
Get a set of three pairs from Amazon for $10.47.
8. Plus, a flexible grabber that's made for people with limited mobility but can come in handy for everyone while trying to grab stuff that's JUST out of reach. Also, you can fold it for easier storage and its sensitive grip means you get a better feel of what you're grabbing.
Amazon
Promising review: "Bought the 2-pack. Wanted my mother to be able to reach rarely used items in the topmost cupboard without getting on a step stool if my sisters and I weren't available. I'm using the other one to pick up trash when out mudlarking. Sturdy and convenient that it folds up." — Kristen
Get it from Amazon for $23.95.
9. A rapid defrosting tray so you won't have to put off cooking because your meat is still frozen. You can't go back in time to put out your main dinner ingredient to thaw, but you CAN use this instead of using the excuse to order Domino's.
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I was a little concerned this was going to be one of those gifts that were hyped up but it's not. It's not going to thaw a huge chunk of meat in an hour but I have thawed a chunk of chicken in a few hours. The product itself isn't very thick which I like as it doesn't take up a lot of space for storage. It doesn't warm up, but pulls the cold from the meat, which makes the product thaw (like putting meat in cold water to thaw it faster and not cook it)." — Savannah A.
Get it from Amazon for $19.89.
10. A dishwasher-safe silicone soup cube tray that'll hold one cup (or a serving) of delicious hot entrees like soup/chili/stew/sauce per cube so you can freeze and then reheat it later. Heck. Have it for breakfast! You live alone and no one can tell you differently.
Amazon
It also comes with a lid so you can easily stack them and four fill lines (½ cup, 1 cup, 125 mL, 250 mL).
Souper Cubes is a small business seen on Shark Tank that specializes in bake-and-freeze storage products.
Promising review:"I'm extremely happy with my Souper Cubes! I cook chili and soup and always make too much, having the ability to freeze serving-size portions is perfect. Saves time and food quality by not having to thaw it all each time I want another serving. High quality and since it's silicone and not rigid plastic it won't crack in the freezer. Highly recommend!" — Alexander S. Waterman
Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in four colors and packs of two).
11. A ~streamlined~ door draft stopper to help keep whatever temp air you prefer within the room you're currently in, rather than the rest of your home where you're not.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"So easy to set up! All you do is peel tape and adhere to a CLEAN and DRY door. Also looks great, I don't even notice it. I had a huge gap under my door. I could smell and hear everything from the hallway. Smells, drafts, and sound all are less of an issue now." — Brit B.
Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in four colors).
12. Plus, a reviewer-beloved veggie chopper can make quick work of the ingredient-chopping portion of a recipe because, well, you have to designate it to yourself!
www.amazon.com, Amazon
Check out a TikTok of the veggie chopper in action.
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 $23.99+ (available in five styles and four colors).
13. A folding sink topper that'll give you an ample surface when there's seemingly no room for all your getting-ready essentials. Now that you're done with the sink and don't have to wait for someone else to brush their teeth, you can make the sink pull double-duty!
www.amazon.com
Sink Topper is a small biz that specializes in this product.
Promising review: "Great for messy teenagers. Cool item for my teenager's bathroom. She likes to lay her hair/makeup stuff on it so she can keep her other bathroom decor on the sides. When she's done she puts what she was using under the sink and folds up the sink tray so it can slide under the sink as well." — Melina
Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in two sizes and seven colors).
14. An under-cabinet lid opener to help pop open that jar of pasta sauce in a jiffy. Everyone can use this, but reviewers with limited dexterity especially find it helpful!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"Works exactly as it says it does. I have small hands and trouble gripping things. This makes opening jars extremely easy and it opens in seconds just by twisting the jar counterclockwise. I'm so glad I ordered two so I can give one to a family member who has trouble with opening jars as well. I would definitely buy this again!" — H.T.
Get it from Amazon for $15.99.
15. A UV black-light flashlight that'll track down all sorts of messes that've been avoiding you. Now, you can figure out the source of that weird smell without recruiting someone else's nostrils. Good luck figuring out who's to blame, though! (Maybe this is how you find out you've got a messy ghostly roomie.)
