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Make the most of your time indoors this winter by tackling all those small jobs that have piled up during the year. Walk around your home and examine each room closely. Make a list of things that need fixing or that you’ve been intending to spruce up, then attack the problems room by room. Need some motivation? If you get started now, by the time spring rolls around, you’ll be free to enjoy the sunshine.
Tackle Hardware Repairs
- Free sticking doors and locks. Remove the handle and lubricate the moving parts with penetrating oil (from hardware stores) to dissolve rust. Spray graphite powder from a squeezable tube or bottle (also from hardware stores) into the keyhole to keep parts moving.
- Stop a sputtering shower. Get rid of the sediment that clogs your showerhead by filling a plastic bag with white vinegar, sealing it over the showerhead with a rubber-band and leaving it overnight. In the morning, brush off the deposits with an old toothbrush.
- Keep sliding doors moving. Vacuum the track channel, then use an old toothbrush to remove stubborn debris. Tighten loose screws that secure the tracks to the wall frame, and coat the rollers and track with penetrating oil.
Do It in Just 5 Minutes
Shed light on bulb failure. Bulbs installed on the ceilings under high-traffic rooms take a lot of wear and tear and must be changed often. Replace them with slightly more expensive shock-resistant or “rough-service” bulbs that absorb the vibrations from movement above and last longer than regular bulbs.
Insider Tip
Call an electrician if outlets or light switches are unusually warm or hot to the touch. That may be an indication of unsafe wiring.
Get Fabulous Floors and Doors
Correct many common problems with just a couple of tools. Small adjustments can solve minor but persistent problems before they create major headaches.
- Quiet a squeaky floor. Clean out any debris trapped in the joint between the offending boards. Sweep talc or cornstarch between the boards to lubricate the joint.
- Secure loose door handles. Tighten the screws that came loose by holding on to the handle on the opposite faceplate and simultaneously screwing them in with a screwdriver.
- Reseal vinyl tile. Pry up the area where the tiles have come loose and clean out the trapped debris and old adhesive with a putty knife. Spread new adhesive down and press the flooring back into place. Weight the edges with a heavy object for at least half an hour or until the glue is completely dry.
Do It in Just 1 Hour
Reboot a doorbell. Check the circuit box for a tripped breaker. Still busted? Flip the circuit breaker to stop the current. Remove the doorbell cover and, using sandpaper, clean corroded wires; reattach the cover.
Insider Tip
Fix carpet indentations left by heavy furniture. Place an ice cube in the crushed area and wait 10 minutes for the pile to be restored. Then fluff the spot and vacuum.
Spruce Up Your Walls
- Take on the easiest repairs first, like lifting stains and furniture scuffs. Walls are the largest surface in a room, so even a slight improvement will be very noticeable.
- Remove stains from painted walls. Get out furniture scuffs and crayon, marker and pencil marks by gently rubbing a thick paste of baking soda and water on the spot and then wiping it clean.
- Straighten tilted pictures. Stick one side of a piece of Velcro to the back of the frame or canvas and the other side to the wall to secure chronically crooked frames.
- Open a jammed window. To break the seal between the frame and the window sash, run a pizza cutter along the channel that’s painted shut. Tap the end of the cutter with a hammer if the window is still stuck.
- Hang a heavy mirror. Find a stud in the wall using a stud finder. Anchor a screw or picture hanger into the stud with a cordless drill or screwdriver.
Next Article: Organizing 101
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