Some plastic cover thing broke near the driver's side on my car in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma on Saturday. Luckily, it was only a cover, not a major part, but it sure sounded awful when it started dragging on the highway! Enter the frugal temporary fix: Duct tape. A few pieces looped around the plastic part and the car kept it from dragging, and I can figure out an inexpensive way to fix it later on.
I think Duct tape is something that should be in every person's toolbox. I've done more temporary fixes using duct tape than just about any other little item. Dental floss is also a good thing to have on hand for minor repairs, as are safety pins.
What little things do you use to fix things up for the time being?
6 comments:
Somebody just sent me an email to the effect that you only need 1 of 2 items to accomplish any repair: duct tape, and WD-40.
If it moves and shouldn't, use duct tape.
If it doesn't move but it should, use WD-40.
Job done.
Double-sided tape. When I was a kid, this stuff was expensive so we rarely had any around. I don't consider it expensive, but old habits die hard, so I only use it when necessary (I roll over regular tape when that will do). So, two quick fixes I've done with double sided tape
* wallpaper pulling off. The double sided tape held it up for about a week. We were planning on selling the house, and this would have been long enough and good enough and I'd have just redone it once a week. (The wallpaper is pretty bad looking and this wouldn't have faked anyone out in thinking the room was in great condition. It just made things look a teensy bit better.)
* A lampshade fell off the round top part. Doublesided tape to the rescue. By the time the tape stopped working, I'd come up with crazy glue, which has last much longer. But the tape was a quick fix and lasted for a few months.
I find bent paper clips make excellent replacement pins for small hinges. Right now I've got one on the boombox radio antenna and another on a pair of sunglasses.
But they're still not as cool as duct tape.
I've been considering repairing the rips in the plastic on Buddy's toilet training pants (the non disposable, plastic on the outside cloth on the inside type) with duct tape. . .. I think DH is going to look at me funny for that one though. . .
I love wooden toothpicks for tightening up things that are coming loose. Just break off one (or a couple) in the hole, then re screw back in. Tight and good to go usually.
Wenchypoo-that is too hilarious.
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