Add “handyman” to the list of things you become when you finally have your own home. Being able to fix broken stuff and keep things running smoothly by yourself can be quite necessary. I remember having to bathe in the backyard for two whole days (I assure you no one could see me) because I had no time to call in a plumber to fix a clogged sink. If I had known how to do it myself, there would have been no need to simulate Caribbean Life in my backyard.
If you have any major home improvement jobs you need to get done, it’s important to hire professionals to avoid doing it wrong or getting hurt. However, there are a few quick fixes to carry on comfortably in the meantime. Here are ten easy tricks you should learn in a heartbeat. [1]
Unclog that sink
Quit the bad habit of pushing debris further down the drain with a stick. Instead, pour a hot-water solution of kitchen salt and baking soda in equal proportions down the drain. Allow it to sit for a couple of minutes, and follow it up with warm vinegar. Vinegar can dissolve materials as thick as dried glue. Everything should flow more easily in a few minutes. This trick works for bathroom and kitchen sinks.
Holding your screws in place
Have you ever tried to drive a screw into place but it kept falling off? Well, screws are made of metal, and so are screwdrivers. Magnets hold metals together. All you have to do is slap a tiny, strong magnet to the center of the screwdriver, and it would become a magnet itself. You can use the tip to pick up screws and gently slip them into the right slot.
Tighten the toilet flusher
If your toilet flusher is jiggly and no longer working, it’s most likely due to a loose chain. The chain is what pulls back to let the water out. You can fix this in a few easy steps. First, stop the water from running and open the tank. Empty it by gently pull the chain backward until the water rushes out. A clasp links the handle to the chain on the inside, and if the handle is jiggly, the clasp had probably shifted up. Gently remove it and put it a few links lower on the chain until the handle stops jiggling. Let the water run in again and test out your work. It should work nicely.
Get the cords in a neat bundle
If you are tired of your home looking like a low-budget power station, it’s time to put those packaging tubes to good use. These cylindrical tubes are made of cardboard about ¼ inches thick. Your TV cords and charger cable can be placed in the tubes to hold them all together.
The tube can either be taped underneath a table or to the side of the wall. Make an end-to-end vertical cut on the side and use duct tape to seal the rough edges. If you want, you could coat the tube with paint the same color as the surface it would be attached to. When it dries, seal it to the wall or underneath the desk. Finally, slowly slide each cord into the tube until they are out of sight. The plugs should be facing the outlet or device inlets as required.
Safety while hammering nails
If you’ve ever thwacked your thumb with a hammer, then this one’s for you. Sometimes, the nails drive in diagonally while you’re trying to keep your thumb safe. All you need is a thick cardboard paper or a mouse pad, and you’re good to go. (A mouse pad is easier to work with.) Make an X in the center and cut out the shape so you can fix a nail through one of the limbs. When you’re ready to use the hammer, put the nail in any limb and hold the far end of the mouse pad while you work. Safety guaranteed!
No claw hammer marks on the wall
Using a claw hammer can be a real pain when you think about the damage left on your smooth wall afterward. If you want to remove a nail without having claw marks on the wall, wrap a thin, wide rubber band around the head of the hammer into an X shape. Claw out as many nails as you want and don’t worry about the paint.
For a sparkling clean sink
Instead of using bleach in your kitchen sink, you could try a simpler, safer alternative with vinegar and baking soda. A good vinegar solution should have about 6% acidity, which is strong enough to dissolve tough food stains. Baking soda is a natural, mild alkaline compound that’s great for grease removal. Vinegar is safer when used with baking soda.
Start by washing out the sink with detergent. Then sprinkle baking soda over the top surface. After a minute, and while wearing a hand glove, scrub the sink with a towel or a soft sponge soaked in vinegar. You’d have a sparkling, twinkling sink afterward.
A clean way to save your paint
You can’t always predict the exact amount of paint you need for a job, so it’s better to have too much than too little. If you have any paint left, don’t dump the can in the garage. Pour nail polish remover on a towel and gently scrub off paint from the body of the bucket. Next, puncture 3 or 4 holes around the rim of the paint to drain the excess into the can. When it’s completely drained, wipe the rim with the remover-soaked towel and replace the lid. The bucket is in perfect condition for storage.
Extend battery life
AAA batteries need to be replaced more frequently than the AA size. This is because the former is smaller in size and has less electrochemical material. If you want your tiny AAAs to last longer, slip a thin piece of aluminum foil rolled into a ball between the battery and the terminal. That’s all. The foil will reduce the amount of free charge being wasted, thus enhancing the battery’s life.
Marking out the perfect intervals
This is a great trick for projects that involve symmetry. You may not be a trained handyman, but you should be able to do some decent, non-tacky jobs. If you want to mark out equal spaces, grab a measuring tape, a pencil, and a large clip binder. Clip the pencil at a desirable distance from the tip, and connect one of the clip’s metal handles to the back of the measuring tape. While marking, watch the edge of the tape and place the metal tip at the last drawn line. You’ll have symmetrical markings afterward.
References:
- “10 things every homeowner should know“, 12 Tomatoes.
