A Homeowner at Last: Common Household Problems and How to Fix Them
Purchasing a new home, especially if you are going to be a first-time homeowner, is an exciting and anxiety-filled time. Once you are a homeowner, there are minor, and sometimes major, issues that you will need to address before they get out of hand.
Everything from a simple clogged drain to a slow flushing toilet needs immediate attention from you as the owner. For major issues, like a downed tree over the garage or the need for a new major appliance, you should check with your homeowner insurance.
You can call a Phoenix water heater replacement company, for all water-related issues, and then there are those minor problems you can fix yourself.
Here are 5 common household problems and how to fix them:
- Slow Running or Clogged Drain
This can be more than annoying as dinner scraps, toothpaste, and many other items can be left floating in the sink long after they should have disappeared. However, this is one of the easiest types of sinks issues to fix.
Take half a cup of white vinegar and half a cup of baking soda and pour down the drain. The baking soda should be first, followed by the vinegar. Then watch the chemical reaction go to work. Bubbles and fizzing will eat away whatever is blocking the water from draining.
2. Squeaky Floorboards
This is another annoying, yet easy to fix issue many older homes suffer from. There is always that one board that squeaks every time you walk across it.
Rather than pull up the board and replace it, making it stand out because it looks different; use baby powder to silence its loud squeaks. Just a little sprinkle will help the boards become quiet for several months if not longer.
3. More Flush
When gravity and your toilet are not in sync, things can become gross fairly quickly. Before calling an expensive plumber, try to open the water valve behind the toilet. This will allow more water to enter the bowl and flush at a more powerful rate.
4. Stainless Steel Appliances and Fingerprints
The sleek new stainless steel refrigerator is nice looking at the first day before anyone uses it. But after pulling out snacks and making dinner, the fingerprints have taken over and made the new appliance look old and neglected.
Before you go crazy wiping down the front of the fridge every time someone uses it, prepare it to repel fingerprints. First, you must remove the existing fingerprints with a microfiber cloth. You can use a window cleaning spray to help remove any stuck-on grease or food particles.
To prepare the refrigerator for repelling future fingerprints, use a small amount of car wax. This will keep the stainless steel appliance looking newer for a lot longer than cleaning alone.
5. Trash Can Messes
After cleaning the trash can with soap and water, place a brown paper bag or newspaper at the bottom. This will soak up any leaks from a bag that breaks.
Before calling in the professionals, see if there is an easy and affordable fix for the things around your house that are showing their age.