17 Money Saving Tricks from WD-40.

This post is sponsored by WD-40 Company. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever discussed what my husband Dan does for a living here on my blog. It is definitely not something that I have kept a secret on purpose, but I don’t think it’s ever come up. He works for a housing developer for low-income families. He’s in charge of the maintenance of over 1000 rental units between Central Utah and Arizona. So his phone rings a lot when people are in a crisis. In our neighborhood, he’s basically everyone’s go-to guy because he can fix ANYTHING.

Paying a handyman is expensive! Plus, a lot of times they charge a “trip charge” just for coming to your house. So, this post is meant to save you heartache and money! 

 

I’ve picked Dan’s brain for a few years {for reals}, and today I’m going to share some of his tips and tricks of these 17 household fixes! You can thank me, ahem, I mean him, later. You may not need all of this information now, but pinning it and saving it for later might be a great idea. You will notice thatWD-40® Multi Use Product® (especially the WD-40 Multi-Use Product in the handy 2.75-oz can) is the answer to a lot of household woes, and I can almost guarantee that you will be surprised at a few of its uses! It’s kiiiind of like Windex in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. 

Also, if you have another crisis that we don’t cover today, leave a comment, and I’ll ask Dan his opinion! 

 

#1: How to get rid of a horrible smell in a floor drain:

Most likely your p-trap {a part of your drain that is down a few inches from the top} has dried out. In order for the air from the sewer to be blocked, the p trap needs to have a little bit of water inside. That’s why you always see water when you look closely in a floor drain. If you have a really bad smell coming from your drain, you need to add a small amount of water to the drain to replenish the dry p-trap. Then pour a small amount of vegetable oil {maybe a cup} into the drain. The oil will coat the top of the water and prolong the evaporation. 

 

#2: How to fix a dishwasher that isn’t cleaning dishes very well or is leaving hard water spots on dishes. 

After a few years, dishwashers start accumulating hard-water film that builds up in the hoses and inner parts. So, it’s really important to run an appliance cleaner through your dishwasher on a periodic basis. We use one about every 3-4 months. Dan’s favorite is Lemi Shine. I’m not sure if you knew, but dishwasher detergent has changed over the past few years and no longer contains phosphates. I’m sure that the industry removed them for good reason, but because the phosphate is gone from dishwasher detergent, you may notice more hard water spots on your dishes. To combat this problem, you can pour a cup of vinegar in the bottom of each load of dishes, or you can add detergent booster to your detergent. Also, another tip is to make sure your disposal is fully cleaned out before you run your dishwasher since all of the water lines are connected back there. 

 

 #3: How to remove a stubborn oil/grease stain from your carpet {this also works on clothes!}

Did you know that WD-40 Multi Use Product is an excellent oil/grease stain remover!?! All you need to do is dab the stain with a small amount of liquid dish detergent {like blue Dawn}, and then spray a small amount of WD-40 Multi Use Product onto the stain. Then clean the carpet or clothes with regular detergent. The stain will miraculously disappear. A friend of mine just told me that she had grease stains on two shirts and she had already tried several other stain remover methods. Then she tried WD-40 and it totally worked! She was so happy she shared it with several of us via group text. {Thanks Sheri!} (Pre-test carpet or clothes to be sure WD-40 Multi-Use Product doesn’t remove any color.)

#4: How to fix squeaky door hinges {this also works on bike chains and squeaky swings on playground equipment}

Spray a small amount of WD-40 Multi Use Product directly on the hinge that is squeaking, and your problem is solved! If the liquid runs down the door frame, wipe it off with a cleaning wipe. If WD-40 Multi Use Product gets onto your concrete {when you are spraying your bike chain}, wash it with detergent and water, and it will come right off. off. (Be careful spraying WD-40 Multi-Use Product near unpainted wallboard as it may cause a stain.)

 

#5: How to unlock a seized-up disposal:

A disposal has a safety feature that locks the mechanism if it’s clogged or overworked. A lot of times all you need to do is fish out the debris from inside the disposal and then find the reset switch on the bottom of the disposal {which is under your sink}. If it’s still not moving after you have reset it, you will need to find an Alan wrench {or a Jam-Buster wrench is even better}  to manually turn the bottom of your mechanism. After the mechanism loosens and starts to turn on it’s own, you can turn the disposal on again. 

