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8 can’t-live-without home products

Check out what Real Simple magazine editors put in their hall of fame .
/ Source: TODAY

From the best vacuum for picking up animal hair to a spray that substitutes for an iron, we've got the tried-and-true household favorites from the folks at Real Simple. Anne-Marie O'Neill, deputy editor of the magazine, was invited on TODAY to go over eight home products in what the publication's editors call their “Can’t-Live-Without Household-Product Hall of Fame.” Check out the list:

Four Paws Shed'n BladeThis grooming tool — a serrated band of flexible steel — was endorsed by managing editor Kristin van Ogtrop. "The teeth of the brush are like mini saws — not as sharp, but he almost looks like he's gotten a trim every time I brush him." ($9,

Dyson DC17 Animal VacuumWith two dogs, two cats, and a rug that shows everything, research editor Westry Green has a special reverence for his Animal vacuum cleaner. "It does stairs without a struggle," Green says, referring to its long-reach hose. The machine has won design awards and comes with many engineering claims, but the real reason Green keeps it close at hand is that in two years of steady use, this loyal companion hasn't quit once.($550, )

Swiffer WetJet Power Mop
As one of the magazine's beauty gurus, editorial assistant Bora Chang appreciates a surface with a certain glow. That helps explain her affection for the WetJet, which dispatches dusty buildup faster than you can say exfoliate. "You just push a button, mop, and presto! Clean floor," she says.($20, grocery stores)

Downy Wrinkle ReleaserThere's never a good time to stand at an ironing board starching collars and cuffs. Style assistant Kate Gleason's solution is Wrinkle Releaser, which "irons" fabrics with a quick spray.  Gleason's late-rising sister, for whom a last-minute swipe of the iron is out of the question, told her about this miracle product. If only this no-iron iron could wash and hang shirts, too.($4, drugstores)

Mr. Clean Magic EraserSpecial projects design director Eva Spring, whose apartment has a retro (read "worn") linoleum floor, has almost given up trying to keep it clean when she found the Magic Eraser. The magic ingredient is mildly abrasive melamine foam, which makes short work of scuff marks, fingerprints, and smudges on hard surfaces like counters and walls.  "I don't love to clean," Spring says, "but I love this product."($2, grocery stores)

Black & Decker Smartdriver"Some assembly required" — three of the most dreaded words in the English language — fails to faze deputy managing editor Jacklyn Monk, who uses her favorite D-I-Y tool, a pint-size motorized screwdriver, to construct bookcases, tighten chair legs, and accomplish other household projects. It was a present from her parents around the time she left the nest. Half the size of other cordless models, it fits in a palm and can remove screws by running in reverse.($40, )

Perfex Pepper MillWith all the pepper mills in the world, how did deputy art director Philip Ficks decide on the squat, purposeful-looking Perfex? His grandmother owned one and, he says, "I was always attached to it as a kid, as an object. I still feel that connection."  Only later did he realize that there's also something pleasing about the way the design of this French-made pepper mill mimics that of an old-fashioned coffee grinder, with the winder on top and a drawer below.  Translation: It's easy to fill.($75, )

Cuisinart PartyPop Popcorn MakerThe PartyPop does only one thing but does it very well, says Real Simple associate editor Ashley Tate, who uses hers about four times a week. The best part: It means less work and fewer calories.  One tablespoon of oil pops more than enough corn for two people.  And the PartyPop turns over and acts as a serving bowl — so there's no need to dirty another dish.  ($50, )

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