Noisy door

To silence a squeaky hinge, spray a small amount of shaving cream onto a toothbrush and rub into the hinge’s cracks and gaps. The ingredients in the cream will lubricate the metal and stop the noise.

Avoid scratches on delicate furniture

To prevent any marks on furniture, while tightening loose bolts, cut 2 fingertips off a rubber glove and place one on each end of the metal head of the pliers. Fasten the bolt as usual. The rubber will create a barrier, protecting your pieces from scratches.

Protect your car ignition

Lighten your keychain to protect car’s ignition. Keeping it heavy can weight down the switch, causing early wear and damage.

Cleaning foggy headlights

Apply a good amount of toothpaste on dirty headlights, buff it in with a dry clean cloth, rinse with water and wipe clean for bright and clear lights again.

Removing rust from metal

Immerse the rusty item in a container with cola soda, let it soak overnight, and then scrub clean next day with a stiff brush.

Clean car battery terminals

Clean car battery terminals, pouring some cola soda directly over the battery and let it wash away corrosion. The small acidity in soda does not react with battery acid.

Protect paint brushes

Prevent paint brushes from rusting, by laying 4 plastic straws across the opening of an empty coffee can, creating a tic-tac-toe design. Fold the ends over the edge of the can and secure with tape. Place already cleaned brushes in the can, bristles up, and the partitions will prevent them from leaning against each other or touching the edge of the can.

Preserve an open caulk tube

To prevent an open caulk tube from hardening, insert a plastic straw into the tip and trim the straw, leaving 1 to 2 inches. Fold over the outside end and seal with tape.

Prevent remote from scratching furniture

Wrap a wide rubber band around each end of the remote. The added padding will cushion the gadget so its edges will not damage your furniture. It works very well when you have kids around.

Protect wood floors

Use a sharp knife to cut 1/4"-thick discs from corks. Add some wood glue to each disc and attach to the bottom of chair or tables legs. The soft material will pad the piece of furniture, protecting the wood floor from scratches and helping the legs to slide easily across the room.

Drilling the ceiling

To minimize dust and mess when drilling holes in the ceiling, poke the drill bit through the center of a coffee filter (paper curling up away from the drill’s handle). The basket shaped filter will catch falling ceiling crumbs and dust, making cleanup easier.

Saving water at home

For a little help on saving water at home, grab an empty plastic bottle, fill it with sand and place inside the toilet tank. This will take some space and reduce the amount of water used in each flush.

Keep a door from catching on the floor

Tape a piece of sandpaper rough side up to the catching spot. Through normal use, the door will slowly be sanded. When it is moving freely, remove the sandpaper and clean the area.

Avoid splatters after painting projects

To prevent paint splatters from happening when you are doing your job, dip a clean cloth in petroleum jelly and run it around the edges of whatever you want to protect (windowpanes, doorknobs, hinges etc.). Wipe up any after work mess with a damp clean cloth. This tip works well for windows, metalwork and floors (even linoleum and tiles).

Noisy cabinet’s hinges

To mute squeaky hinges on your kitchen cabinets, apply some cooking spray on top of the hardware and let the oil run down while opening and closing the door a few times. Clean excess oil with a paper towel.

Make reassembling items easy

When you need to fix an object that has a lot of screws and bolts, as you take it apart, lay each tiny piece onto the sticky side of some duct tape in the order you remove it. When you have to reassemble the item, you will know the order for putting everything back together.

Painting the ceiling without drips

Before you begin the job, poke your brush through the bottom of a coffee filter so the paper curls up in the direction of the brush. You will catch paint drips while you work, and prevent mess all over the place.

Release a rusty screw

Pour a capful of club soda over the screw to dissolve the rust and sediment that prevent it from turning. The carbon dioxide will bubble the rust and dirt away.

Closing a caulk tube

Use a plastic golf tee to plug up the opening of a caulk tube after the tip has been cut. It will fit perfectly and prevent opening from being blocked by dried crust after use.

Revive garbage disposal blades

Throw 4 ice cubes in the sink drain and power up the machine for 30 seconds. Crushing the hard cubes sharpens blades and removes the grease and stuck-on food that can slow down the mechanism.