Repair tools that anyone can use around the house
Use Kool-Aid to find out if your toilet sprung a leak
A leaky toilet can mean a very hefty plumber’s bill is in your immediate future, but don’t despair. You can actually do the diagnostic part by yourself, and it won’t cost you more than 20 cents. How? Buy one of those small packets of dark-colored Kool-Aid, and then remove your toilet tank’s lid.
Pour the contents of the packet inside. Wait about half an hour, and then take a look at the water in the bowl. If they’ve been colored, sorry – you have a leak. Just make sure you don’t flush while you wait.
Use coins to close the gap on a too-narrow bolt
Picture the scene – you’re all ready to get down and dirty on a do-it-yourself project, grab your trusty wrench, and… realize the bolt is too narrow to be grabbed by the wrench.
Don’t just use that as an excuse to give up and go watch some TV instead, though. The solution is as simple as rounding up loose change, literally. Simply slip coins in the gap between the wrench and whatever you’re trying to grab with it, filling up as much of the extra space as you need.
Use magnets to find nail holes
Eventually, you’ll get the urge to apply a fresh coat of paint or change the wallpaper somewhere in your house. When that happens, you’ll obviously have to take down anything hanging from those walls, but what do you do when it’s time to put everything back up?
Well, you could make completely new holes, we guess. But you could also put itty-bitty nails into the existing ones before painting/wallpapering. Then, when you’re done, swipe a magnet over the wall to find – and reuse – the very same ones.
Use gasoline to unclog spray cans
If you know anything about mass production, you’ve likely heard of “planned obsolescence.” If you haven’t, here’s what it boils down to – in order to maximize profits, manufacturers build a limited shelf life into their products to make sure you run right back and get some more of it.
Spray cans are some of the worst examples of this, as you can clearly hear there’s some juice left but nothing comes out. Easy solve – just soak the nozzle in gasoline for 15 minutes to clear any paint clogging the cap.
Use tape to make drilling into tiles a breeze
Drilling is a risky business, especially when done on slippery tiles like the ones often found in bathrooms. If you so much as lose grip and slip for a second, you’re looking at a second, unexpected home project you’ll need to attend to sooner rather than later.
Some might call it the cost of doing business, but we’re here to tell you there’s an easy fix. Simply cover the tile where you’re about to drill with masking tape, and your drill will magically have better grip, for a slip-free experience.
Use cooking spray to fix squeaky hinges
Have you got a door, or a window, or a cabinet – anything, really – that squeaks? If you do, you’re probably slowly being driven insane by that sound. The good news is that you can make it go away for good exceptionally easily, without going to the store to pick up some WD-40.
That’s right, the only thing you really need is some cooking spray. Just spray it on the hinges – but don’t douse it – and you’re guaranteed to be completely squeak free in no time flat. the packet inside. Wait about half an hour, and then take a look at the water in the bowl. If they’ve been colored, sorry – you have a leak. Just make sure you don’t flush while you wait.
Use a pool noodle as a garage wall bumper
If you have a garage adjacent to your home, rather than just a driveway, then congratulations. However, if that garage isn’t especially roomy, you might notice that you bang your door on the wall whenever you get out of the car, damaging either the door, the wall or both.
We have an easy hack to protect both – simply screw a foam pool noodle into the garage’s wall at the height where the car door hits. The noodle will soften the blow, so to speak, and you’ll be home free – literally!
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