Being a homeowner entails a lot of responsibilities. It is a long-term commitment that requires time, effort, and hard work. Most will start these responsibilities in buying the most ideal home, taking in mind important considerations like proximity to amenities, convenience, and budget.
But when it comes to the maintenance, many will simply pay for a professional to fix a leak in the faucet or a chip on the wall when, in fact, these can be done if one has the resourcefulness and patience to learn simple hacks. There are home tips that can help you save money and energy.
For example, many people make use of clean energy, like solar panels, to conserve money. Most homeowners have also discovered that they can save water when they buy macerating toilets as these are equipped with an electronically timed flush that ensures they use only one gallon of water per flush.
Knowing more hacks and tips will make your day-to-day living a whole lot easier and cost less. Save your frustrations with these home hacks that every homeowner should know.
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Drywall Makeover
When your wall has chips on it, it can be very frustrating to redo the whole thing or, if there are budget and time constraints, to leave them alone and withstand the eyesore. But do you know that you can actually give your drywall a makeover with household materials like mesh, paper tape, and makeup sponge? In the latter’s case, you only need to find a cosmetic sponge, cut a small piece that can fill the hole, and sand it if needed before giving it a coat of paint.
Cleaning a Dirty Toilet
The toilet is hard to clean, especially if you want it to return to its sparkling-white state. You need to get your hands dirty, and it can be a little gross sometimes. But with the use of a few hacks, you can make toilet cleaning as smooth sailing as a leisurely walk is.
You only need a can of Coca-Cola to clean the rust rings on your toilet. The acid in the soda dissolves the stains, making it easier for you to scrub the toilet with a brush before flushing.
Another effective kitchen ingredient to use is white vinegar as it eliminates hard water stains. Simply saturate a toilet paper in vinegar, and place it on top of the stain. Let it sit there overnight. The next day, you can flush the toilet, and the stains will be obliterated.
Chalks to Battle Rust
When heat and humanity combine forces, rust sets in. It can wreak havoc to a lot of things in your home, especially when it comes to your metal tools and hardware. By putting a handful of blackboard chalk on your toolbox, you can ensure your tools are rust-free. The blackboard chalks are porous, so they can absorb the ambient moisture and prevent rust from attacking metal.
Fixing Tiny Holes in Windows
Having tiny holes in your window does not mean you have to do a complete overhaul and replace the whole thing. A clear nail polish can actually do the trick. Just apply a coat of nail polish into the hole, let it dry, and do it again until the part of the hole is level with the rest of the surface.
Learning to Pick Locks
For some people, lockpicking is carelessly associated with breaking and entering. However, responsible lockpicking is far from learning how to become a burglar. As it so happens sometimes that you will forget your keys or get locked out of your own home, lockpicking will come in handy.
One, picking locks saves you money that you will, ordinarily, spend on locksmiths doing the work for you. Two, you also don’t have to break down doors (if you should ever get that desperate) every time you forget your keys. Three, a new skill is always a welcome addition to your practical know-how.
To get started, buy a set of lockpicks for beginners, and scour the internet for videos on various lockpicking techniques.
Maximizing Storage Space
When your home has limited space, the trick is to maximize what you have through arrangement and clever tricks. Some hang their pots and pans instead of storing them on cabinets. Others put open space hanging cabinets for dual purposes—for storage and aesthetics. Kitchen island is a growing trend in many homes nowadays, and this can both work as a breakfast nook and storage spaces since you can retrofit cabinets in them.
One other option is for you to clean your closet regularly and sell your clothes online. Not only are you freeing up space in your closet, but you are also earning money at the same time.
Cleaning and Removing Odor
From your refrigerators, freezers, ovens, and stovetops to bathroom floors, garbage, and containers, baking soda will do the trick of cleaning and removing odors. Just sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on a damp cloth or sponge before scrubbing and rinsing. For good measure, you can then wipe the surface with lemon juice to give it a homey fragrance.
The convenience of finding the tools and materials around the house makes these home hacks a valuable pool of knowledge for those who want to rock the life of a homeowner. There are dozens more home hacks that can make your domestic life so much easier.
