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22 Things For Any Renter Looking To Spruce Up The Look Of Their Bathroom
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BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Read More Even something to whiten that grout that you THINK is supposed to be gray. But now you’re not so sure. As a Deputy Editorial Director for BuzzFeed’s shopping team, I love to get into the weeds of why a product’s worth the money by deep diving into customer reviews, and product-testing as much as possible. Turns out, you clock quite a bit of time in the bathroom, and that might mean you've started to notice little things that bother you, but you think you can't change because you're a renter. Well, from one renter to another, there are lots of little tweaks you can make to your washroom without compromising your security deposit. Because we are going to get you that dough back. Think things like a quick fix for cabinet scratches, a privacy window film that'll leave not trace behind, and even a user-friendly grout paint pen to brighten those little, dingy lines. (I've used the grout pen on my own rental bathroom floor. It makes QUITE the visual impact!) Promising review: "OMG!!! It works!!! After having this toilet buildup I gave up on everything, but I saw that this product 'worked' and decided to give it a try... with a little elbow grease and some music blasting in the background I managed to remove it all!!! I can’t believe it. I’m so happy, I was so embarrassed when company came over and would see that, not no more... yay!!!" —Asdrubal Orantes It's super quick to install, and one cartridge can last up to three months! Promising review: "This is an excellent invention for keeping the toliet bowl fresh without a tablet that harms the flush seal. I was frequently replacing the seals in the tank but with this setup the seals last and last." —Awesome Guy Promising review: "I. AM. Shook! The previous tenant kept this apartment NASTY. I moved in the day he moved out and was scrubbing this nasty drain for months to no avail. I let this sit for an hour and came back just to peek and wow. The difference is crazy. Now I feel better about taking baths in my own home. Amazing. 9/10 because the instructions says rub lightly. I tried that way first and almost thought it was a dub (Meaning it wouldn’t work lol) But it definitely worked after letting it sit." —Julia R. Promising review: "Where do I start? I absolutely LOVE this product. I wanted to replace our bathroom mirror, but due to the size, it would have cost a lot! I came across this on Amazon and decided to give it a try. The application process was super easy and applied without bubbles as long as you go slow and rub it down as you go. I kid you not. It looks like wood and feels like it, too! You can feel and see the 'wood grain.' It’s absolutely stunning and looks like I bought a whole new mirror." —Taylor Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two sizes). Promising review: "I live in an apartment so I didn’t want to damage my wall with nails and all that. So I’m very glad to have heard about this product. It was so easy to set up, it holds the weight of my blackout curtain and curtain rod well. I even pushed down on it a little to see how secure it was and it did not break. I definitely recommend it for anyone who is renting to keep the walls damage free." —Alyssa Get a set of three from Amazon for $17.95 (also available in other colors and styles). Promising review: "Very good quality. It’s smooth, not rough feeling. The installation is as easy as twisting a wing nut. Easy up and down with a slight pull down or lift up with one finger. I bought them for three windows in my home. I attached a couple of pics one of which is the before pic with the white metal mini blinds." —Fran Gottfried Get each panel from Amazon for $43.30+ (available in 10 styles and a range of sizes). I did this in my own rental bathroom and it's the perfect zero-space solution! Promising review: "The light refracts better than I thought it would! Obviously, it requires direct sunlight to really project rainbows. Love the way it looks in my pink-themed bathroom, and works!" —pey Get it from Amazon for $5.51+ (available in 14 sizes and four colors). SnapPower is a small biz that specializes in unique and innovative lighting products. Promising review: "I ordered this after seeing it on TikTok. I’m very happy with this product!" —Miss. Harris "Game changer. When I get up, I don’t want to wake everyone up with flipping on lights and all. These provide plenty of walking through the house light. Super easy installation, too." —Monica Martinez Get it from Amazon for $23.98 (available in three outlet styles and four colors). Promising review: "My six-panel wood doors had been mangled by pets (dog scratches) and were deeply weathered from water vapor (bathrooms) — see left panel in pic — and lots of scratches, dents, nicks of a decade of abuse. I thought I would have to pay big dollars to refinish them. Nope! They look like new — see right side of pic. This stuff doesn't just temporarily wet the wood (which makes it look darker), to only dry to the previous mess. No, this stuff really works, and the color blends in perfectly. It doesn't look like it recolors the stained wood, it somehow brightens the existing stain. Where the wood was gray from water vapor, or completely gauged, the product did add color, but it somehow works perfectly. The chemist who invented this is a magician. The luster is just at the pic shows, even after hours of drying. Application is easy, I just wiped the woods down with it and in circular motion to get into all the grooves." —NuttyNetta Get it from Amazon for $4.82 (also available for light woods). Promising review: "Worked wonders! I spilled nail polish remover on my nightstand. This worked like magic! Just rub lightly with the cloth." —JMac Promising review: "We moved into our new home, and the shower had a really yellow grout. Cleaning didn’t do anything, and I saw this grout pen online. What a saver! Otherwise, I would have just hired someone to replace my shower. I used this grout pen, and my husband was so impressed :D The tip loses its shape fast, but just pull out the TIP AND FLIPPED IT OVER, and you’ll