16 Must-Know Repair Hacks Every Homeowner Should Master

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Owning a home comes with many maintenance responsibilities that can often feel overwhelming, especially for new homeowners. As a new homeowner, it’s essential to handle minor repairs on your own rather than rely on others. Mastering these simple tricks will save you time and money.

Fix a Squeaky Door

Without having to explain it any further, anyone will concur with the idea that a squeaky door can drive you mad. Before resorting to force, like smashing or using a hammer, try applying cooking spray or petroleum jelly. In fact, all you do is just put it on the hinges and open and shut the door a few times, and ta-da! Your door will be quiet again today.

Patch Small Wall Holes

Have you hewed a small nail hole or dent in the wall? You don’t need an expert for that. Take a little white toothpaste (really!) and then scoop some to fill the hole. Level it with a putty knife or a credit card. After that, it dries up, and you can paint on it. It is used temporarily in case one cannot do a more permanent spackling.

Unclog a Stubborn Drain

Instead of rushing out to buy drain cleaner, try this easy hack: pour a cup of baking soda down the drain, then a cup of vinegar. Leave it for a couple of minutes, then pour in some hot water. The gunk and grime will be down the drain – literally – and your pipes will be as fresh as new ones – without having to use any caustic chemicals!

Cabinet Handle Repair

If a cabinet handle always seems to be coming off, here is a toothpick fix to make it work after a while. Unscrew the opening, then use a few toothpicks and some glue to plug the hole. After that, you must break it off from the excess and screw the handle back in. The toothpicks will help the screw grip the shoe even better, eliminating the problem for good.

Stop a Leaky Showerhead

If your showerhead leaks during a shower or when turned off, you don’t necessarily have to get a new one or hire a shower plumber; you need to clean it. Remove the shower head, apply some taping around the threads and fix the shower head back on. One narrow strip of tape is enough to stop leaks from happening.

Replace a Broken Tile

Gaps in grown tiles make your floor or backsplash look cheap, but patching one is not as difficult as it may seem. Chisel out the useless tile with emphasis and make sure that the underneath area is clean. Just put some tile adhesive and place a new tile. Grout it up, and you’re done!

Fix a Running Toilet

What’s that constant sound as though water is running in your toilet? Oh no, it’s wasting water and therefore your hard-earned cash is going down the drain. Fortunately, this is easily solved by replacing the flapper valve, and as you might have noticed, it’s incredibly cheap. Shut off the water supply, replace the old valve with a new one, and your toilet will stop running like a child.

Silence a Noisy Floorboard

If your wooden floors and the furniture on them all squeak when you step on them, it is annoying. According to manomano.co.uk, putting just a little bit of talcum or baby powder between the floorboards on your kitchen floor helps eliminate the friction that creates this sound and ensures your floors remain far less noisy.

How to Remove Scratches on Wooden Furniture

Even for such small problems as scratches on wooden furniture, you won’t need to call a professional to refinish the surface. A walnut (indeed, yes, this sort of walnut) can perform miracles. You can rub a walnut on the scratched area, and its oils will significantly cover up the scratch.

Fix a Loose Screw Hole

You don’t need to buy larger screws when a screw is constantly falling out of its hole. Still, place the next tooth into the hole in the same way, using some wooden matches or toothpicks and a little glue. Allow it to dry and then just tighten the screw – that ought to do the trick!

Seal a Drafty Window

Loose windows can cause drafts, affecting your home’s climate and making your heater less efficient, leading to a higher heating bill. A quick remedy is to paint the small cracks with clear nail polish. They’re easy to use, invisible, and guarantee that you will not feel the chill till you can get a new window.

Remove Water Stains From Wood

Wood is actually quite a forgiving material, and if you spill a drink and it leaves a water ring on the surface, there is no cause for alarm. Place a cloth over the stain and then iron it for a few seconds with a warm iron. Even the ring – the heat will wick the moisture out of that wood, and the ring will vanish in thin air!

Sharpen Dull Scissors

When your scissors go dull, are you ready for it to make you crazy? Sharpen them by cutting through some aluminum foil. You simply fold the foil a few times, make some cuts, and it’s ready for use. This hack will have your scissors performing optimally just like they were new.

Fix a Wobbly Chair

Having a chair that rocks back and forth on its four legs may well be a truly irritating thing. Save money by purchasing a new one; in instances, fixaments with wood glue are loose.

Bring the chair part into contact with the other part where the glue was applied, then use the clamps to compress the two parts and leave them to dry. The paint and materials will not wear out, and you will have a comfortable chair that looks as good as the day you bought it.

Prevent Mold in the Bathroom

To prevent mold from building up in your bathroom, use a simple trick: turn on the fan after every shower or leave your bathroom window open. This prevents moisture from remaining and causes mold issues later due to increased humidity.

Fix a Loose Faucet

If your faucet is not fixed and is shaking all over, it likely has a loose nut underneath. To ensure that each of the nuts is well tightened, use a basin wrench, and you will be sure that your faucet is strong once more.