You don’t have to own a home in order to make it nice and feel like it’s yours. Whether you rent an apartment or live in a house that will only be paid off once you reach your final years, it’s important to keep things maintained and working smoothly.
And since we don’t plan on calling the local handyman every time there’s a scratch or a squeak, knowing some good hacks is the way to go. You can consider this list of home hacks as your go-to manual that will not only save you money but a major headache, too.
Let’s begin!
Cooking Spray for Doors and Cabinets
You’ve definitely heard of using a can of WD-40 to fix those pesky squeaky doors. But don’t worry, even if you don’t have a store-bought can, you can still fix the problem.
Cooking spray, such as a can of PAM, works wonders when it comes to squeaking doors and cabinets. Just spray it on your hinges, even a little bit, and you should be free of that annoying sound that earlier made you reach for the Advil. You’re welcome!
Nail Polish to Keep Screws From Going Loose
It’s amazing what just a narrow coat of nail polish can do in your home. When it comes to screws, there’s a tendency for them to go loose, which can be a headache to have to deal with.
Instead of using the more typical solution of using glue, which may not be as accessible as nail polish is, you can use the polish to keep a screw in place. Who said nail polish is just for lady’s nails?
Crayons for Nail Holes
Did you put up a picture or painting only to see that you don’t like how it looks? Or maybe you rearranged the room, and the picture is now in the wrong place. What that means is the wall now has a hole in it that you can’t ignore.
Well, now you can ignore it once you use a crayon to hide it. Just pick a good crayon that matches the wall color. Rub the crayon over the nail hole with force. This is a time when you can allow coloring on the walls!
Tape for the Perfect Caulk Edge
Have you have ever tried to use caulking but couldn’t find out how to make the ideal direct edge? Well, now all you need is a roll of painter’s tape to get the job done.
Unlike paint, the trick is to remove the tape while the caulking is still wet. If it starts to dry, you might accidentally pull up some of the already dry caulk, leaving a messy line. And who wants messy lines?
Potatoes for Broken Lightbulbs
A broken a light bulb in a socket is not only a hassle to remove, but it’s also dangerous. The hack here is to use a potato – of all things – to remove the broken bulb.
Chop the potato in half, push the soft side into the broken bulb and turn it in the reverse direction until the glass is in the potato. Make sure to switch off the power before you try this hack!
Rubber Band for Removing Stripped Screws
Sometimes, screws are used so much that they basically get stripped down, making it nearly impossible to remove them. If your screwdriver just isn’t catching the screw properly, trying using a rubber band.
Place a rubber band over the head of the screw. It adds friction so you can effectively control the stripped screw. You don’t have to worry now about removing that old stubborn cabinet.
Bar of Soap for Nail Holes
Crayons are just one hack for when it comes to filling up small holes in the wall. It might be more suitable for those who don’t have kids at home. This neat technique involves a standard bar of hand soap and it works just as well.
Rub a bar of white soap over the hole in a clockwise movement. If the soap leaves remnants on the wall, just wipe it off with a damp towel.
Cabinet Door Bumper for Rattling Doors
Sometimes it’s the simplest of things that have the most dramatic effects. Let this easy and simple hack be an example. If you have a cabinet door that jiggles a bit too much or slams shut all the time, this is a good one.
All you need is one of those cheap cabinet door bumpers to stick on the door jamb. The very same thing can be applied to drawers as well.
Baby Powder for Squeaky Floors
If your floor boards are squeaky, it’s probably because bits of wood are rubbing together. To solve the problem, you can use baby powder.
That’s right. All you need to do is fill a tiny squeeze bottle with some of the powder and squeeze the powder between some of the boards. Then, use a brush, preferably a makeup brush, to push down the powder into the cracks.
Ice Cubes for Carpet Dents
Carpets can get dents if a piece of furniture has been sitting on it for a long time. But instead of buying a whole new carpet, you can use this hack to make it go back to normal.
Set an ice cube in the damaged location and let it melt. When the water is absorbed by the carpet, it’ll start to reshape and return to how it used to be. You can also use a hard-bristled brush when the carpet is totally dry.
Hot Iron for Wood Dents
You can remove tiny dents on furniture and hardwood floors efficiently and smoothly with a hot iron. Soak the bottom of the iron with a splash of water and put a moist cloth on it.
After that, run the iron over the location in a circular pattern. Now, you don’t have to replace any piece of wood just because of one little dent!
WD-40 for Wall Markings
Parents with kids: how many walls in your home are covered with drawings? Well, as long as your walls are shiny, this will work. If your paint has a sheen to it, WD-40 can remove those crayon or marker drawings quickly.
Keep in mind, though, that if you try this technique on matt or flat paints, the WD-40 oil could can stain the surface, making it worse. If that’s the case, then you should consider using a Magic Eraser.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner for Grout
Got grout? We got a solution. Toilet bowl cleaner, such as Clorox, can do the trick. Apply the cleaner to the area with grout and allow it to sit there for a few minutes.
