Clever Home Hacks

Mitch Couch
by Mitch Couch
3 Materials
$10
30 Minutes
Easy

Here are some clever home hacks that every homeowner should know.


My first hack is for your toilet. You're going to go to your toilet and take off the lid. 

Then take some Kool-Aid and dump it in the tank in the back. This will let you check for leaks as the Kool-Aid seeps into the toilet bowl.  

If you see any discoloration, especially lines running down the bowl, you know that it's leaking. It’s time to repair it and get a new flapper. 

Next, I want to show you how to easily clean your dirty grout. Oh, it gets so dirty.  

All you have to do is take some toilet bowl cleaner, the gel kind works great, and go ahead and place it on the grout. 

Let it sit there for about five minutes and then grab an old toothbrush and give it a good scrubbing. Not too hard, just enough to start seeing the color change. 

Then grab a sponge and wipe it all up.  

The difference will be incredible as it restored the grout to its original color.  

Do you have a door that rattles when somebody goes in and out or when the air conditioner comes on? 

Grab a cabinet door bumper or felt that goes under a chair, cut it to size,  

and place it on the doorjamb. The door will no longer rattle.  

What about your carpet after you have moved a piece of furniture? Do you know that dent in the carpet that you just can't get rid of no matter how many times you vacuum over it?  

Take some ice, place it on the dent and let it sit there for a good 15 to 20 minutes. 

Remove the ice and take a fork and rub it out to loosen the fibers and it will restore your carpet to its original look.  

How about a showerhead that doesn't work correctly, or has rust stains on it? Usually, that is caused by mineral deposits inside the showerhead. 

To fix it, you don't have to remove it, just take a baggie and fill it with vinegar. 

Once the bag is filled, take it and place it over your showerhead. Secure it with a clip or rubber band and let it sit overnight.  

The next day you will see a lot of the mineral deposits came through and are sitting in the bag.  

Remove the bag gently and use a sponge to wipe off the showerhead. It will get rid of the rust stains as well. Your showerhead will work so much better after that.  

Have you ever tried to hang a picture on the wall and tried to get the wire at the back to catch on a nail? It can be a pain.  

Grab a fork instead. Put the fork on the nail, make sure it's secure, and then put the wire around the fork.  

Lower it into position and it will catch the nail every time.  

My final clever home hack is for the locks on your door. They can wear out over time and the mechanism inside doesn’t work as well.  

Don't use a liquid spray or any kind of lubricant on it because you could damage it. Instead, grab a pencil and rub the graphite all over your key. Graphite is a natural lubricant and doesn't dry out.  

Pull the key in and out a few times and the graphite will lubricate the lock creating a smooth action every time.  

I hope these DIY home hacks help you out around the house and keep everything working its best. 

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  2 questions
  • Carmela Carmela on Mar 23, 2022

    Are you single? LOL 😉

  • Beth Beth on Mar 28, 2022

    I don't understand about the "lines" of kool-aid water running down the sides of the toilet bowl being a sign of leaks. I thought the water was supposed to run down the sides to clean it. There are little jets/holes under there for this purpose. What am I missing in your explanation?

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  • Desiree Desiree on Mar 28, 2023

    What an amazing amount of useful info. Thanks Mitchell. I have trouble with all the photos on my gallery wall. Can't wait to try the fork idea. And the rattley door hack too.

  • Pavel Pavel on Apr 10, 2023

    Advise about showerhead is fantastic! 👍️

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