5 Clever Finds To Make Oil Changes Easier And Mess-Free

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When it comes to car maintenance, it can be easy to miss crucial tasks that can drastically improve the longevity of your vehicle, like routine oil changes. It comes with the mental load of choosing the right oil filter brand and risking damage to your property with an oil spill. Plus, the cost of necessary equipment and parts, like automotive jacks and creepers, can be expensive, and you may not have the space to accommodate them.

However, there are still a lot of valid reasons why you may want to still do it yourself. It’s always a good idea to develop car maintenance skills, especially if you want to be the kind of person who doesn’t need to rely on other people in an emergency.

While it’s not always the most cost-effective way of doing things, if you decide to take the DIY route, we’ve made a step-by-step guide that you can follow. That said, what you lack in skill, you may be able to make up for with the right tools. Through some strategic shopping, you can avoid some common oil change issues. To help you, we’ve taken note of some clever finds that people swear by. We also let you know our methodology for how we’ve narrowed down our selection and why we chose them at the end.

The first thing you’ll need for an oil change, is a way to get the oil into the engine, and that starts with a funnel like the TEC Products FlexAll Long Flexible Funnels. Available in two sizes (small and large) its prices range between $24.99 to $34.99. If you’re not sure what size to get, it’s important to reflect on whether you need high volume or want the compactness for tighter spaces.

When not stretched out, the small model measures 12 inches in length with a 4-inch cone and spout that is 0.53 inches. On the other hand, the large option is 16 inches in length with a significantly wider 5.3-inch cone mouth and 0.71-inch spout. You can also trim the outlet to your desired size.

Made for heavy-duty automotive use, you can safely use it for all kinds of automotive liquids from oil, ethylene glycol-based antifreeze, and hydraulic fluid. Since it’s made of nitrile rubber, it can be cleaned with just warm soapy water after every use.

Listed as an Amazon’s Choice Product, more than 1,400 people rated it around 4.6 stars. A Made in the USA product, 72% of users rated it a perfect rating with most people saying it meets expectations. But while only 3% thought it was 1-star material, there were some disappointed customers who commented that it melted in the heat, was too thin, and the wind blows it away too easily.

To help you grip your automotive oil filters more effectively, the WORKPRO Oil Filter wrench set is for you. If you just want the 12-inch model, it retails for $13.05. But if you want the set that includes both the 9-inch and 12-inch models, you’ll only need to shell out $17.99 for both. If you’re wondering which option to get, the 9-inch variant has a jaw capacity between 1-3/4 -inches to 3 inches, while the 12-inch model can fit 2-½-inch to 3-¾-inch. Either way, both sizes are made of heat-treated carbon steel with a soft grip handle.

In general, WORKPRO is known to be a pretty reliable brand when it comes to hand tools. In fact, we’ve recommended everything from its pliers sets to big mechanics tool sets. Knowing this, it’s unsurprising that this particular oil filter wrench offers also fares pretty well with an average rating of 4.6 stars from 1,700+ Amazon customers.

An Amazons’ Choice product, an impressive 77% of users thought it was worth giving a perfect rating. In general, people think that it grips well and a good alternative to strap wrenches. But take note, the 4% of buyers who were unhappy enough to rate it a single star said it had problems with rusting, not locking, and slipping.

Made to prevent all sorts of liquids from staining your garage floors, the Drymate Oil Spill Mat is made of 2 layers. First, it has a polyester fabric that absorbs any oil, brake fluid, or coolant that falls on it. Second, it has a slip-resistant backing, which it’s soft enough that you can lie on top of it if you need to get to work on your car. As for regular maintenance, you can use soap and water to clean any residue off and simply hang it to dry. While there are hundreds of cheaper products out there, this one is made for those patriotic environmentalists, because it’s both Made in the USA and built with recycled fibers.

With prices that start at $15.99, it comes in different sizes and even has versions made to be garage floor runners and mats. For the 36-inch by 59-inch XL mats, you can get a pair for $39.99 (around $20 each) or a dozen for $199.99 (around $16.70 per unit). It can also be cut to fit your preferred sizes. Apart from being an Amazon’s Choice product, the oil spill mats have collectively been both a highly rated and popular product. As of April 2026, more than 7,000 people have rated it 4.5 stars on average.

Available in two colors (black and green), the price for the Capri Tools Portable Oil Drain Pans starts at just under $29.99. With a capacity of 4.5 gallons, the polyethylene drain pan has features like an anti-splash lip and molded handle. Measuring 23 inches by 29 inches by 6 inches, it has a 1-inch diameter spout that can be used to prevent accidental spills. it’s also stackable and weighs just 2.5 pounds, so you can easily store a few of them in your garage. Or you can use the front hole to hang it up.

Aside from being an Amazon’s Choice product, it has an impressive ratio in terms of satisfied customers. So far, over 2,500+ Amazon buyers have rated it 4.8 stars on average with a whopping 88% giving it a perfect 5-star rating. In general, people often praise its user-friendly design and capacity. 

Among satisfied reviewers, some mentioned that it works great for large oil changes, such as trucks. Others shared that the product works for years with no problems. Perhaps it’s even more impressive is not a single user has rated it 1-star. Although some 3-star reviews note that it doesn’t pour as cleanly when it’s too full and doesn’t let you put the old filter in the pan. Alternatively, if you don’t really need the large capacity, Capri Tools also offers a 2 Gallon model for $24.99.

For people who don’t want to crawl under their cars anymore, the EWK Vacuum Oil Extractor Pump helps you avoid having to jack up your car, as well the risks of getting oil stains on your new shirt by skipping risky part of transferring the oil from your pan. It comes with a 6L oil container, hose set, pump handle, sealing cap, and pour spout. Apart from its 59-inch clear hose, it also has a 42-inch flexible metal probe. While it’s not meant for fluids hotter than 175°F, you can use it for other kinds of liquids, like coolant and power steering fluids. It’s also fit for other vehicles, like boats, jet skis, motorcycles, and even lawnmowers.

Priced at $49.99, the EWK Vacuum Oil Extractor Pump has generated an average rating of 4.5 stars from more than 1,500 Amazon customers. An Amazon’s Choice product, around 79% of users rated it a perfect 5 stars with many saying it was simple to use, affordable, and multi-purpose, since you can use it for other vehicles apart from your car. Among satisfied customers, they mentioned that it works well with correcting over-filling.” Although, there a few peppered complaints with 6% of users rating it a single star, such as people wishing the reservoir had a cap, issues with vinyl flaking, and concerns about durability.

We scoured the internet to find products that address different issues that we all tend to encounter during the oil change process. In particular, we looked for options that helped make the process more efficient and to reduce the expected clean up afterwards. Next, we chose products that have been rated at least 4.5 stars by more than a thousand users. Then, we made sure to only include tools that more than 70% have given a perfect rating and less than 10% rating it a single star.

Lastly, we mentioned specific issues that people have raised, so you can manage your expectations regarding their performance. While it didn’t impact their inclusion on this list, we also shared if the product was listed as made in the USA, which may matter to people who want to support local products. We also took note if they’ve been tagged as Amazon’s Choice products.