After a few minutes, scrub the grout with a little brush, even an old toothbrush. Clean up the area afterwards with warm water using a mop or floor wipe. Then, you can stand and enjoy how it looks!
Measuring Tape for Finding Studs
If you look closely at the tape measurer, you’ll notice that several other numbers are printed in red whereas the remaining are black. There are also small black diamonds at certain intervals on the tape, which will depend on the brand.
Those indicators are there to help you determine the stubs and the space between them in your home walls.
Kool-Aid for Toilet Leaks
If you suspect you have a leaky toilet, you can use a 20-cent packet of Kool-Aid to be sure. Remove the lid of the toilet, pour in the contents of a dark-colored Kool-Aid packet, wait 30 minutes, and then come back.
If you see that the inside of the toilet bowl has the same color as the Kool-Aid, then you know you have a leak. Just don’t flush your toilet while you’re waiting for the Kool-Aid to work its magic.
Aluminum Foil for Your Phone
Touch screen phones in the winter can be a bit of a hassle because you need to remove your gloves to use it. You can either shell out the dough for some fancy touch-screen-friendly gloves, or you can use aluminum foil.
You could also cut the tips off your gloves, but then you would look like you don’t have a home to live in. For this hack, you really only need to wrap the foil around your pointer finger – not every single one.
DIY Solution for Unclogging Your Drain
Every once in a while, the bath or sink drain gets clogged and you have to wait for what feels like an eternity until the water finally drains.
This is a DIY solution that doesn’t involve harmful chemicals. First, boil water and pour it down the drain. Next, pour 1/2 cup baking soda (you can also add 1/4 cup of salt) and 1/2 cup white vinegar. After 10 minutes, flush with warm tap water. Voila!
Dish Soap and a Broom to Clean Your Bathtub
This hack won’t just save you a few bucks, it’ll save your back, too! Cleaning a bathtub is one of those chores that people tend to put off because of having to bend over the entire time.
But, with a broom and some dish soap, the problem is now solved. The same soap that cuts the grease on your dishes successfully cleans the soap scum and mildew in your bath.
Aluminum Foil as a Funnel
Funnels are those tools that not everyone has just lying around in their home. But the good news is that you can make your own, in order to transfer liquid into a container.
One way to make a funnel is by using aluminum foil as substitute. Just take a look at the photo for reference.
Aluminum Foil as Rust Cleaner
Aluminum foil has so many purposes. Another thing to use foil on is anything that has rust on it, such as a wrench or other tool.
Foil can clear the chrome rust off the tool’s exterior. Some people will suggest that you first use a microfiber towel with soapy water to clean off the exterior and only afterwards soak your aluminum foil in clean water. Then, rub the tool down.
Rubber Band to Keep Door Open
There are times when you need your door to remain open and be able to kick it open with your foot, let’s say when your hands aren’t free. Carrying groceries or moving would be a couple examples of this.
You can use a rubber band to give you a hand. Loop it across both sides of the door’s button. That way, it won’t get in the way of your seamless grocery bag transfer!
Nail Polish for Your Window Screen
Anyone with pets, especially cats, knows that screen doors and windows can get all scratched up. The good thing is that some clear nail polish will fix the problem.
The polish acts like invisible glue, which will repair those little tears in a screen. It goes to show just how important nail polish is in the home. At least the clear kind!
Vinegar for Your Shower Head
After some time, shower heads can gather unwanted minerals which can make the shower head clogged. And that means that unwanted chemicals are pouring down onto your skin and hair every time you take a shower. Yuck!
Try this out: soak the shower head overnight in vinegar and it will be clean by the next day. This is something you can do twice or a week to ensure its cleanliness.
Pool Noodle for Your Car Door and Garage Wall
Your garage might be a tad too small, and your car door is getting the brunt of it. That’s no good. Cut out half of a pool noodle and screw it into the wall at the length that your car door tends to hit the garage wall.
The hack will safeguard your wall and keep your car door from banging into it. You’ll want the noodle to be cut in half for easy wall installation.
Squeegee for Unwanted Pet Hair
Squeegees aren’t just for cleaning windows, people! You can also use them for cleaning up all that cat or dog hair that sits too easily on your carpets.
You would be amazed at how well a squeegee can take away hair. You probably don’t have a squeegee just lying around at home, but pet owners will find that this is a worthy purchase!
Rotating Your Ceiling Fans
This hack is one that most people don’t really think about. If you correctly rotate your ceiling fans, you can save on your air conditioning costs. You just need to alter the motion of the fan.
Fans need to turn at low speed to warm the air up and all around the room during a cold season. Set the fan against the clock in the summer to drive the cooler air down.
Bubble Wrap for Your Windows
Repairing a window that spills heat doesn’t have to be a difficult thing to do. Wet a little water on the window pane, then stick some bubble wrap on the glass.
Sure, this isn’t going to be your home’s most eye-catching look, which means this hack is best used for windows of rooms that aren’t often used, or cellars outside.
Coffee for Restoring Wood
If you have a wooden cabinet, dresser, picture frame, or anything that is made of unfinished wood, then this DIY hack is for you.
