Over the years, we have acquired some amazing home repair hacks that are so easy to use, even the non-handy will find these useful! We have collected our favourite ones here. Hopefully they change your life the way they changed ours!

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Cooking spray works just as well as WD-40 (if not better)
Have a squeaky door or cabinet but no WD-40 on hand? Use a little cooking spray on the hinges and you will be squeak free!
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Nail polish can prevent screws from coming loose
Assessing and fixing a stripped screw can be an annoying (and tough) job, but painting a screw with a thin coat of clear nail polish, which acts like glue, will help the screw stay in place.
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Fill in nail holes with crayons
Ever get the urge just to colour on the walls? Now you can (while also fixing up your wall!) Choose a crayon colour that is close to the colour of your wall and with firm pressure, rub the crayon over the nail hole. You’ll be surprised at how well this hides those holes
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‍Unscrew a broken lightbulb with a potato
If you’ve ever broken a lightbulb while its still in the socket, you know how frustrating (and dangerous) it can be. To simply unscrew your broken lightbulb, cut a potato in half, push the soft side into the broken lightbulb and turn it counterclockwise until the broken glass is embedded into the potato. Once the potato is embedded, you can then easily unscrew the bulb. Make sure you turn off your light switch and always wear protective gloves to be extra safe!
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Quiet squeaky floors with baby powder
We’ve all experienced the annoyance of a squeaky floor, but who wants to redo their floors unless absolutely necessary? Squeaky floor boards are usually caused by pieces of wood rubbing together. Fill a small squeeze bottle with baby powder. Squeeze the powder in between the floorboards, and then use a makeup brush or fine paint brush to push the powder down the crack.
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Toilet bowl cleaner works wonders for cleaning grout
Before we discovered this trick, cleaning grout was always one of our most loathed chores. To make this a simple task, apply toilet bowl cleaner to the grout and let sit for 15 minutes. Using a small cleaning brush or old toothbrush, scrub the grout. Finally, mop the area with water and watch that grout shine!
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Kool-aid can help detect a toilet leak
If you think you have a leaky toilet on your hands, use a Kool-aid pack, other coloured beverage powder pack or food colouring (the darker the colour the better) to check before calling your plumber. Remove the lid of your toilet tank and pour in the Kool-aid pack. Let sit for 30 minutes and check to see if the inside of your toilet bowl is the same colour as the Kool-aid. If it is, then you’ll know you have a leak. Make sure no one flushes the toilet during the 30 minute window!

‍Dishwasher cleaning tabs are great for cleaning your oven door
The grease on an oven door seems impossible to clean, but dishwasher cleaning tabs are the key to a crystal clear oven door. Wearing gloves, wet (but do not soak) your dishwasher tab and then scrub the baked-on grease away.
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Unclog your drain with simple, common household ingredients
If you don’t want to use harsh chemicals (or have to call a plumber) to unclog your drain, you can use simple household ingredients. Start by pouring boiling water down your drain (make sure it is boiling vs hot tap water). Next, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Let this sit for 10 minutes then flush the drain with hot water from the tap (boiling water is not necessary!)
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Bread and vinegar cures a smelly garbage or green bin
Green bins can get notoriously stinking overtime even when using a liner bag. To combat the lingering odour, pour white vinegar over a slice of bread and leave it in the bin overnight. Remove it the next morning before adding a fresh liner and notice the difference! For easier clean-up, you can put a piece of paper towel or parchment underneath the bread first.

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Still not feeling very handy? Leave it to our Park Road Concierge property managers to provide the help you need. Contact us today to learn more about our packages and services.

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