topic Re: Fast and easy fixes in Community Chat

Fast and easy fixes

cherry — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 13:17:09 GMT

Do you have a tip for repairing an item?

I have one if your door sticks and is hard to shut .We have had a lot of rain and our front door swelled a tiny bit, making it a bit hard to shut

Mr Cherry planed a small spot on the door, but said it was dragging on the metal strip underneath, and we might have to call a carpenter

I suggested he try rubbing bees wax on the metal plate. I have never seen anything work so quickly. The door shuts so easy now

This might not work for everyone, but if you have a bit of wax, and a door that is hard to shut ,it is worth a try

Re: Fast and easy fixes

Sweetbay magnolia — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 13:38:47 GMT

If you don't have bees wax, bar soap works, also.

Re: Fast and easy fixes

SilleeMee — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 13:41:44 GMT

@Sweetbay magnolia wrote:
If you don't have bees wax, bar soap works, also.

You can take that same bar of soap and glide it across your closet rods to make your hanging clothes slide across a lot easier.

Re: Fast and easy fixes

CelticCrafter — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 13:44:22 GMT

Every once in a while the shower curtain hooks will start to drag across the rod.

I spray a rag with Pledge and give the rod a wipe.

Re: Fast and easy fixes

Marp — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 13:45:07 GMT

Beeswax, any candle wax or bar soap is a quick fix for "sticky" drawers when rubbed along the sides.

Re: Fast and easy fixes

QVCkitty1 — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 13:46:06 GMT

Wax also works on zippers that won't pull.

Re: Fast and easy fixes

software — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 13:54:16 GMT

I keep a can of spray silicone handy.

Helps if you need to loosen a nut or screw plus all the reasons above.

Also I sometimes give my house key a little spray. Slips in & out of the lock like butta!

Or you can directly spray it into the lock.

Spray it on noisy, creaky hinges

If you have to fight to get off your car's gas cap, give it a shot

The stuff is like the old WD-40 on steroids.

Re: Fast and easy fixes

candys mine — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 14:20:05 GMT

I have a wad of bees wax that was my Grandmothers. She kept it in her sewing box to run the thread over. It makes the tip just a tad stiffer and sharper so you can thread it through the needle eye. Tradition dictates I run my thread thuough the same groove she started all those years ago.

I keep a candle stub handy too for all the good uses afore mentioned. Rubbing your key over the candle wax works for a sticky lock too.

If you have a metal snow shovel rub that candle stub over it. the wax helps the snow to release. Although that silicone spray is probably a better fix!

Re: Fast and easy fixes

cherry — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 14:23:43 GMT

A good ,and fast ,way to pick up a pile of leaves, is with your snow shovel

Re: Fast and easy fixes

CAcableGirl2 — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 14:29:48 GMT

@cherry What a neat post. I hope lots of posters will share their easy fixes.

If you have a writing pen that has plenty of ink, but the ink is dry and won't come out, put the tip of the pen to a flame, and it will burn off the old ink and the pen will work again.

Another one that many probably already know, use some vegetable oil to loosen those super adhesive price stickers that won't seem to come off. Of course, just make sure you won't damage the item by using oil.

Here is one that my sister told me. Sounds strange, but it works.

If you are out and about town and it's really humid and need a make-up/oil blotter for your face and to blot sweat off your arms, face, neck, etc..., the thin paper toilet seat covers work really well. Sounds awful, but actually works.

Re: Fast and easy fixes

GrailSeeker — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 14:31:55 GMT

@QVCkitty1 wrote:
Wax also works on zippers that won't pull.

My mom taught me to use the graphite from a no. 2 pencil on a sticky zipper. Just run the pencil lead up and down the zipper a few times.

Re: Fast and easy fixes

San Antonio Gal — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 14:53:50 GMT

@SilleeMee wrote:
@Sweetbay magnolia wrote:
If you don't have bees wax, bar soap works, also.

You can take that same bar of soap and glide it across your closet rods to make your hanging clothes slide across a lot easier.

When I worked in retail during my college years, we used wax paper on the rods where the clothing hung. I now use this on my closet rods.

Re: Fast and easy fixes

judEve — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 15:29:41 GMT

Another thing to remove the sticky stuff left behind from stickers and the stickers themselves is to rub the area with WD40. A friend gave me a small can when I moved recently. It's been so handy!

Great post! I've jotted down several of the tips. Thank you all for sharing.

Re: Fast and easy fixes

IMW — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 16:20:18 GMT

Great Post!

WD40 for windows that stick, hairspray to remove ballpoint ink, vinegar to deodorize microwave, fish smells, etc.

Baking powder to freshen fridge, after 2-3 months pour down drains to freshen.

Freeze clothing to scrape of gum.

Soaking burnt pots and pans overnight with a dryer sheet.

Using markers of the same wood color to cover nicks, scrapes in furniture.

I could go on and on- I ❤️ watching YouTube-quick fixes.

Re: Fast and easy fixes

CelticCrafter — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 16:29:50 GMT

@IMW, colored sharpie markers are one of the best things ever invented!

I've used them to cover scratches on wood, scuff marks on shoes, small bleach spatters on tee shirts!

Re: Fast and easy fixes

tucsongal — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 16:38:45 GMT

Never pull out an iron again: keep a spray bottle of water in your closet to mist on, wipe wrinkles away. If you don’t have time for it to dry, another option is to place item in the dryer with a damp hand towel for a few minutes. (Not exactly a fix, but one of my favorite tips. I never iron).

Re: Fast and easy fixes

jlkz — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 22:42:53 GMT

@judEve

Dawn rubbed in stickers and on the glue works wonders !

Re: Fast and easy fixes

jlkz — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 22:46:08 GMT

Some times markers make the bleach-hit spots on clothing darker.

When this happened to several of my favorite casual items, I ironed on beautiful patches: Monarch butterflies, silver stars, etc. One maxi tank dress had several splotches so I ironed on randomly placed little butterflies. Someone wanted to know where I got the dress, LOL.

Re: Fast and easy fixes

dex — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 22:47:32 GMT

@cherrythat sounds good but if that doesn’t work my DH adjusts the hinges a bit..that usually does the trick

Re: Fast and easy fixes

dex — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 22:52:23 GMT

I use vinegar and water to soak lettuc and then rinse well to kill some of those nasty things like ecoli...if the plant has it systemically then of course that won’t help.