23 Super Easy Fixes Everyone Should Know

And how to fix them!

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1. Silence a creaky bed with WD-40 or baby powder.

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Nothing kills the mood faster than a creaky bed. For metal frames, first remove the mattress and box spring and tighten any loose nuts, bolts, and/or screws, then bust out the WD-40. If you've got a wooden frame, sprinkle talcum or baby powder between the joints to help reduce friction.

2. Stop your leaky shower head by replacing the washer.

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If your shower keeps dripping non-stop, it probably means the washer is damaged and needs replacing. To do that:

1. Turn the shower head counterclockwise to remove it from the arm.

2. Swap the small rubber ring (that's the washer) inside the nozzle with a new one.

3. Wrap the arm with plumber's tape to keep everything tight.

4. Replace the shower head and voila! You saved yourself an unnecessary plumber's bill.

3. Sew your own clothes back together.

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If you never learned to sew, there's never a bad time to start! It's a quick, easy, and cheap way to save your most loved clothes. Use this easy guide to mend that loose hem and make use of the little packets of spare buttons you've got squirreled away.

4. Use a walnut to buff out scratches in wood.

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If your kitchen or dining table is wooden, it's probably covered in small, shallow scratches from who knows what. To buff these out, rub a shelled walnut gently across the marks, then polish with a soft, clean cloth: The nut's oils naturally conceal the blemishes.

5. Unclog your drain without harsh chemicals.

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If you're going through Drano by the gallon, it's time to dig deep and unclog your drain once and for all. You can make a homemade drain snake by cutting notches in a zip tie to create teeth. Shove it down the drain and pull it repeatedly to loosen the gross clumps of hair. If you don't catch anything, connect a few zip ties together to elongate your snake (...THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID).

6. Try vinegar and citrus for a stinky garbage disposal.

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De-funkify your garbage disposal with a good, and more importantly, safe cleaning. Freeze an ice tray of white vinegar, then toss a few cubes down the drain. With the cold water running, run the disposer for about a minute to remove built-up food and grease residue. Bonus: mix in a few orange or lemon peels to leave your sink smelling fresh.

7. Know when and how to sharpen dull knives.

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Every aspect of cooking vastly improves when you have sharp knives. How do you know if they're dull? Try the onion test: If your knife can slice right through the papery skin of an onion without catching or slipping, you're in good shape. Otherwise, learn to sharpen them with a sharpening steel like this.

8. Attack set-in stains with OxiClean and an iron.

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With the right weapons, those ancient stains carpet stains aren't always a lost cause!

1. Mix 1 teaspoon OxiClean with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle

2. Spritz the stain liberally. Don't be shy.

3. Cover it with a damp, white rag or towel

4. Apply an iron on medium-to-low heat and let the steam do the work.

Check frequently to see if it's working: You'll be able to tell if the stain is coming out if it shows up on the white rag.

9. Tighten loose doorknobs with plumber's tape.

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Your beautiful antique glass and brass doorknobs have probably loosened over time. To tighten them, remove the set screws and pull off the knob. If the spindle (see above) is all worn down, wrap a piece of your handy-dandy plumber's tape around it before replacing it to tighten it up.

10. Spackle the small holes in your dry wall.

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While toothpaste and silly putty are fine in a quick fix, fill those small holes for real with spackling paste. If you're dealing with bigger patches, invest in a super affordable drywall repair kit like these: They have all the supplies and easy instructions you need to get the job done.

11. Quiet squeaky floorboards with baby powder or soap.

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The creaks and squeaks driving you crazy are usually caused by two boards rubbing together. Silence the noise by sprinkling talcum or baby powder over the boards and sweeping it into the cracks. If that doesn't work, try rubbing a lubricant like petroleum jelly or a bar of soap back and forth over the cracks.

12. Fix a not-so-chilly refrigerator by cleaning the coils.

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If your food is not keeping as long as you think it should, first, check the temperature dial inside the fridge in case it's accidentally changed. Next, check out the cooling coils on the bottom or back of the unit. If they're covered in dust, it may be making your fridge less efficient. Give the coils a good wipe-down and sweep, and make sure to clean them regularly.

13. Salvage your scratched CDs and DVDs with hair gel.

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Use hair gel to fill in scratches on your favorite borderline-obsolete technology. Rub a thin layer over the scratched part of the disc. Next, dribble a teeny tiny bit of water on the layer to loosen it up and wipe off any excess. Let dry and enjoy season one of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

14. Learn to jump start a dead car battery.

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Whether you own a car or not, you should ABSOLUTELY know how to jump start a dead car battery. This handy video will show you how to use jumper cables with another car without electrocuting yourself (oh yeah, own jumper cables).

15. Stop an overflowing toilet by turning the water supply valve.

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If you've had a toilet mishap and the rising water is about to overflow, immediately shut off the water supply valve (see above) behind the toilet and empty out half of the water in the toilet tank. From there, you can attack the clog with your plunger or with the drain snake you wielded on your shower.

16. Sew your favorite paperback book back together.

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Put your newfound sewing skills to use in your library! To save soft-cover books, just punch four holes through the book about three-eighths of an inch from the spine and weave it back together with a strong needle and thread. You can even make sketch books, scrapbooks or blank journals this way, too. Here's a guided how-to.

17. De-grease your gritty bike chain.

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Save some cash on a professional bike tune-up by easily cleaning your gunky chain. Skip the removal process and spray the chain directly and liberally with a degreaser (like this one), focusing on small sections at a time. Wipe clean with a dry rag or towel as you, and apply some lube when you're done.

18. Soften slamming doors with foam weatherstrips.

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If you've got heavy doors that always slam shut, stock up on some tabs of peel-and-stick foam weather stripping and put pieces all around the doorstop and frame. They'll soften the blow and make your exits much less dramatic.

19. Save your heating and electric bills by sealing with caulk.

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Any gaps in your windows are letting out all your heat and AC, so you're basically chucking money out the window. Good thing filling these gaps is easy with a caulk gun. To use it, pull back the plunger and insert the tube of caulk (which is a waterproof sealant). Cut the plastic applicator at an angle to slow the flow, and use a soft touch on the trigger for better control.

20. Learn to change a flat tire.

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It sounds super intimidating and you just keep hoping you won't need to, but you should probably learn how to change a flat. This simply guide will walk you through the process, and you can drive with the peace of mind that you actually know what a lug nut is.

21. Stop a drippy faucet by changing the aerator.

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If your faucet has weak pressure or constantly dribbles water, minerals and debris may be clogging the aerator. To clean or even replace it:

1. Turn the end of your faucet counter-clockwise (pliers might help).

2. Remove the small mesh filter for cleaning, or

3. Take it to the hardware store to choose the correct size for replacing.

22. Use baking soda on pet "accidents."

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Pets: You give them your love, they pee on your couch. If it's still fresh, mop up the mess with a paper towel, spray the stain with a mixture of half vinegar and half baking soda solution, and let it soak in for 10 minutes. Then sprinkle with baking soda and let it dry. (But keep dogs away for the cleanup, baking soda is toxic to them!) Once dry, vacuum up the baking soda and return to your Netflix marathon.

23. Revive dead pixels on your LCD with a damp cloth.

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If you've got some singular, unmoving dots on your computer or TV screen, you've got some dead pixels. To try to fix them, first turn off your computer, then apply pressure with a damp cloth to where the dead pixel is (nowhere else, as this may kill more pixels). While applying pressure, turn your screen back on and the dead pixel should be gone!