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"OMG this is disgusting!!! I hope this isn't all just cat pee that shows up cause there is a lot! I bought this because I thought my cat was peeing in one room and couldn't find the exact spot so I bought this. Found the spot and more. Would recommend." — Momof3boys
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
16. A no-scrub weekly shower cleaner you can simply just spray on after you shower, wait 8–12 hours while it tackles mold and mildew stains, soap scum, and just about any gross grime without YOU having to scrub. Talk about practical to the max.
Promising review:"This product is so easy to use. As you can see from the pictures, my bathtub was staying pretty good. The guy that owned the house before me used Ajax to clean it so it has almost no enamel left on it and it's probably the staining and nothing could get it out until I bought this. After 4 8-hour applications you can see the difference. I highly recommend this to everybody and once it's completely clean I'm gonna go on the once a week application. I actually bought another bottle for my dad and mom." — Domenick R. Stamegna
Get it from Amazon for $19.39.
17. A reusable pet fur remover might just have you tossing your old sticky roller after you see how much fur this reusable one (it has a sturdy brush system) picks up off your beloved couch. You don't wanna walk out the door with fur all over your behind, only to learn from your work nemesis.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I have a golden retriever and the shedding is out of control. My fabric sofa is constantly covered in hair and I finally decided to try this after reading an article about popular TikTok products. The reviews do not lie, this thing works magic!! I wish I had taken a before and after picture because the difference is noticeable. I watched the video tutorial before I tried it to ensure I was using it properly and everything he says is true, you do really have to put your arm to work with vigorous back and forth movement! However, I find it's a great arm workout and it works wonders." — Joanne Ertel
Get it from Amazon for $23.99.
18. A three-pack of Velveeta cheese sauce you can simply pour in a bowl, microwave, and then dump over pasta or just use as a dip for some good old tortillas. These'll come in handy when it's a Wednesday night and you barely want to lift a finger to feed yourself. No one is watching. Eat what you want!!
Amazon
Promising review: "These have been great to use. Cooking for just one person isn't the easiest thing for me, but these portions have been great when I want mac 'n' cheese, nachos, or a small smothered burrito for one. I'm sure when it's camping time these will make it into my camping stash." — M. Cheatham
Get them from Amazon for $3.28.
19. A drill brush cleaning kit that'll attach to your drill/driver for an informercial-like cleaning sesh at the flip of a switch that'll have you seeking out all the dirty surfaces you've been ignoring.
Includes three brushes that'll attached to a standard handheld drill. The white is a soft bristle, best for wheels, carpet, upholstery, glass, and leather; the yellow is a medium bristle, best for bathroom, bathtub, shower, tile, and porcelain; the green is a medium bristle, best for kitchen, stoves, cabinets, countertops, and linoleum; the blue is a medium bristle, best for boats, pools, canoe/kayaks, hot tubs, and plastics; the red is a stiff bristle, best for outdoors, siding, brick, garage, and gutter; and the black is a hard bristle, best for grills, loose paint, furnaces, ovens, and industrial use.
Drill Brush is a small business based in New York!
Promising review:"I'm in love with this. I manage many apartment properties and finding people to do the cleaning has been tricky business, so I end up having to get in and clean these horrendous filth pods tenants lived in and left me to deal with when they move out. The ovens and stove tops are usually the worst, and I absolutely hate cleaning. I came across this drill attachment set, and let me tell you, it helped me tremendously! I still had to get in with a putty knife on some of them but it really cut down my elbow-grease time. If it wasn't for this drill attachment, I think my arms would have just fallen off trying to clean it as good as I did! My only con would be that it doesn't have any extension of any sort, so I really had my drill all up in that oven, but well worth it." — alicia haats
Get it from Amazon for $18.95 (available in six bristle types).
20. A mini air fryer in case you've put off the investment, or given up a too-big version a while back because it hogged all your counter space. (I actually gave a family-size one to my mom!)
