This $5 Cult-Favorite Super Cleaner Can Get Out the Toughest Stains

A good stain remover can do more than save your carpet, furniture, and textiles—it can save you tons of money, too. That’s why we have to pause and celebrate every solid stain remover we come across. This cult-favorite cleaner on Amazon is no exception.

If you don’t already have a bottle of Whink Rust Stain Remover at home, now is the perfect time to get your hands on one.

We first came across this $5 miracle worker on an AskReddit thread devoted to cleaning tips, when it came highly recommended by pro housecleaner and commenter katgib13 who said: “I’m a professional house cleaner and I clean a lot of rural homes. Whinks Rust Remover is the best product on the market for rust. Hands down.”

Made with hydrofluoric acid (a notoriously harsh but hard-working cleaning agent), Whink is a heavily diluted version that doesn’t just fade a rust stain—it completely removes it. If you use it wisely—avoid using it on delicate surfaces and stick to sinks, bathtubs, toilet bowls, kitchen tools, hardware, and colorfast fabrics and carpets—it might just be the thing you need for that really tough stain you’ve been stuck with.

Unsurprisingly, the Amazon reviews back up its super powers, too. Here’s what customer P. Jones had to say in their verified, five-star review of the beloved rust remover:

“I have never encountered a more effective rust removal product and I’ve been using it a long time. What really sold me on this product was an incident years ago when we were having our carpets cleaned. A wood carrier that had become wet had left large, unattractive rust stains on the light gray carpet. Our carpet cleaners (whom we’ve used forever and do an excellent job) regretted being unable to remove the stain with their products. I asked them to hold on a minute while I grabbed the Whink (which I’d been reluctant to use on the carpet… but what the heck?! My VERY GOOD AND RELIABLE CARPET CLEANING GUYS hadn’t been successful). Poured it straight from the bottle over the rusted areas and marveled as the stains instantly melted into the carpet, completely disappearing! Cleaners took a few swipes with the steam vacuum to really check the area. Then they turned around and asked ‘What was that stuff again???’ Whink has repeatedly worked miracles for me.”

And if that review didn’t convince you of Whink’s cleaning potential, just read what customer Susan Mejia had to say about this $5 wonder: “This is the only product that works on the stains in our toilet from our hard water! Works instantly, no scrubbing!”

Translation: Along with removing stubborn rust stains from your tub, sink, and carpet—you can use this affordable cleaning solution to deep clean your toilet bowl—no scrubbing necessary.

An affordable rust remover that actually dissolves stains and frees you of any toilet scrubbing? Now that alone is worth celebrating.