Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

8 Products to Help Get Your Home Sparkly Clean Before the Holidays

The holidays are approaching fast, which means family gatherings, and so you’ll need to make your house presentable for all of the people coming over. Of course, there are a few ways to go about it, but step one is always going to be cleaning, and after that, keeping things clean. Cleaning up first isn’t necessarily the hard part, but keeping things clean, in a busy household, now that’s a challenge. I think most would agree here, we could all use a little help with that. While there are ways to clean your house or apartment quick, in a pinch, we don’t recommend waiting.

Knowing this, we’ve rounded up some of the best products that will help you get your home sparkly clean before everyone starts showing up. More importantly, these items will help you maintain that level of clean, right up until it’s time to entertain! All of our choices come from Walmart, for a couple of reasons. One, Walmart offers extremely competitive prices when it comes to cleaning supplies, appliances, smart home gear, and all of the items on our list! Second, even with today’s challenges — hello microchip shortage — they do an impressive job keeping everything stocked up and offering a wide variety of options. That means, even if you don’t like our picks — whether it’s the brand, model, or price — you can still use them as inspiration to find your own cleaning supplies!

Recommended Videos

Smart Vacuum – iRobot Roomba 676 Smart WiFi Robot Vacuum

iRobot Roomba 676 WiFi Robot Vacuum with mobile app.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

At some point, you’re going to have to get your hands dirty and clean manually, but until then, you can rely on smart vacuums — which automatically come out to clean and then return to their docks. Our pick for this is the iRobot Roomba 676 Smart Robot Vacuum with WiFi. It’s app-controlled and works with Alexa or Google Assistant, so you can start cleaning with voice commands. It’s sleek, so it can fit under most furniture and offers powerful suction with 3-stage cleaning and filtration. The adaptive navigation system learns to move about your home unhindered, and without getting stuck. It runs for up to 90 minutes at a time and automatically charges, by docking itself. Normally $275, you can grab it at Walmart right now for $199 with free shipping. That’s a heck of a deal!

Cordless Vacuum – Dyson V8 Fluffy Cordless Vacuum

Dyson V8 Fluffy Cordless Vacuum to clean high corners in home.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

A robot vacuum is exquisite and offers a lot of support, but you’ll soon realize that you still need to vacuum manually from time to time. For that, we recommend the Dyson V8 Fluffy Cordless Vacuum. Why? The telescopic handle means it can be used to clean up hard-to-reach places, like walls, vaulted ceilings, and even high up in corners — goodbye cobwebs. It swaps quickly between a stand-up stick system to a small handheld, and since it’s cordless, you can take it anywhere. The Dyson digital motor V9 inside offers 2-tier Radial cyclone suction, which is just to say it’s powerful and will clean up big messes. There’s a high-power mode too for when you need it. Normally $400, you can grab the Dyson V8 Fluffy for $300 with free shipping.

Smart Mop – Roborock S5 MAX Robot Vacuum and Mop

Roborock S5 Max vacuuming and mopping hardwood floor.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Besides a smart vacuum, you can also find smart mops — or combo units like what we’ve selected. The Roborock S5 MAX is both a robot vacuum and a mop, but we chose it for its incredible scrubbing and cleaning power. It uses LiDAR laser precision navigation to move about your home and avoid both objects and furniture. It has a 290ml electric water tank and supports both app controls and WiFi connectivity. You can set it to clean from your phone, and designate no-go zones, or no-mop zones. Selective room cleaning means you can customize how it cleans certain rooms or spaces — like if you don’t want somewhere mopped, or just mopped and not vacuumed. You can get this super useful gadget from Walmart for $550 with free shipping right now.

Air Purifier – Dyson TP02 Pure Cool Link Connected Tower and Air Purifier Fan (Refurbished)

Dyson TP02 Tower Air Purifier all ready to clean the air.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Want to keep the air in your home smelling fresh and clean? An air purifier is your best bet, and we’ve selected one that’s both a purifier and a powerful fan. The Dyson TP02 automatically removes 99.99% of allergens and pollutants, snatching up particles up to 0.3 microns in size — pet dander too! The 360-degree vacuum-sealed glass HEPA filter works with the activated carbon to eliminate odors too or even harmful toxins like paint fumes. Intelligent purification automatically monitors the air quality and kicks on to clean as needed. It comes with a remote control you can use to control the unit manually, as well. Usually it’s $400+ new, but a refurbished model is available at Walmart for $350 with free shipping, saving you quite a bit of money.

Microwave Cleaner – Great American Microwave Steam Cleaner

Great American Microwave Steam Cleaner Volcano steam cleaning appliance.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microwaves get dirty fast, even if you cover your food or use a protective device. If you’ve ever tried to scrub dry food or residue off the inner walls of a microwave, well, let’s just say you know it’s not fun. This Great American Microwave Steam Cleaner makes the process infinitely easier. You add vinegar and water, put it in the microwave, then heat it for 5 to 7 minutes. In true volcano fashion — it’s designed to look like one — it erupts in a cloud of steam and disinfects the inside of the appliance. It also softens any stains or splatter making it easier for you to wipe away. Normally $12, this volcano steam cleaner is available for $9 at Walmart.

