Quick tips
No project required. These are the little tricks that make every other project go smoother.
Bathroom
Tape both sides of a caulk line
Run painter's tape along both edges before caulking a tub or backsplash. Caulk, smooth with a wet finger, then pull the tape while wet. Factory-perfect lines, zero cleanup.
Workshop
Flag your drill bit for perfect depth
Wrap painter's tape around the bit at your target depth. When the tape touches the surface, stop. No more drilling through the other side of the shelf.
Workshop
Keep a magnet on your hammer
Stick a small rare-earth magnet to the hammer's handle. It holds a nail for one-handed starting — your thumb will thank you.
Bathroom
Descale a showerhead with a bag of vinegar
Fill a plastic bag with white vinegar, rubber-band it over the showerhead, and leave overnight. Mineral buildup dissolves and water pressure comes back.
Walls
Tiny nail holes? Toothpaste in a pinch
For pin-sized holes in drywall (picture hooks), plain white toothpaste works as emergency filler before a move-out. Spackle is better, but this works tonight.
Workshop
Stripped screw? Add a rubber band
Press a wide rubber band into the stripped screw head, then push the screwdriver into the band and turn slowly. The rubber fills the gaps and grips.
Storage
Seal opened caulk with a nail
Push a long nail into the tip of an opened caulk tube, then wrap the tip in plastic and a rubber band. It'll stay usable for months instead of days.
Floors
Ice cubes fix carpet dents
Drop an ice cube into each furniture dent in the carpet and let it melt overnight. Fluff the fibers with a fork in the morning — dents gone.
Get a tip with every project
Every daily project email ends with a pro tip like these. Free, every morning.