Never put: egg shells, potato skins, pasta, or bones into your disposals. They are extremely bad for it. 

 

#6: How to get Gum out of upholstery or carpet {or clothing}:

Spray the gum with WD-40 Multi Use Product and let it soak for 20-30 minutes. It will start to break up the gum and you will soon be able to scrape it off. Repeat the process until all of the gum residue is removed. Then wash the couch, carpet, or clothing with regular detergent. detergent. (Pre-test
carpet of clothes to be sure WD-40 Multi-Use Product doesn’t remove any color.)

 

#7: How to get oil off of your driveway/concrete:

In our experience, oil never completely comes out of concrete. There are ways you can pull some of it out, but pouring Coke on it does not work. We’ve tried it ourselves. So if you have seen a video of it online somewhere, it’s a hoax. The best thing Dan and his maintenance guys have found is a Concrete Stain Remover that you can buy at Home Depot. It comes out as a liquid. Then you pour it onto the oil stain and it turns to a solid. After a day or so you can sweep it up and some of the oil will come with it. But, we have never seen an ENTIRE oil stain come out. So, you may be better off by putting something underneath your car to catch the drips {like a few pieces of cardboard}. 

 

#8: What to do if your hot water heater isn’t working very well.

Your hot water heater should be flushed every single year. So, if you haven’t drained yours lately you should do it. The sediment in your water tank can settle after a few years, and it can completely ruin your hot water heater. In order to flush it, first turn off the power or gas to your water heater. Then turn the cold water supply valve off that allows water to flow into the tank. Next, hook a garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank and run it outside. Now you can open the drain valve where the hose is attached. Make sure your hose is placed somewhere that a lot of water can drain. Also, you may have some debris and sediment come out of the hose from the water heater too, this is normal. If you are still having problems after you have flushed your hot water heater, you may need a new one. Darn it!

 

#9: What to do if your garage door is really loud when you open and close it:

Garage doors have chains, hinges, and springs that need to be oiled periodically. Spray some 3-IN- ONE Garage Door Lube on that bad boy and listen to the screeching no more. (Protect unpainted surfaces from possible spray from 3-IN- ONE Garage Door Lube.)

 

#10: What to do if your air conditioner isn’t working very well.

This happened to us today. All of the sudden I realized that I was sweating profusely. No kidding. As soon as Dan got home he checked the thermostat battery. You would be surprised how many times the battery is the problem when tenants call about AC problems. It happens a LOT. The next thing to check is your air filter. If you have a dirty air filter in your return air duct, your air conditioner is working way harder than it should. So make sure you keep the air filter clean. We switch ours about every month. If yours is dirty, take it out immediately. If this was the problem, your coils to your air conditioner are probably iced up. So in order to fix it, you will need to turn off your cooling mechanism on your thermostat and turn your fan to high. This will blow outside air through your system to thaw the iced coils. After about an hour, turn the cooler back on and see if it starts to cool again. If it doesn’t, you may need to call a professional AC guy to come and charge your freon. Low freon is also a reason why your coils ice up. A few other things that cause an air conditioner to quit is the control board, the blower wheel and the compressor. If it’s one of those problems, you need a professional to come and replace the broken part. Darn it. 

 

#11: What to do if your electrical outlets aren’t working:

First thing to do is to check the breaker box. You could have tripped a breaker if too many things were pulling power at the same time. If you don’t have a tripped breaker, then you may have a GFI that needs to be reset. You need to find the closest GFI because most likely that one needs to be reset to fix the entire circuit of plugs. Press the “test” button first and then press the “reset” button to reset the circuit. A lot of people don’t know that the GFI of another outlet can affect others around it at times. 