Promising review: "I bought this tiny air fryer to use while camping, but now it has a permanent space in my kitchen, too. I find myself throwing food into it instead of my expensive, gigantic one. So many times, I don't need the whistles and bells overkill of the big one. If you live alone or have a household of 1–2, and don't expect to cook a 5-pound anything in it, it's perfect and packed with the quality I expected from Cosori. (It also blew my camping buddies away when hot rolls hit the table on my night to make chili...lol)" — Cheri
Get it from Amazon for $59.99 (available in five colors).
21. A Dash mini rice cooker can easily make a hearty and filling side to go with that last piece of salmon or chicken you have in the fridge. But! It can also whip up oatmeal, stew, soup, quinoa, rice, and pasta. So that opens up all sorts of easy meal possibilities. Plus, it's small enough that you'll definitely find room for it on your one-bedroom apartment's kitchen counter.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I bought this for my daughter for her dorm at college. She loves making flavored rice and warming up soups and things. She likes it so well that she brings it home from college with her on breaks. It is especially nice that it has a removable pot, which makes it so much easier to clean or keep leftovers in. Would definitely buy again, don't waste your money on a slightly cheaper one that does not have a removable pot." — midohtree
Get it from Amazon for $21.95 (available in five colors).
22. A rectangular lazy Susan made to hold more than the traditional round ones and to help you use every last bit of your apartment-sized fridge's space. Yep, it's time to really make the most of your legendary condiment collection before that fancy jar of preserves goes bad.
www.amazon.com, Amazon
Check out a TikTok of the rectangular lazy Susan in action.
Promising review: "This is perfect for short people with big refrigerators! I could never reach anything on the top shelf and had to grab a step stool, now everything fits perfectly on this, and I can reach them all! It glides great and is very sturdy." — Tara Mann
Get it from Amazon for $21.99+ (available in four sizes/styles).
23. Some sheet fasteners if that fitted sheet won't stay put on your mattress, and you end up in a sheet burrito. These are exactly how they sound, so no matter how much you toss and turn, your fitted sheet won't come loose in the middle of the night and require an extra pair of hands to put back in place.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
See them on TikTok here.
Promising review:"I love these! Since I started using them my sheets haven't popped off once and that used to be a several-times-a-night problem because I toss and turn when I sleep. Thank you, TikTok!" — Gabby
Get a set of four from Amazon for $8.96 (available in three colors).
24. A set of safe-locking magnetic duvet clips to keep your duvet in its proper place, instead of loose and saggy inside the cover you couldn't resist form Urban Outfitters. These work for duvets up to 10 pounds and then use a magnetic key to remove the clips on laundry day.
Amazon
Checkout a TikTok of the duvet clips in action.
Pinion Pins is a small business specializing in home improvement products.
Promising review:"I was super worried about if I would have enough of the Pinions, and I totally do! My duvet is kinda thick and the Pinions pierced through with no problems! Plus with a little extra room if I had some extra layers. I REALLY like how you have to have the magnet tool to pull them apart. Absolutely no moving! Don't walk, RUN TO BUY THIS. I also like how unnoticeable they are." — Abigayle Mishler
Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $17.95.
25. A small compost bin/trash can will easily hang on a cabinet door for easy hiding and use. The lid lifts up *or* flips over for easily dumping as you food prep. Living solo means you likely create a LOT less waste and don't need a giant kitchen trash can to contain the mess!
Promising review: "So I saw this tiny trash can on TikTok, and I was moving into a tiny studio apartment and thought this would be perfect. Turns out it's one of the best things I've ever bought. I installed mine with the over-the-cabinet hooks (also comes with adhesive stickers) on my kitchen island, and it is so convenient I can't even express with words. The lid is on this nifty hinge so you can open it by flipping the lid up, or by sliding it forward and it folds down out of the way. I usually keep it open while I'm cooking but I can close it super quickly if I see the dog coming. There is a little pull tab for easy opening. It is so easy to use and easy to clean. It's also so cute! I use my plastic grocery bags as trash can liners for this and they fit perfectly. It comes with a roll of bags as well. The lid lifts off easily to change bags out. Clicks back on easily over the new liner. Can't recommend this enough!! This is going on my list of 'best things I've ever spent my money on.'" — Ginger
Get it from Amazon for $23.99+ (available in three colors).
