Insider Tips

Out of Sandpaper?

Didyou know you can use a piece of paper bag to do your final sanding on wood stain and polyurethane projects? Whether your out of sand paper or you dont want to ruin Ad ends in 26

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My summer of slothdom is about to end my friends! If you've been reading for a while you know how I do. Heat makes me...tired. And grumpy. But mostly really lazy tired.

I'm already dreaming up a bunch of DIY projects I want to tackle now that a normal schedule will be upon us again soon.

That had me thinking about these DIY tricks. Some of them are pretty basic, but I wish I would have known about them in my early do-it-myself days.

1. Never forget a paint color

We've all been there -- you need to touch up a spot, or you love a color so much you want to use it again. But did you use eggshell or satin? Was the color Storm Cloud or Stormy Clouds?

I started using this easy way to keep track of our paint colors at our last house.

Use a sharpie and label the back of your switch cover with the name, sheen and brand of your paint:

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This is super helpful, especially if you're used similar colors throughout your house, or even a different sheen.

If you need more for touch ups, knowing what type of paint you used will be especially helpful. Different formulas may look noticeably different even though they're the same paint color and sheen.

2. Insulation tubing to fill holes

This skinny insulation/foam tube can be used for way more than just filling gaps in doors and windows:

It's called backer rod and is the perfect way to fill large gaps in trim or along the floor. (Backer rod is made for this purpose, but any small foam tubing will work!)

Since it's so easy to manipulate, you can cut it to the size you need and squish it into the smallest spots:

It's especially helpful when you have a big gap you want to caulk over -- you'd have to use a TON of caulk. With caulk you have to fill, then and wait over and over again as it dries, fill more, let it dry, etc.

With this it fills that in, you'll save all that caulk and you can finish it off with a bead of caulk right over it.

I used this stuff to fill in along the sides of the shelves I recently added to our linen closet:

This would also be another great way to fill large holes in the wall! I have a method I've used for years, but a tiny cut of this may work even better.

3. Paper bag instead of sandpaper

I LOVE this little hack and use it often.

Instead of a fine grit sandpaper, tear off a piece of paper bag to do your final sanding on wood staining and polyurethane projects:You can use this paper bag trick over a DRY painted surface as well!

Make ice cubes out of vinegar or lemon juice and feed them down the garbage disposal. After grinding, run cold water through the drain and your disposal will stay smelling fresh.

cooking spray will remove paint and grease from your hands.

Put pantyhose over the vacuum hose to locate tiny things without sucking them up.

1. Put pantyhose over the vacuum hose to locate tiny things without sucking them up.

Use a hanging shoe rack (the kind that hangs off a door) to hold cleaning supplies in your pantry.

cooking spray will remove paint and grease from your hands.

Use hot sauce to shine copper.

1. Use Listerine to clean dirty grout.

Make your shower curtain glide back and forth without sticking by rubbing a piece of waxed paper along the curtain rod.

Use hand sanitizer to help remove stubborn glue residue from labels.

Insider Tips

How to remove stains?

Use baking soda paste on stains, let sit 15 minutes, then scrub gently.

Best way to organize cables?

Wrap cables with velcro strips or twist ties to keep them neat and tangle-free.

How to freshen a room quickly?

Simmer cinnamon sticks and orange peels in water on the stove for a natural, cozy scent.

How to prevent mirror fog?

Rub a small amount of shaving cream on the mirror and wipe clean to stop fogging.

Tips for quick plant care?

Water plants early morning and prune dead leaves regularly for healthy growth.

Reviews

Hear what fellow DIYers have to say!

These insider tips transformed my cluttered closet into a neat, functional space in just an afternoon.

Amy Lee

Austin TX

I never thought I’d enjoy home projects until I tried these simple tricks; they really make a difference!

Ben Fox

Denver CO

★★★★★

★★★★★

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