It’s usually the little things around the house that get on your nerves the most.

A cabinet door that won’t stay shut. A hinge that squeaks every time you open the door. A rug that slides halfway across the room. A stain that you’ve tried cleaning more times than you’d like to admit.

None of these problems are huge, but when you deal with them every day, they can get pretty irritating.

The funny thing is that some of these annoying household problems have really simple fixes. You might already have what you need sitting in a drawer, bathroom cabinet, or garage.

Here are some easy home tricks that can save you a little time, money, and frustration.

Use a Rubber Band to Grip a Stripped Screw

A stripped screw can make a five-minute project feel impossible. Before you give up on it, grab a wide rubber band. Place it over the screw head, then press your screwdriver firmly into the rubber band while turning.

The rubber helps fill some of the worn spaces in the screw head and gives the screwdriver more grip. It won’t work for every badly stripped screw, but it’s worth trying before reaching for a drill or another tool. It’s one of those tricks that sounds too easy to work until you actually try it.

Wrap Door Knobs with Aluminum Foil While Painting

Painting around a doorknob can be a pain. You either have to work carefully around it or spend time covering it with painter’s tape. Aluminum foil makes the job a little easier.

Just wrap the foil around the doorknob before you start painting. It molds around the shape of the hardware and helps keep paint splatters off. Once you’re finished, pull the foil off and throw it away. No tape to peel off and no tiny paint spots to scrub from the hardware later.

Clean Grout with Toothpaste and Baking Soda

Dirty grout can make otherwise clean tile look pretty rough. For a quick homemade cleaner, mix some baking soda with a little white, non-gel toothpaste until you have a thick paste.

Grab an old toothbrush and work the mixture into the grout lines. The baking soda and toothpaste provide some gentle scrubbing action that can help loosen dirt and buildup. For tougher messes, you might need a proper cleaner or a few rounds of scrubbing. But for everyday grime, this is an easy thing to try with items you may already have at home.

Install Pool Noodles to Protect Garage Walls

If your garage is a little too tight for comfort, you don’t have to live with the fear of slamming your car door into the wall. A pool noodle can make a cheap bumper.

Cut the noodle lengthwise, then attach it to the wall at about the height where your car door makes contact. The foam gives the door something soft to hit instead of concrete or drywall. It’s a simple fix that can help protect both your car door and your garage wall from repeated bumps.

Use a Squeegee to Lift Embedded Pet Hair

If you have pets, you already know that vacuuming doesn’t always get all the hair out of the carpet. Try running a rubber window squeegee firmly across the carpet. The rubber edge catches hair that’s worked its way down into the fibers and pulls it into little piles.

Once you’ve gathered the hair, just pick it up or vacuum it away. It’s especially useful in areas where your pet spends a lot of time and where the vacuum seems to leave half the fur behind.

Fix a Loose Shower Head with Thread Tape

A showerhead that wobbles or drips around the connection doesn’t always need to be replaced. Plumber’s thread tape can help create a tighter seal around the threaded connection.

Unscrew the showerhead, wrap the tape clockwise around the exposed threads a few times, then screw the showerhead back on and tighten it by hand. Don’t go overboard with the tape or force the connection too tightly. It’s a small repair, but fixing a leak early can save you from dealing with a bigger water problem later.

Silence Squeaky Hinges with Bar Soap

That squeaky door doesn’t always need a special lubricant. Grab a dry bar of soap and rub it along the hinge pin. Open and close the door a few times so the soap can work into the hinge.

The soap provides a little lubrication and can quiet that annoying squeak. It’s worth trying before you go searching for a can of lubricant.

Remove Furniture Dents in Carpet with Ice

Move a couch or heavy piece of furniture, and you might be left with ugly dents in the carpet. Ice can help bring those flattened fibers back up. Place an ice cube over the dent and let it melt. Give the carpet time to absorb the moisture, then gently fluff the fibers with your fingers or the edge of a spoon.

Let the area dry completely before putting the furniture back. This works best on carpets where the fibers have simply been flattened. Very old or badly damaged carpet may need more than this little trick.

Patch Small Nail Holes with Toothpaste

Have a tiny nail hole in the wall that you need to hide? You might already have something that can handle it. White, non-gel toothpaste can fill very small holes in a pinch. Push a little into the hole, smooth the surface with your finger or a flat edge, and let it dry.

Once it’s dry, lightly sand the spot if needed and touch it up with paint. For larger holes or a more permanent repair, use spackle. But for a tiny hole that suddenly catches your eye, toothpaste can save you from opening a whole container of patching compound.

Keep Rugs from Sliding with Hot Glue

A rug that slides around every time someone walks over it gets old fast. For a quick fix, flip the rug over and add small dots or thin lines of hot glue to the underside. Let the glue cool and harden completely before putting the rug back down.

The dried glue gives the underside some extra grip against the floor and can help keep the rug from moving around. Just be careful with this trick on delicate rugs or certain flooring materials. Test a small spot first if you’re unsure.