A lived-in home, especially one with kids and pets, gets plenty of wear and tear. Some damaged items require costly replacement, but others perk up with easy fixes if you have the right products on hand. With a few standard tools and specialty repair glues, tapes, and kits, you can fix, seal, and otherwise freshen up home items in need of a refresh. These home repair products listed below are good staples to have on hand or to order when rips, dents, gouges, and squeaks pop up.
1. WD-40
That familiar WD-40 can has probably been in your garage for as long as you can remember. The workshop standby, designed for use in the aerospace industry in the 1950s, has a secret blend of lubricants and other agents that displace water, repel dirt, and prevent corrosion. Use it to silence nearly any squeak (quiet, door hinges!), remove rust from locks or outdoor tools, and to perform a variety of household repairs.
Get a 12-ounce can of WD-40 at Target for $7.69.
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2. CalFlor VinylFix
Any surface receiving lots of foot traffic is prone to scratches, dents, and gouges. Repair damage to vinyl flooring in high-use areas like kitchens, laundry rooms, and bathrooms with CalFlor VinylFix. Apply some of the kit’s wax putty, gently smooth the repair’s surface, and then mix your custom color (up to 28 are included) and paint.
Get CalFlor VinylFix Vinyl Repair Kit at Amazon for $22.98.
3. Bondo All-Purpose Putty
When you need to repair cracks in metal, concrete, masonry, and wood surfaces, reach for Bondo All-Purpose Putty. Even use the putty to fill dents in drywall or door frames and help bond a loose tile. It dries so quickly, you can sand and paint it within 15 minutes of applying, so it’s a versatile and quick fix for a wide range of household holes and scratches.
Get 1 quart of Bondo All-Purpose Putty at Amazon for $14.98.
4. Minwax Stain Markers
Keep a set of stain markers in the house to touch up nicks and scratches in all your wood surfaces. The markers can refresh any wood surface, including floors, cabinets, tabletops, doors, and moldings. Regular use will keep wood maintenance easy and manageable.
Get the Minwax Wood Finish Stain Marker at Amazon, priced from $7.21.
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