For first time home owners, maintaining your house can feel like a daunting challenge. We’re here to help with 12 easy DIY home improvement tricks and hacks for common household problems. Whether your home is in need of a decor revamp, a quick repair, or some good old fashioned sprucing up, we’re sure we’ve got something new for you to learn. Read on to learn how to improve your home with stuff you already have at home.
1. Fix a dented carpet with ice cubes
You read that right! Simply place an ice cube over a dent in your carpet and wait a couple hours for the water to melt and soak into the carpet. Then, blot the carpet with a cloth and fluff it out to reveal your newly dent-free carpet.
2. Easy fix for clogged showers
Slow-running showers are due to calcium buildup inside the shower head. To fix, mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 5 drops of dishwashing liquid in a Ziploc bag. Apply the mixture to the head of the faucet (you can do this mess-free by holding the bag around the shower head). Add about ½ a cup of vinegar to the bag and secure it with a rubber band over your shower head so the head is partially submerged (Warning: it will foam up!). Let it sit for at least an hour, then use an old toothbrush to scrub away the residue. Rinse, and you’re done!
Pro-tip: This hack works for any slow faucet!
3. Remove old wallpaper with a sponge
Dealing with stubborn wallpaper and worried you’ll be stuck with it forever? Dip a sponge in hot water and fabric softener, then rub it all over the wallpaper. This will help ease off the old glue so you can easily remove the paper with a putty knife. Now your walls are free for something new!
If you’re wondering what colour to paint your walls next, check out our previous article: How to Use Colour in a Room.
4. DIY fridge deodorizer
We’ve all heard of placing an open box of baking soda in the fridge to remove food odours, but did you know you can level up your baking soda with essential oils? Simply fill a mason jar with baking soda, add in 5 or 6 drops of your choice of essential oil, and cover with a cheesecloth. Not only will the baking soda remove undesirable odours, the essential oil will add a pleasant scent to your fridge.
Pro-tip: As baking soda stops absorbing odours after about 30 days, change out your baking soda once a month.
5. Use a potato peeler as Phillips head screwdriver
A Phillips-head screwdriver is an essential item for any home. However, if you’re caught without one, you can simply use a potato peeler as a replacement. It’s as simple as that!
6. Protect your surfaces from scratches
We protect our hardwood floors from our furniture with felt pads, so why not do the same with our tabletop surfaces? Glue small squares of sponge to the bottom of vases, picture frames, and other decorative items to prevent scratches on wood, glass, and metal surfaces.
7. Un-stick your drawers
If your old dresser drawers tend to stick easily, apply a bar of soap along the drawer glides. This adds lubrication and reduces friction, so you’ll never have to wrench your drawer free again.
8. Fix your wobbly table
Save the synthetic cork from your next bottle of wine and use it to easily brace your wobbly table. Simply slice a piece of cork small enough to fit under the uneven table leg, glue it into place, and voila. No more wedging pieces of folded cardboard under table legs as a temporary fix!
9. DIY non-slip clothes hanger
We all have at least one or two garments that just won’t stay on our clothes hangers. Easily solve this problem without heading to the store by converting your cheap plastic hanger into a non-slip hanger using pipecleaners. Wrap a pipe cleaner around the hanger where it makes contact with the garment, and you’re done!
10. I Vacuum hose extension
Can’t reach the cobwebs hanging from your ceiling with your vacuum? Slide a leftover wrapping paper tube over your vacuum hose for an extended reach. Doesn’t get easier than that!
11. DIY tiered hangers
Running out of space in your closet? Multiply your storage capacity using a lightweight piece of plastic chain to link hangers together. Simply loop the first chainlink over the hook of the top hanger, hang that hanger in your closet, and hang other hangers off the descending links.
12. Freshen up your garburator
If you have a garburator, don’t throw your orange and lemon slices in the compost! Instead, run your tap and throw them down the sink. Then switch on your garburator for a few seconds and allow the citric acid to soften up anything that may be crusted on the blades. When you’re done, you’ll have a fresh, citrus scented kitchen sink!
Looking for home decor inspiration? Check out this article!
Read: The Art of Hygge