 

#12: How to remove a key if it broke off in a lock:

A broken key in a lock is pretty uncommon, but if you experience this problem it can be extremely stressful. First, spray a little little 3-IN- ONE Lock Dry Lube on the portion of the key that is stuck in the lock. This will be particularly helpful if your lock has been tough to turn lately. {Which is usually the case if a key is broken.} Next, see if you can pull the key out with needle-nose pliers. If you cannot grab the broken key, get a drill and an extremely small drill bit. Slowly drill into the key until the bit is secured to the bit. Then pull carefully until the piece of key comes out. If this doesn’t work, grab a small jigsaw blade, turn it so that the teeth are facing down and put it into the lock. Carefully move the blade back and forth to try and grab the portion of the key that is still stuck. If this doesn’t work, you may need a new doorknob. Darn it!

#13: How to remove sticky residue from duct tape or stickers off the wall or windows:

The magic Windex, I mean WD-40 Multi Use Product  will get that sticky residue right off. Just spray a little bit onto the area that is affected, let it soak for a few minutes and wipe the residue away. (For use on walls, do not spray directly on unpainted wallboard, it may cause discoloration. Instead, spray WD-40 Multi-Use Product on a rag or paper towel and slowly wipe residue away from unpainted wallboards.)

#14: How to fix a toilet if it won’t flush:

If it’s clogged, a plunger is your best friend. If that doesn’t do the trick, you may need a toilet auger to reach farther into the toilet.  

If you still cannot seem to fix the toilet, it’s possible that a toy is stuck inside the toilet. And this may mean that you need an entirely new toilet. Sometimes you can wedge the toy out, but other times the toy is stuck for good and will continue to cause problems forever, so, in that circumstance, a new toilet is necessary. 

If your toilet stopped flushing for other reasons, remove the tank and look inside. If your toilet handle feels loose, it may have fallen off the chain. It may be that simple. If so, reattach it and you are the hero. If something inside the tank is broken, a toilet mechanism is really easy to replace. All you need to do is go to your nearest hardware store and pick up a universal toilet tank repair kit. Most of the kits have instructions on how to install them in the packaging, but if not, you could probably figure it out.

 

#15: How to stop a smoke detector from beeping: 

The smoke detectors in your home are most likely all connected to each other. So if one of the batteries need to be replaced, ALL of them will beep. So, the best thing you can do when your detectors start to beep is to replace all of the batteries in each detector. That way they will all run out at similar times and will prevent staggering battery lives. 

 

#16: How to remove crayon from the walls, upholstery or clothing:

WD-40 Multi Use Product is once again the answer to this family crisis. My mom told me that I colored on her brand new wallpaper when I was a kid. Whoopsie. If you have a crayon mark on the wall, don’t stress. Spray the magic solution onto the crayon and let it soak for a minute or two. If you are removing crayon from fabric or upholstery, dab a small amount of liquid blue Dawn detergent. Rub carefully and the crayon will come right up. Then rinse thoroughly to remove the detergent. (For use on walls, do not spray directly on unpainted wallboard, tt may cause discoloration. Instead, spray WD-40 Multi-Use Product on a rag or paper towel and slowly wipe crayon marks away from unpainted wallboards.)

#17: What to do if the fridge stops working: 

Dan and his maintenance guys fix more fridges than probably any other item in the house. There are a number of things that could go wrong with them but fixing your fridge is way more economical than replacing it. First thing you should check is the coils in the back and the bottom to make sure they aren’t caked with dirt and grime. Just like your AC unit, clogged coils on a fridge will make it run inefficiently. Just get your vacuum out and reverse it and blow out all the dust under there. This works better than trying to suck it out as you can’t get a hose attachment in all the small spaces under the fridge.  Another thing to look for is if the sides and the top are really hot. This means the condenser fan motor in the back has gone out. This is actually a fairly easy part to replace and can be found on Amazon for your specific model fridge. If it isn’t cooling well in the fridge but the freezer is fine, it could be that your freezer is packed full to the brim. If so, the air may not be flowing properly into the fridge. There is also a fan in the freezer that could have gone out. This part is also easy to replace and can be done by anyone! 

You can find WD-40 Mutli-Use Product in the handy 2.75-oz can at Walmart nationally.

Here is the handsome fella that we can thank for all of this amazing information! If you have a minute, write a comment to tell him thank you!

Also, if you have more questions, feel free to write them in the comments. We He will make sure to answer them.