26. Or some pink! Cherry blossom–scented! Forceflex trashbags that'll be able to withstand all kinds of odds 'n' ends you throw in there...and maybe buy you a little more time with bad food odors.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "These are my absolute favorite. They are stretchy and durable. They smell great and keep my house from smelling bad when I have food trash. And I love that they are pink." — Ashley van Kirk
Get a 90-pack from Amazon for $21.99.
27. A set of two rechargeable emergency LED bulbs can function like regular ole light bulbs and then when a big storm hits and your power goes out, they'll stay lit for 3–4 hours, which is enough time to help you figure out what you're going to do next without tripping on something and hurting yourself.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "These little guys are so bright!! Got these on a whim after seeing it on a TikTok. These are super bright and charge when the light is turned on. These are worth the price." — Reid524
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $16.18+ (available in three colors and a four-pack).
28. A self-sealing magnetic screen door to let dogs help themselves out or in the house — so you won't have to peel yourself up from the hammock and leave your Margaritaville day dreams during bouts of nice weather.
Promising review: "I bought this so my puppies could traverse to/from their backyard pen area...and keep flying insects out. It is AWESOME! The puppies figured out quickly that they could go through the screen — the screen snapped back into a closed state immediately after they got through the opening. If only all things in life could be solved this easily!" — Lynette S Quigley
Get it from Amazon for $26.99+ (available in five sizes).
29. Plus, an investment-worthy MicrowavaBowl you should absolutely make room for in your cabinet. After all, you have free reign of all the kitchen cabinet space! This bowl's elevated center distributes the appliance's heat evenly and quickly, so your leftovers are ready to go faster. Oh, and it's dishwasher-safe!
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "These bowls are high quality and very convenient. They heat up food very quickly and evenly, saving you valuable time and energy. Its ability to heat the food and not the bowl itself is very valuable to me. Prior to this purchase, I would have to use a hot bowl holder to avoid burning my fingers. The size of the bowls are perfect for the dishwasher, making them easy to clean and use. I would highly recommend them to friends and family!" — Alana
Get it from Amazon for $34.99.
30. A game-changing"bed wedge" pillow in a high-density foam and triangular shape to prevent stuff from falling into that gap between the mattress and the headboard. No need to scrounge down there for your phone or other stuff. Totally the stuff of nightmares!
Bonus: There's a lil' side pocket for your phone, glasses, or other nighttime accessories.
Promising review:"I did not realize that these were out there until I watched a TikTok about one. This has saved my pillows. I do have a headboard, but there was about a three-inch gap between it and my mattress. This has stopped my pillows from sliding down in between. I have had no issues at all with it. I did let it sit for almost 72 hours while it was getting its shape back from being in a shipping container, but after that it was perfect!!! I highly recommend." — Miss_Beck
32. A jumbo pack of toilet cleaning tabs you simply throw in the tank every two weeks to keep your bowl (and bathroom) fresher on the reg.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Effective at keeping the toilet bowl clean and very easy to use." — Amazon Customer
Get a 30-pack from Amazon for $22.99.
33. A handheld steam cleaner (perfect even if you're in a small space and that's who you can afford to live solo) with a nearly 10-foot-long cord to help you get at all sorts of greasy, stuck-on messes sans chemicals.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Cleaned stove top and the hood vents. Then, I had to clean the sticky grease from the sink. Worked very easily and without chemicals. Easy to use and to refill. The attachments make various jobs easy to clean." — Lori
Get it from Amazon for $55.89.
34. And a playful bath mat because you NEED one anyway. Might as well make your nonslip, machine-washable mat extra cute. It's your bathroom. Decorate how you want!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I absolutely love this rug. I was not expecting it to be as cute and fluffy as it is! I've gotten so many compliments on it." — Amanda Fiji
Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in four sizes and three styles).
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.