Handyman Hacks: Simple Solutions for Common Household Problems

Living in Chandler means dealing with the dust and the unrelenting sun, but it also means dealing with those little house gremlins that pop up when you least expect them. You know the ones—the squeaky hinge that wakes the baby or that mystery scuff mark on the hallway wall that just won’t quit. Honestly, owning a home feels like a second job sometimes, doesn’t it?

The Walls Are Talking (and They’re Saying Fix Me)

Let’s start with the walls because that’s what stares back at you while you’re trying to relax on the couch. We’ve all been there. You decide to move a picture frame, and suddenly you’re left with a hole that looks way bigger than the nail that made it. Or maybe the kids decided the hallway was a racetrack, and now there’s a black scuff marking the finish line.

Here’s a trick that feels like cheating but works wonders on scuffed paint. Before you go dragging out the paint can and brushes, try a standard tennis ball. Yeah, really. If you put a tennis ball on the end of a broomstick (cut a little ‘X’ in the ball to fit the handle), you can rub out scuff marks on hardwood or painted floors without breaking your back. For walls, a melamine sponge—you probably know it as a magic eraser—is usually the go-to, but go easy. If you scrub too hard, you’ll burn right through the paint sheen, and then you have a dull spot that’s worse than the scuff.

Now, about those nail holes.

You might have heard the old “toothpaste trick” for filling holes. Can you do it? Sure. Should you? Probably not. Toothpaste shrinks when it dries, and ants love it. Instead, keep a small tub of lightweight spackling paste handy. The trick is to overfill the hole slightly, let it dry, and then—here is the secret—don’t sand it. Use a damp sponge to wipe away the excess. It keeps the texture of the wall intact so you don’t end up with a perfectly smooth, shiny spot on a textured wall.

Silence the Squeaks Without the Mess

There is nothing, and I mean nothing, more annoying than a door that announces your arrival every time you walk into a room. It’s like the house is tattling on you. The immediate reaction is usually to grab that blue and yellow can of WD-40.

Hold on a second, though.

While WD-40 is great for getting stuck things moving, it’s not actually a lubricant; it’s a solvent. It dries out eventually and can actually attract more dust and grime, which makes the squeak come back with a vengeance later. For squeaky door hinges, you want something that stays put.

Try petroleum jelly (Vaseline). Pop the hinge pin out using a hammer and a nail, coat it in jelly, and slide it back in. Move the door back and forth a few times to work it in. Silence is golden.

If you have squeaky floorboards, which are pretty common in older East Valley homes as things settle and dry out, you don’t necessarily need to rip up the carpet. Locate the squeak, and sprinkle some talcum powder or baby powder over the area. Use a broom or a brush to sweep it into the cracks. The powder lubricates the wood rubbing against wood, quieting the noise down without any major surgery.

The Stripped Screw Nightmare

We have all had that moment of panic. You are trying to tighten a cabinet handle or take apart a toy to change the batteries, and the screwdriver slips. You try again, harder this time. It slips again. Now the head of the screw looks like a shiny metal bowl, and you are ready to throw the whole thing in the trash.

Before you get the drill involved, try the rubber band hack.

Grab a wide rubber band—the kind that comes on broccoli works perfectly. Place the rubber band flat over the stripped screw head, then press your screwdriver firmly into the rubber band and turn. The rubber fills the gaps that you stripped away and gives the screwdriver something to grip. It works surprisingly often.

If that fails, here is a quick breakdown of escalation methods:

Plumbing Panic? Try the Pantry First

Plumbing issues are scary. Water damage is no joke, especially here in Chandler where the hard water wreaks havoc on fixtures. But not every clog needs a snake, and not every drip needs a wrench.

If your bathroom sink is draining slower than traffic on the 101 during rush hour, don’t reach for the harsh chemicals immediately. Those chemical drain cleaners can actually eat away at your pipes over time, especially if you have older plumbing.

Go for the science fair volcano approach.

1. Pour a pot of boiling water down the drain.
2. Dump in about half a cup of baking soda.
3. Follow it with half a cup of white vinegar.
4. Cover the drain with a cloth or plug (it will fizz aggressively).
5. Wait ten minutes, then flush with more boiling water.

This combination helps break down the soap scum and hair that usually causes slow drains. It’s cheap, it’s safe for your pipes, and honestly, it’s kind of satisfying to watch.

Another common annoyance? The running toilet. You flush, and then you hear it… hissssss. It just keeps going. Usually, this isn’t a complex mechanical failure. It’s the flapper. That rubber piece at the bottom of the tank gets hard and brittle from our chlorinated water. You can replace it for a few bucks, and you don’t need tools. Just turn off the water valve behind the toilet, flush to empty the tank, and swap the old rubber flapper for a new one. It snaps right on.

Keeping Cool and Efficient

Since we are in Arizona, we have to talk about heat. You might think your AC is the only player in the game, but your ceiling fans are doing heavy lifting, too—or at least they should be.

Here is the thing a lot of people miss: fan direction matters.

There is a little switch on the side of most ceiling fan motors. In the summer, you want your fan spinning counter-clockwise. This pushes air straight down, creating a wind-chill effect that makes you feel cooler even if the room temp stays the same. In the winter (yes, we have a winter, sort of), flip that switch. A clockwise spin at a low speed pulls cool air up and pushes the warm air that gathers near the ceiling out towards the walls and down to you.

Also, check your air filters. I know, everyone says this. But in the East Valley, with the dust storms and the dry air, a clogged filter can strangle your AC unit. If you hold your filter up to the light and can’t see through it, the air can’t get through it either. Changing it is the cheapest insurance policy you have for your HVAC system.

Furniture Fixes with… Walnuts?

Okay, this one sounds like an old wives’ tale, but stick with me. Do you have wooden furniture with unsightly scratches? Maybe the dog jumped up, or you dragged a centerpiece across the table.

Grab a walnut. Just the meat of the nut, not the shell. Rub the walnut diagonally into the scratch. The natural oils in the nut seep into the wood, and the flesh of the nut fills the gap. Buff it with a soft cloth afterwards. It won’t fix a deep gouge, but for surface scratches on dark wood, it makes them virtually disappear. It’s a lot cheaper than refinishing the whole table.

Knowing When to Fold ‘Em

Look, I love a good DIY victory. There is a real sense of pride in fixing your own house. But there is a fine line between being handy and being a liability.

There are certain things you really shouldn’t hack. Electrical work, for instance. Changing a lightbulb or a switch plate is one thing; rewiring a dimmer switch that’s sparking? That’s a hard pass. The same goes for plumbing that involves walls. If you have to cut into drywall to find a leak, you are entering dangerous territory.

Sometimes, the “hack” is simply knowing your limits. It saves you money in the long run because fixing a botched DIY job usually costs double what the original repair would have cost. Plus, you get your weekend back. You don’t want to spend your Saturday making fifteen trips to the hardware store, right?

We’re Here to Help

Maintaining a home in Chandler takes work, but it doesn’t have to be a constant headache. Hopefully, these little tricks save you some time and frustration. But for the stuff that a walnut or a rubber band can’t fix, or when you just want the job done right without lifting a finger, we’ve got your back.

At East Valley Handyman, we handle the honey-do lists, the repairs that scare you, and the maintenance you just don’t have time for. Whether it’s drywall repair, fixture installation, or just general upkeep, we treat your home like it’s our own.

Ready to check those repairs off your list?

Call us today at 480-500-6935 or Request a Free Quote online. Let’s get your home back in shape.