Many common household problems can be easily fixed with basic hand tools and a little know-how, saving both time and money. You can confidently tackle simple fixes without ever needing to plug in a power tool.
Remove your home’s tiny annoyances
I’m not good with tools. In fact, the tools I have in my home are limited to a few wrenches and screwdrivers. The only power tool I have is an inexpensive drill my father bought me as a Christmas gift a few years ago, because he was tired of being asked to do minor repairs.
Not too long ago, I figured out a simple truth: you don’t need power tools to perform basic tasks. Instead, items like everyday cooking spray, wood glue, and yes, screwdrivers will get these types of jobs accomplished. Though if you’re still interested in buying power tools for your home, there are several types of essential power tools to consider.
5
Silence a squeaky door hinge
My home is over 45 years old, so I’m always making minor repairs to what I consider small, annoying problems. At the top of this list are door hinges that like to sing. Months ago, those high-pitched cries I heard every time my daughter opened and closed her bedroom door were causing me great pain.
Luckily, there’s a quick solution to this problem. To silence a noise-making door hinge, spray it with WD-40, a multipurpose spray that’s been around for homeowners since the 1950s. You can buy it at any hardware or big-box store.
After you spray the WD-40 on the door hinges a few times, use a soft cloth to wipe it away so the residue doesn’t drip onto the floor. Move the door back and forth to see if that resolves the problem. If it doesn’t, add more WD-40 and try again.
If you don’t have time to get WD-40, you can also use cooking spray or vegetable oil to accomplish the task. Both work great as instant lubricant for squeaky hinges. Better still, these aren’t toxic, so you can use them on lower door hinges where children and pets might be roaming around.
4
Fixing a running toilet
Sometimes, when you flush a toilet, it continues to run for no apparent reason. Not only is this annoying, but over time, will also lead to a higher water bill. Often, simply moving the handle back and forth a few times resolves this issue. If the handle doesn’t go back to its default position when flushing, spray some WD-40 inside to make sure it can turn freely. If this doesn’t work, you’ll need to put on a pair of rubber gloves and take a closer look.
When your toilet won’t stop running, remove the lid from the tank, then flush it and observe the result. Most of the time, a running toilet is caused by either a flapper that isn’t sealed correctly, or a water level that’s too high. Your toilet’s flapper is most likely made of rubber or silicone, though it may also be plastic. The color is usually black, gray, or red.
The flapper’s main purpose is to open and close the barrier that moves water from the tank to the toilet bowl. When it’s not properly sealed, the toilet will continue to run. This object is attached to a metal chain that connects to the back of the flush handle.
For whatever reason, this chain may have become loose and needs to be adjusted to seal the flapper more effectively. Through trial and error, you should be able to find the perfect length, thereby ensuring the flapper seals properly.
Over time, the flapper can become brittle or warped, which might also be the cause of the issue. If you touch the flapper and pieces flake off, it’s time to replace it. You can find flappers at stores like Walmart, as well as universal flappers on Amazon.
If the flapper appears to be working fine, the running toilet may be caused by excessive water flowing in and out of the tank. Most likely, this is because the water is rising above the tank’s overflow tube. A vertical fill valve and adjacent floater or cup control the flow of water inside the tank.
A floater, which is found in older toilets, can be adjusted by gently bending its metal arms downward. This causes the ball to sit lower, thereby turning off the water sooner. On newer toilets with cups, adjusting requires a slight modification to the screw or clip that secures the fill valve. Use a screwdriver to carefully turn the screw clockwise, or squeeze the clip to slide the float cup down a little further on the valve.
3
Unclog a slow drain
Clogged drains are never fun, whether it’s the sink in your kitchen or a toilet that won’t flush properly. A plunger or a drain snake should resolve these types of issues. If you’re unclogging a toilet, be sure to buy a bellows plunger, which will do the job much better than the usual cup plungers you see in restrooms.
To unclog a drain with a plunger, place it over the clog and push it up and down. Changing the water pressure continuously should dislodge whatever’s causing the problems. A drain clog remover stick is a good choice for tub or sink drains where hair, makeup, and other debris can create clogs.
For more serious issues, you might need a drain snake or toilet auger. Using these involves forcing them up through the drain and piping to displace whatever objects are there.
If you still have a clog, I suggest adding a small amount of everyday detergent to the sink or toilet and letting it sit there for a while, as some detergents can break up the clog. In this case, reuse the plunger or snake after adding the detergent and observe the results. If you still have a problem, it’s time to call a plumber.
2
Tighten a loose cabinet or drawer pull
Cabinets and drawers are designed to open and close multiple times throughout the day. Eventually, a screw on one of the pulls may need to be tightened due to all this movement. In this case, you need to use a screwdriver to drive it back into place. Finding the right screwdriver may require some trial and error, so it’s helpful to have screwdrivers of multiple sizes.
If you aren’t sure, start with the smallest one you have and adjust it from there until you find one that fits best inside the edges of the top of the screw. Then, turn it clockwise to tighten.
1
Patch a small drywall hole
Most homes in the U.S. have walls made of drywall and with good reason: they are easy to repair. If there’s a hole in your wall, it can be quickly patched, or entire sheets can be replaced.
When you’re dealing with a minor issue with your wall, all you need is a putty knife, a little bit of spackle, and fine-grit sandpaper. All of these can be found at your favorite hardware store and are sometimes sold as a bundle.
Spackle is a white, putty-like substance used to fill small holes or cracks in walls, ceilings, and other surfaces. All you need to do is place a small amount of the paste in the hole in the wall, then use the putty knife to smooth it out. After the spackle dries, use sandpaper to smooth it down so it matches the rest of the wall.
Assuming the spackle isn’t the same color as the wall, you’ll also need to paint the finished spot to match. Or you can do what I do: hang something over the spot and get on with your day.
Minor problems around your home can usually be solved using items that you either already have or that can be easily purchased. None of these are costly power tools, so you can save more of your hard-earned money while also dealing with common issues. Next, why not use a few tricks to get your floors properly cleaned?