Why should we repair stuff in our homes instead of buying new? Firstly, it’s a lot lighter on the wallet than buying a replacement. Secondly, you can tell everyone that comes round ‘I did it myself’ and they’ll be impressed by your efforts. And finally, it keeps items in use for as long as possible so new things don’t have to be made for no reason, conserving the planet’s scarce resources.
We’ve included five super simple hacks that anyone can do at home. There’s no need for expensive tools or complicated manuals with these cheap repairs – you’ve got this!
Remove rust with foil. Did you know all it takes is a balled-up bit of foil and you can get metal gleaming again? All you do is rub the ball of foil on the rusty part, and with a bit of elbow grease, it will remove the rust. This works inside on rusty sinks and hinges, and outside on bikes and garden furniture.
Remove stubborn mould from blinds. With the amount of rain we get in Greater Manchester, it’s pretty hard to avoid mould in your home. But a few black spots on your white roller blinds doesn’t mean you need to throw them away.
Fill the bath with cold water and bleach (bonus tip: bleach works better with cold water) and soak them for at least 1 hour. Rinse them off and hang to dry. This tip also works really well on plastic shower curtains.
Peel and stick wall and furniture covering. Got a scuffed side table or hate the colour of your kitchen cupboards? Peel and stick papers are a staple for renters who want to put their temporary mark on a property. These patterned sheets come in loads of colours and patterns and work like giant stickers to refresh your furniture; you can even get wallpaper versions.
Change colour with spray paint. Spray paint is amazing for changing up small items in your home like lamps, plant pots and picture frames. It’s super quick to apply and quick drying. Just be sure to do it outside and wear a mask to avoid breathing in the fumes and give the item a good dust before you start. Spray in thin coats to avoid blobs of paint.
Vacuum cleaner not working like it used to? Vacuums are expensive to replace – keep yours working well for as long as possible by showing it a little TLC. Properly cleaning the filter and the tubes can make a world of difference to how well it performs. If you’ve got a more serious fault, try taking it to your local repair café [Visit – Repaircafe], the volunteers might be able to repair it for free.
Need tools for a bigger project? Did you know the average drill is only used for 13 minutes in its lifetime! Don’t buy a drill to neglect it, use these hire schemes instead:
Recycle for Greater Manchester is working with Recycle Your Electricals to encourage local residents to participate in The Great Cable Challenge – a nationwide campaign aimed at tackling the millions of cables sitting idle across UK households. The initiative is part of this year’s International E-Waste Day which is taking place on the 14th October.
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An immersive and eye-catching display has taken over a town centre’s shopping centre to encourage residents to think about how they get rid of their unwanted clothes.
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