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10 cult-favorite Amazon products that solve life's little problems, starting at $2

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These little gadgets will help you solve major problems and minor inconveniences. (Photo: Amazon)
These little gadgets will help you solve major problems and minor inconveniences. (Photo: Amazon)

Amazon is chock full of kooky solutions to problems you never knew you had, from a putty that'll catch all the grime between the keys of your keyboard to an ingenious hair catcher that'll make sure your shower drain never clogs again. Many of these clever products have achieved cult status, with thousands of five-star reviews touting just well they work.

We've rounded up ten of the most brilliant gadgets that Amazon has to offer, most of which are on sale and start at just $2.

Plus, if you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)

Add a few of these gizmos to your shopping cart and you'll end some minor, everyday inconveniences.

A $2 fix to your cat's unending boredom

Cat Dancer toy
There's a reason they call this little toy the Cat Dancer. (Photo: Amazon)

Whether your cat is perpetually bored and getting into trouble, or simply needs more exercise, this $2 solution will keep them dancing, quite literally, for hours. All it is is a steel wire with a spring and rolled cardboard fixed to the end, but it does the trick to keep curious kitties out of your hair.

Over 20,000 owners of feline friends swear by it, too. "If you say 'cat dancer toy' my cats come running," one happy reviewer says. "This is great news for our twenty-pound senior cat. He is actually getting up and moving quite a bit, hence we purchased two more.... It’s just amazing to everyone in our household how something so simple (and inexpensive) can be their favorite. They beg for this, while the expensive toys sit."

$2 $3 at Amazon

An oddly satisfying cleaning putty that'll get dirt and dust out of your keyboard

Putty dust cleaner
Gross, but satisfying. (Photo: Amazon)

Yellow putty might seem like a strange way to clean tough-to-reach dirt and grime, but once you try it for yourself, you'll become a believer. ColorCoral Universal Dust Cleaner The product is made with a biodegradable gel that's sticky enough to pick up dirt in small spaces. All you have to do is roll the gel over the area you want to clean, give it a second to pick up the muck, then peel it off the surface and watch as the hard-to-reach dirt comes free. Gross, but also amazing.

"I purchased this product to clean those little spaces in my car filled with dog hair and random crumbs from my husband, and it works amazing," one fan says. "It picked up everything and didn’t leave a residue. The lemon scent was faint and didn’t overpower the vehicle while I was cleaning it. This definitely got in all the little nooks and crannies."

$7 $10 at Amazon

An ingenious purse holder for your car

Car cache holder
No more searching in the backseat while driving. (Photo: Amazon)

If you have ever found yourself reaching into the backseat, desperately searching for your purse, the Car Cache Purse Holder is for you. Fasten the hooks between the driver's and passenger's seat to form an easy-to-reach hammock that cradles your essentials. It also doubles as an excellent barrier to keep your dog from jumping into the front seat.

"I love this car cache," one reviewer raves. "It’s a great solution to a common problem. My purse was either in the back or on the dirty floor between my seat and gas pedal (not safe). Now my purse stays clean, is easy to reach, and out of the way."

$14 $25 at Amazon

A small, rechargeable vacuum to get all the areas your normal vacuum can't

small space vacuum
Tiny, yet powerful. (Photo: Amazon)

Dust and dirt have a way of working their way into those tiny spaces that can be hard to reach, but the tiny, ColorCoral vacuum will take care of that problem. Easily charge it, then use it to clean your printer, desk drawer, sofa, car or whatever other areas are too tight for your regular vacuum. It even comes with two nozzles to clean any type of surface.

One happy reviewer says, "Bought this for the crumbs that get in the crevices of our stovetop and I use it for everything! I love it! One of the best purchases I have made."

$27 $30 at Amazon

An easy machine to make the perfect breakfast

Omelette maker
One perfect omelet, please! (Photo: Amazon)

Making a perfect omelet can be difficult, especially when it comes to the flipping and folding. That's where the nonstick Holstein Housewares omelet maker comes in. It makes two beautiful omelets at once, no flipping required. You can also use it to make frittatas, pizza pockets, apple turnovers or whatever other delicious pocket-shaped food your heart desires.