Rub the wood with coffee grounds first, which will fill any chips or scratches in the wood. At the same time, it gives the wood a new color without needing to buy new paint that will eventually go to waste.
Protect Your Fingers
This hack is for those who aren’t the handiest of people. But if you’re someone who likes to get the job done anyways, then this is a useful hack. You can hang things up while also preventing unnecessary injuries to your fingers.
All you need is a clothes pin, a fine-tooth comb, or a bobby pin. What they do is easily hold up the nail so that you can hammer away without worrying about hitting your fingers and crying in pain!
Blow-Dry Stickers Away
Buying new things for the home is always fun and exciting. But the only down side is having to remove those pesky stickers that seem to be made with the purpose of never being removed.
Next time you need to remove a sticker, just heat it up with a blow dryer. The heat will then loosen the glue and allow you to peel the sticker off with ease.
Tape for Hanging Frames
Sometimes picture frames need to be predrilled, in which case this hack will make the next time you hang one up a heck of a lot easier.
Forget just making a rough calculation. The best thing to do is use masking tape to mark exactly where the holes have to go. Next, place a strip of tape right against the wall to knock the nails in the right spot.
Microwave Old Tape
Speaking of tape, there are those old rolls that we find in our closets or in the garage that are so old they have lost their adhesive. This is something no one would think of but is useful nonetheless!
Place the roll of old tape into the microwave for a few seconds, without overheating it. Now, your tape is back to a usable condition. Tape away, friends!
Magnets for Finding Nail Holes
If you want to hang things up but don’t want to make new holes (that you will eventually cover up with crayons), then you can try this hack.
All you need to do is swipe a magnet over the walls to find and save the same holes that were already made before. Let’s just hope that the holes are at least somewhat in the same place you want them to be.
Drill Into Tiles Easily
Drilling is more complicated when it comes to repairs and maintenance, especially when it comes to slippery tiles in bathrooms. If you lose grip for a split second, you can find yourself a whole new renovation project.
Luckily, there is a hack for this. Take masking tape and cover the tile that you’re going to be drilling into. With the tape, you’ll have a much firmer grip and your project will be that much easier.
Nail Polish for Rust Circles
We all have some kind of metal in our bathrooms, whether it’s a showerhead or a towel rack. These items come with moisture and the effect of humidity leaves residue, in the form of rust.
Then, you find yourself with rings of rust on your countertops, and those aren’t always removable. Nail polish to the rescue, again! Paint the bottom of the can with the polish and let dry.
Remove Old Wallpaper
Some people will say ugly wall paper is the new white walls. But no, some wallpaper is so bad that all you can think of doing is pulling it off with your hands.
But since it’s not that easy, you need a good hack to make it so. To make removing it easier, mix equal parts hot water and vinegar. With a paint roller soaked in the mixture, roll it over the wallpaper a couple times. Afterwards, the wallpaper should come off easily.
Foil for Sharpening Scissors
If you have a pair of scissors that are dull and you don’t want to buy new ones, you should try this. What you need is some aluminum foil – another wonder product that has multiple uses.
Fold the foil sheets in half and cut into it with the scissors for at least eight to 10 times. It will help sharpen the blades, making your next project that much easier.
Zip Ties for Blocked Drains
We all need to unclog our drains yet none of us ever want to do it. The hair and the goo is just yuck! But it still needs to be done! You don’t need a plumber to fix the problem.
Use some wide zip ties and link them together to make a long one. Then, use wire cutters to snip some spurs into them. Feed it into the drain and remove the source of the clog easily.
A Magnet and Glue for Your Toolbox
This simple hack will upgrade your toolbox. All you need is a small magnet and some glue. Glue the little magnet onto the bottom of your favorite hammer handle. Then let it dry completely.
It will take a while, but just be patient. When it’s dry, you will forever have a spot to keep your nails as you work and hammer away. You don’t have to blindly reach into a box of nails anymore!
Prevent Mold with Air
Not everyone knows that there are actually several ways to prevent mold from building up in bathrooms. What we do know, though, is that it’s caused by excess moisture that becomes trapped.
The humidity then causes fungi to grow. The most basic method of prevention is to ensure that you have ample amount of air in the room. So it’s as simple as leaving a window open after you get out of a hot shower or bath!
Eggshells for Cracked Tiles
This next hack may seem bizarre to some, but after reading it you’ll want to try it out. If you have a crack or two in your ceramic tiles, what you need to do is crack eggshells into the hole and smooth them out.
Fill the crack with some glue to keep the eggshells in place. Once it’s dry, find nail polish that matches the color of the tile and brush over it with a few layers.
Steel Wool for Scratches on Wooden Floors
Have a wooden piece of furniture that’s full of scratches but you can’t find the heart to throw it out? We understand. This hack will let you keep the piece as well as repair it.
Take some steel wool grit paper and brush over the visible scratches. But, don’t do it too rough. It also works great as an eraser. It works best when restoring old wooden floors.