Blinds Cleaner – Yaoping Blind Cleaning Microfiber Brush Kit

Yaoping Bling Cleaning Kit with microfiber slatted brush to remove dust and dirt.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you haven’t cleaned your blinds in a while, you should probably check them. Dust, grime, and nasty residue build up fast, especially if they’re all-white or off-white color. This Yaoping blind cleaning kit includes both a microfiber blind cleaning brush and a dustpan cleaning brush. The microfiber brush has a 7-slat design that allows it to get between the blinds deep cleaning the top and bottom of each row. The dustpan brush is designed to clean the bottom and top rails of the window. Normally $10, the kit is just over $4 right now at Walmart. That’s a bargain.

Automated Trashcan – iTouchless 13-Gallon Stainless Steel Automatic Garbage Can

iTouchless 13 Gal Automated Trash Can in kitchen.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Cracking eggs? Throwing out cooking film or aluminum foil? In both scenarios you have your hands full and trying to fumble with the garbage can lid probably means making a huge mess. This iTouchless 13-Gallon stainless steel trashcan is fully automated. Just wave your hand in front of the sensor zone and the top will open. An integrated AbsorbX odor control system ensures anything smelly you put inside, stays inside — odors and all. It’s all thanks to natural carbon odor filter deodorization technology. It’s powered by batteries normally, but there’s an optional power adapter if you want to plug it in, instead. The iTouchless can is $75 at Walmart. A small price to pay for touch-free cleanliness.

Automated Litter Box – PetSafe ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box (2nd Generation)

PetSafe ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box 2nd Gen with cat inside and coming out.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Cat litter gets gross quick, and if you don’t scoop it every day, your home will start to smell just as fast. This PetSafe ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box will do all the work for you, except for emptying and refilling the system, of course. You can go weeks without scooping anything. The crystal litter used inside keeps the smells and odors from escaping, and the crystals are dust-free and don’t stick to kitty paws — so no messes when they get out. The disposable trays have plastic lining to prevent leaks, too. It even has a built-in health counter to keep track of how many times your cat(s) uses the box. This ingenious PetSafe litter box is $180 at Walmart with free shipping.

Briley Kenney
The Manual's resident cigar enthusiast and expert. Branded content writer. Purveyor of all things tech and magical.
Ryan Reynolds at his best: 13 movies you can’t miss
As a Reynolds fan, you must see all of his top films listed here
Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool in Deadpool and Wolverine.

"I don’t expect success. I prepare for it." Wise and self-fulfilling words from our guy, Ryan Reynolds, one of Canada’s sweethearts. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Reynolds dreamed of getting out of there early in his life, not to abandon his family or hometown, but to act. True to his words, he and a fellow Vancouver actor impulsively took to the road one night with one destination: Los Angeles.
After taking the first step in following his dreams, his car was stripped and robbed on his first night in L.A. Did that stop our fearless protagonist? Indeed not. After just a few months, Reynolds was landing roles all over town, working whenever he could. Five years later, he finally got a leading role with a recognizable name, a college comedy called Van Wilder: Party Liaison. That movie didn’t make our list today, but it's only because Reynolds has been busy making an array of better movies ever since.
Most would agree that Ryan Reynolds brings a familiar presence in both appearance and demeanor to most of his films, but when you get a frame that fits just right, you get some great Ryan Reynolds features. That is why we’ve compiled a list of the best Ryan Reynolds movies. It should also be known that these movies were chosen for the movie quality and watchability, not just for the most Ryan of the Reynolds’ performances.

Just Friends (2005)

Read more
Tom Cruise is back in the first trailer for ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’
The trailer features plenty of the death-defying stunts that have made the franchise so successful.
tom cruise mission impossible final reckoning trailer in the

It seems like the Mission: Impossible franchise might be winding toward its conclusion. The Tom Cruise franchise has existed for nearly 30 years, and in that time, it's already produced seven films. Now, we've got the trailer for the eighth: Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

The trailer is pretty light on plot and heavy on explosive set pieces, including Cruise hanging off a propeller plane and doing plenty of running across various European locales.

Read more
Get 4 Apple AirTags for only $70 with this Best Buy sale
person holding airtag and smartphone

The Apple AirTag is an extremely useful accessory for your peace of mind, and if you haven't purchased the Bluetooth tracking device yet, here's your chance at a discount. Best Buy is selling a four-pack for only $70, following a $29 discount on the bundle's original price of $99. We're not sure until when this deal will remain online, so we highly recommend completing your purchase as soon as possible if you don't want to miss out on the savings.

Why you should buy the Apple AirTag
There are lots of reasons why you'd want an Apple AirTag, including making sure that you never lose your luggage. It's in our list of the best air travel accessories as the best luggage tracker, as it will certainly help alleviate the anxiety of potentially misplacing your bags. However, while the Apple AirTag for travel is highly recommended, it's also great for keeping tabs on other items such as keys and wallets. It's powered by a replaceable battery that lasts for more than a year, and it features IP67 water and dust resistance.

Read more