Even if you aren't actively looking to sell your home, living in a house that has become shabby or run down can be a bit depressing. Fortunately, there are some simple repairs and fixes that you can do on your own without the aid of a contractor or handyman, and the results will freshen your home's look as well as its value.
Here are just a few:
•Clean a stained bathtub. A discolored tub can look old and worn even if it isn't. You might have the impression that only a heavy-duty cleaner can revitalize tub stains, but by using lemon juice, baking soda, and cream of tartar in equal parts, you'll have your own natural scrub. Rub the mixture onto the stain and let it dry for half an hour. Rinse with water, and voila! A cleaner-looking bathtub.
•Fix a squeaky floor. It might not be a permanent fix, but by sprinkling a little talcum powder over a squeaky spot in your wooden floor and then brushing it into the cracks, the floor's surface will smooth out and be less apt to squeak.
•Puff up flattened down cushions and comforters. Leaving down-filled bedding out in the sun for a few hours will dry up any moisture that has seeped into the filling, allowing you to plump the down back into its original state.
•Eliminate future floor scuffs. Felt stick-on pads only stay on for so long before they peel off, leaving the sharp edges of your chair leg bottoms to grind away at your hardwoods. Instead, use a hammer to attach tacks covered with felt pads to dining chair legs.
•Fill in picture holes. Fill holes to brimming with a patching compound and smooth with a damp sponge once the compound dries.
•Clean out a grungy dishwasher. To wash out the inside of your dishwasher, fill the soap dispenser with powdered laundry bleach and the run through a cycle while an empty washer. Now you have a cleaner and disinfected dishwasher.
•Remove scuffs from a porcelain sink. Laundry pre-wash spray can actually clean scuffs and stains off of porcelain surfaces. Just give a spray and wipe clean with a cloth.
•Clean chandeliers and glass light fixtures. Using two cotton gloves, one dry and one sprayed with a bit of glass cleaner, wipe the cleaner over dusty or smudged surfaces and dry with the second glove. Make sure bulbs are turned off for a while first so surfaces can cool!
•Prevent drain odors. Pour a pot of hot water into each drain in your home weekly to flush away residue and dissolve minor clogs.
There are many, many more small fixes that any homeowner can achieve with a handful of basic products that are probably already sitting around the house. Perhaps you have some tricks of your own up your sleeve that you routinely rely on to spruce things up. A little targeted elbow grease can leave your home cleaner and more efficient!
Would you like to find out more? Visit AndoverHomes.com for more information.