"I ordered it as a Christmas gift for my wife and myself," this reviewer shares. "We immediately began using it and have never looked back! It makes a perfect omelet every time and the clean-up is so simple. We just dampen a soft cloth and wipe it down."

$25 $30 at Amazon

These clever strips make bakery-worthy cakes

Wilton Bake Even strips around cake pans.
These bands make cakes bake more evenly. (Photo: Amazon)

Whether you aspire to compete in The Great British Bake-off, or you simply want to improve your cake baking game, you need to get your hands on the Wilton Bake-Even Cake Strips. The simple fabric bands fasten around the outside of your cake pan, helping your cake bake more evenly while preventing the formation of domes and cracks. This set includes three different sizes — 35-inch, 25-inch and 10-inch— to accommodate different sized cake tins.

"The best-kept secret in the baking industry. Why hasn’t anyone spoken of these?" says one fan. "I made a cake with these strips, and I feel like I am a professional baker. I’m still dreaming about that birthday cake I baked for my daughter. No more crusty, dried-out cakes!"

$19 for six $26 at Amazon

This truly revolutionary hair catcher

Tub Shroom
The best thing that's ever happened to your shower drain. (Photo: Amazon)

Have you heard of the TubShroom and its mighty ability to catch all the hair in your shower drain before it even thinks of clogging? If not, you will be amazed by this mini gadget that fits snuggly inside your drain to catch hair. When it comes time to clean it out, just wipe it off, throw away the unwanted hair and place it back in your drain. Sorry plumbers of the world, but we no longer need your services.

This fan raves, "I was skeptical about this little rubber strainer, but I needed something to save my drains from the piles of hair that fall out of my head. I tried others and they all failed miserably. This thing is amazing! It fit into my standard drain perfectly, and I don't think a single hair slipped by it. It was pretty gross to see how much hair I lost in just one shower, but it was comforting to know it wasn't clogging my drain."

$13 $20 at Amazon

These neat little stickers that block blue light

LED light blocker
These stickers come in a variety of sizes to block LED lights on all your electronics. (Photo: Amazon)

If you're anything like me, then you're incessantly annoyed by the unending blinking blue lights that come with all electronics. Some are even bright enough to wake me up at night! Fortunately, LightDims stickers offer a simple solution. They come in a variety of sizes and dim LED lights on electronics so you no longer have to deal with the brightness.

"I have a media PC in my living room under my TV and directly across from the main couch. The LED is extremely bright and obnoxious, especially in low-light situations...[These stickers] dimmed the LED a perfect amount. I can definitely still see that the PC is on, but without the annoying blue beacon that can be seen from space," this reviewer shares.

$6 $10 at Amazon

An essential gadget for the impatient pasta eater

pasta microwaver
Yes, it's okay to microwave pasta — and it actually works. (Photo: Amazon)

Italians may give you some furious hand gestures over this, but yes, it is possible to cook pasta in the microwave. Instead of waiting for water to boil, fill the Fasta Pasta's reservoir with water and the pasta of your choice, then pop it in the microwave. You'll get the perfect al dente bite in 15 minutes or less, and even Rachael Ray swears by it.

"I bought this microwave pasta cooker at a time when I did not have a stove," this reviewer says. "Even though I have a stove now, I still use this cooker for dinner for myself sometimes because it works so well and quickly!"

$17 $20 at Amazon

The OG stool stool

Toilet stool
It's a household name for a reason. (Photo: Amazon)

Having a small stool beside your toilet to prop your feet up on when it's time to go is a touch unconventional, but there's a reason Squatty Potty is now a household name. The ergonomic stool fits around the base of the toilet and puts you in the proper position for your colon to do its thing.

And if you're skeptical, nearly 36,000 five-star reviewers will tell you just how well this thing works. According to one reviewer, time in the bathroom has become so minimal, which turns out to be both a good and bad thing. "The worst thing about this contraption is that you gather all of your viewing content (i.e. Kindle, article, Instagram, etc), prep your self up, and before you even get past the first paragraph it’s time to get off. I never get that intimate time to myself anymore; you really don’t realize what you have until it’s gone," they say.

$25 $27 at Amazon

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

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