For my money, the Mister Clean Magic Eraser and Reynold’s Release wrap are both worth their weight in gold. Last time I looked, there was no generic equivalent, but they are both very reasonably priced if you figure out the cost per use.
Schick Intuition is another product that I’m hooked on for which there is no substitute. But it is pricey to use.
So what do you use aoround your house that’s worth it’s weight in gold?
Ordinary baby wipes (I uses the Target store brand) are very useful for cleaning things that are hard to reach or where you don’t want a drippy mess. For example, they are great for getting at the gunk around oven knobs or cabinet door handles. They are also good for spiffing up tennis shoes and are surprisingly good spot removers for things dripped on clothes. My kids are 6 and 8 and I still have several boxes of baby wipes around and don’t have any plans to stop buying them.
That Magic Eraser does work wonders!
I also love to keep some gel bleach around (or the bleach pens), they are great for spot cleanup.
We’ve just started buying the flexible trash bags, they’re a little expensive, but worth every penny.
The Intuition (IMO) is not a good buy if you have sensitive skin like me. I used it once and tossed it. I personally love the Venus line. I’ve had mine for 3 years now and wouldn’t trade it.
There’s a couple of things I’m curious about, but haven’t purchased yet (a cordless broom vac and the automatic shower cleaner). Hopefully someone will be along to give some input on those.
cher3, we found that baby wipes also helps get permanent marker off of skin (the guys passed out one night and us girls decided to shame them! 
). They have so many uses, I also use one or two to get in small spots.
I was draining the toilet bowl to scrub it out by hand with Bar Keeper’s Friend to get the hard water stains until I stumbled across Kaboom Toilet Cleaner at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Squirt it around the rim to coat the bowl, let it stand, swish with brush. Adios rust stains. Lifesaver.
I got one of the Swiffer vacs (sort of like a cordless broom vac), and I love it! Much easier than dragging out a heavy conventional vac, dealing with the cord, etc.
I previously had a Dirt Devil cordless broom vac, and wasn’t quite as happy with the design of it.
DAWN dishwashing liquid is by far the best. Nothing else comes close, it’s worth the extra $1.00 or so.
Totally agreed! A couple of times, hubby has been shopping with me when I bought it, and pointed out how much cheaper the generics are. I tell him it does not matter. Dawn is all there is in this girl’s kitchen!
Resolve Spot Magic upholstery cleaner. Does wonders for damned near all spots – including the worst horror of all, sudden period leakage upholstery spots.
I also like “Oxy Clean” for laundry.
Another fan of the Magic Eraser here.
I am also a huge fan of Shout ColorCatcher sheets, the ones you put in with colored clothes to keep your colors from getting muddy. I wear a lot of bright and dark knit clothing, and it lasts a lot longer now that I use these sheets. It also helps the whites stay whiter. I wouldn’t quite trust it to mix loads like they claim, though.
Nature’s Miracle is the cat litterbox deodorizer I’ve found that really works. The powdered kind. The liquid kind works well for accidents outside the box.
Back on the laundry theme, I also love Downy Wrinkle Releaser, the alternative to ironing for those who are not terribly picky. I hate ironing. If it’s for a major work deal, I’ll get the outfit dry cleaned and pressed. Otherwise, Downy will do it.
Generic brand mildew remover/shower cleaner; cheaper than Clorox Clean-up, has a bleach in it for disinfecting and gets used all over the kitchen and bath. I use it to deodorize the sink disposal about once every other day, among other things. It’s also good for getting the gunk out of the corners of my square-bottom drinking glasses. (Note to all - don’t buy glasses that have a twist in them near the bottom, very hard to get that bit underneath cleaned out.)
I am Swiffer’s bitch. I love the mops, and the dusters are perfect for cleaning blinds, ceiling fans, and the computer keyboard.
Another vote Dawn (nothing else even comes close) and for the Magic Eraser as well. I noticed today that ScotchBrite has a knock-off for less than half the price, so I picked it up, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Not familiar with the Schick Intuition but I’ve come to depend on the Gillette M3. I thought it would be another rip-off but I was desperate for a better shave. After 30 years of battling ingrown hairs on my neck I now have something that works.
You’ll have to try it and let us know. If you don’t try it until your guest status expires, you’ll just have to pony up the bucks so you can inform us whether the knock off works. 
I gotta say that the “semi-disposable” tupperware that they’ve come out with in the last couple years is a great product.
I use one of those forever. You can nuke 'em. You can freeze 'em. You can bring cookies to the friends house and not care about leaving it there.
It seems that all of the ones we bought are at other people’s houses. And all of the one’s in my house are one’s someone else bought.
Preach it, sistah! I’m on the end of a lame-ass bottle of Joy, and it blows. Good thing I have a dish washer or I’d have demanded my money back.
Safeway is carrying a version of the Magic Eraser right now and it’s identical. Let me go check who the mfg is…upon review it lists no mfg, only SW as its distributor. It does say though that it was made in Taiwan of German materials. Okay.
I happen to love cordless broom vacs. They’re not very durable though. I asked for a new one for Xmas and that will be my third in 10 years. You’ll need a spare battery, for when the first one quite unexpectedly conks out, but they are very convenient for the kitchen or bath where it’s tiled or laminate flooring.
I’ll second the Shout color-catchers. Good thing those. I’ll also go so far as to say that I think Shout is the best spray stain remover. I once bought the other one that starts with an S and was very unhappy. Had to use twice as much product. Of course I emailed S company and was rewarded with coupons, and emailed Shout with praise and was again rewarded with coupons.
Companies really like when you email them with praise. Without exception I’ve received coupons in response to every complaint/compliment I’ve emailed. I especially love the internet if only for the ability to zip off complaints at the drop of a hat. I will mention, too, that I frequently provide compliments.
I also love the Intuition razor (I got a $10 Intuition coupon simply because I asked them when I should stop using it and it seemed a lot of waste was occurring), as well as the Venus. I use them in conjunction. Intuition hits the big long spots and the Venus smooths the bony parts. Works great, but yeah, they’re both pricey!
Brawny paper towels. Clorox disinfectant wipes. The list could go on and on. As I mentioned in the Anti-Aging thread, I’m a marketers dream. If it’s new, I’ll try it - but only with coupon, you know!
Astroglide. 
I just bought a Shark vacuum cleaner. I borrowed one from a friend and liked it so much I went out and bought my own.
The power! The convenience! The size! The way it makes you look like a Ghostbuster when you carry it around! I love everything about it.
Got it on sale for $59.99 but I’d buy it again for any price.
Meep. The product category is important, but there are definitely better ones. After years of using Astroglide and accepting its faults, Liquid Silk blew my mind.
Yeah, but have you ever tried the KY Warming Gel? Yowza! A little dab’ll do ya’ that’s fer sher.