Repair tools that anyone can use around the house
Use tape to make hanging predrilled frames easier
We have opinions about predrilled picture frames. No self-respecting DIYer uses them, but if you absolutely have to, we’ll help you figure out how you can tell where to place the nails.
You can’t just make your best guesstimate – if the nails aren’t exactly right, you can’t hang the darned thing. The solution is so obvious you’ll probably be slapping yourself. Just use masking or painter’s tape to mark the placement of the holes, and then put the tape over the wall to know exactly where the nails go.
Use a microwave to refresh not-so-sticky tape
Tape is one of the most useful – and versatile – tools in a DIYer’s arsenal. Just ask MacGyver! There’s really only one snag – given enough time, tape tends to lose some of its stickiness.
Don’t throw it out and run to the store to buy a fresh roll, though. Just like MacGyver, you can get out of this bind with a little improvisation and creativity – and a microwave! Simply stick the tape in there for a few seconds, and it’ll be good as new. Just make sure you don’t overheat it.
Use ice cubes to even out carpet dents
If you have carpets anywhere in your house, and you get the desire to freshen your interior design up a bit, you’ve no doubt come across this problem.
Whenever heavy pieces of furniture like beds or cabinets are placed on carpets, they leave those unsightly indentations that you can’t seem to get rid of. Well, you actually can, and it’s super easy. Just put some ice cubes on them and let them melt. Then, mop up any excess water, and use a toothbrush to return them to their former glory.
Use a mic to reveal hidden wires
Drilling into the wall is an intimidating task if you’re doing it next to any outlets or switches. If you’re not careful, you might end up getting the shock of your life – literally.
There is a solution, and it’s a little convoluted, but bear with us. If you connect a microphone to a tape recorder, you can easily find any wires hidden in the wall. If the tape recorder hums when the mic is near a specific spot, you know there’s a wire there, and can just drill somewhere else.
Use a plastic bag to keep paintbrushes fresh
Painting walls can be a wonderfully relaxing activity… unless you don’t finish everything you wanted to paint in one go, that is. If that happens, you’ll just come back to a brush that went as hard as solid steel after paint was left to dry on it for like 35 seconds.
Don’t go crazy, though – go creative. If you seal the paintbrush in an airtight plastic bag when you’re done using it, it’ll stay fresh and usable for your next project – no matter how far down the road it is.
Use a potato to unscrew a broken lightbulb
The old “how many X does it take to change a lightbulb” jokes are great and all, but they discount what a pain in the neck it is when said lightbulb shatters in your hand as you try to unscrew it. Just how are you supposed to remove it from the socket then?
The answer is – easily! Just grab a potato and cut it in half, then push its soft side into the broken bulb. Make sure it’s really wedged in there, and then just turn it counterclockwise to remove the broken bulb.
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