have a new tip." —jennifer Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two sizes). Promising review: "I live in an older, very small apartment, with two small closets and awkwardly shaped, small cabinets. Clutter stresses me out, so I try to utilize any last bit of space I can! So far, this expandable shelving unit has worked great. Easy to assemble, though the instructions seem a little vague upon first look. I had unsuccessfully tried other forms of shelving, which didn't work because of the plumbing underneath my bathroom cabinet. Before installing this product, my bathroom cabinet was chaos. I basically had to pull everything out and make a mess, just to get what I needed. Now, my cabinet is much more organized, and I even have room to spare! Another plus? I was able to make more room in my medicine cabinet and my tiny utility closet!" —IBoughtThis Get it from Amazon for $24.87+ (available in three finishes). Tulip is a small biz from Lori Smyth. Her inspiration? The drab lighting in a college dorm! Her innovative design requires no re-wiring, no power tools, no nothing! Check out the different styles and how easily they install via Tulip's TikTok. My colleague Chelsea Stuart has tried and loves this: "I just had a chance to try one of these and I am simply OBSESSED. I live in NYC in a rental and I have a really drab light in my kitchen that even an electrician couldn't get off of the ceiling without breaking... so I gave up on replacing it right after I moved in. Alas, fast forward a year and I found Tulip on TikTok! Instantly, I thought 1. This is absolutely genius and 2. How has no one come up with this before?!?! "Installing" it (installing makes it seem way more involved than it is) took all of 10 minutes and that includes removing it from the box, Command Strip-ing the ring to the ceiling, and then popping the magnetic shade in place. (Honestly, the thing that took me the longest was fishing my step stool out of the depths of my junk closet.) Not only is the shade itself beautiful, but the diffused light is just so soft and pretty. I can't wait to get another one for my entryway!!!" What's included: Ceiling mount, Tulip shade, 12x removable tape, and 3x screws (as needed for textured ceiling applications). Get it from Tulip for $149 (check out more styles). Promising review: "Bought about three packs for underneath my island and my bathroom. These are motion-sensored, and the battery life is long-lasting. These also help with middle-of-the-night potty breaks, so I don’t have to turn on the big lights. They were easy to install, and I think they add a moody vibe. I will purchase more for under my cabinets." —AP "Perfect way to get lighting under your cabinets if you don't have any. They charge easily and fast. Light is good. They stay up with strong magnets. I actually put these ones in my stairway to the basement, where there was only a light at the bottom. There are many other places where I think they would work well if you need more light." —Glenda N. Get two from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in two sizes and in packs of four and six). It fits on any toilet bowl, and has 16 colors, five brightness levels, and a 170 degree radius. Promising review: "At first I thought that the idea of an illuminated toilet bowl was funny. However, given the choice of an illuminated toilet bowl, turning on the light, or missing, an illuminated toilet bowl is a great idea. This unit is much better than the first I used because there are no suction cups (which never stay attached) and it use AA batteries instead of AAA, and it has a five-level dimmer for middle-of-the-night eye comfort." —William D. Promising review: "Great product. I've actually used to paint exposed screws black and around the ugly brass around a doorbell. I've used the white on a scratch on the outer edge of a porcelain bathroom sink. Stays on, unbelievable." —LA "Love this stuff! My stove had two chips in it for many years. Very pleased, so easy to apply! Would definitely recommend for small touch-ups!" —Sally Jo Get it from Amazon for $6.29+ (available in four colors and in multipacks). Promising review: "Rather than ditching furniture into a landfill, which is bad for the environment and one's pocketbook, this product allows you to give new life to existing furniture. Between the Soto touchup and new handles, my entertainment center looks like new....for less than $35. If you can use liquid paper, you can use this. I just ordered another bottle for porcelain. This is a fantastic product. You will love it!" —LexiNYC And if you're especially petty, you can copy my move of saving said switch plates with a piece of marked duct tape so you know where you put 'em when you leave. This was one of the first things I did in my current apartment, thus rendering the switch plates barely noticeable — which is how I like them! Get a 10-pack of plates for plugged outlets for $7.45 and a variety of switch plates from Amazon. Promising review: "ThIs is the best thing I have purchased from Amazon! It is holding two brushes, blow-dryer, and four other heating tools! Best used with blow-dryer that has retractable cord." —katie Get it from Amazon for $15.29+ (available in two finishes). Promising review: "Wow, my bathroom drawers are ELEVATED now. They look clean as hell and I can actually find stuff. Easy to snap together and organize how you'd like. Definitely buying a second set for my kitchen drawers!" —Toni Bish Promising review: "I love these. Super easy to use, they glide well, and they look so much more expensive than they are. These really elevated the look of the bathroom, and the color is spot on to the pictures." —Emma Wilson Get a 12-pack from Amazon for $9.99 (available in six finishes). Promising review: "Best purchase ever, love that it brightened and give my bathroom a new fresh look. Easy to put together and only took about two hours." —Billy * If You Hate, Hate, HATE Cleaning Your Bathroom, These 30 Walmart Products Will Make It Go Faster * If Your Bathroom Is The Most Neglected Room In Your Home, These 30 Wayfair Products Will Instantly Zhuzh It Up BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way. Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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