After spending several months indoors, many of us have started to look at our homes with brand new eyes. Broken cupboards and stains on the floor aren’t easy to ignore when you’re in your house 24/7.
The world of DIY can be daunting, but there are several DIY hacks that can make your life easier, and you’ll find an abundance of them on social media. Over the past month, there’s been over one million global searches for DIY on TikTok alone.
The experts at OnBuy Drills investigated the most popular home improvement hacks that are worth a try, according to TikTok. Our minds are officially blown.
1. Removing candle wax from furniture with ice cubes
With Christmas approaching, many will start putting candles out to celebrate the festive season. However, if you do ever spill candle wax on furniture you should avoid scraping it off.
Instead, fill a plastic bag with ice cubes and place over the wax. The wax will harden enough so that it can be picked off without ruining your expensive goods. TikToker @diyonthefly amazed followers with this beneficial hack gaining 458,000 views.
2. Drilling a hole at the bottom of your bin
Don’t we all just hate that feeling when you can’t seem to get your bin bag out of the bin. Did you know that drilling a hole in the side of your bin will keep the bag from getting stuck? This gets rid of the vacuum-like seal, helping to easily pull out the bag. However, avoid drilling the holes too low, because that might cause a mess with the bin bag leaking. The hack is demonstrated below by @familyhandyman.
3. Drilling a drainage hole into your plant pot or vases
If you’ve got an indoor pot that you want to use outdoors, it’ll need a drainage hole – and you can create one with a drill. Start off with a firm amount of pressure, push the drill into the pot, until the drill bit digs into the surface. Always use a consistent, medium speed to avoid the drill bit spinning too fast. A viral video by TikTok user @justcrazyplantmom with 88,000 views showed followers step by step how to safely do so.
4. Use a plastic glove and sock to paint uneven areas
To paint uneven areas such as staircase spindles, the quickest way to do so is by putting on a rubber glove, followed by a sock, then using your hand to paint. A viral video from TikToker @diywithemma demonstrated the job can be done in a fraction of the time, accumulating 3.5 million views for this DIY hack.
5. Remove stains and scratches using toothpaste
Using a small amount of non-gel toothpaste can effectively remove all traces of scratches from furniture, irons, cutlery and even trainers, apparently. Simply apply a small amount of toothpaste to a damp cloth, then rub gently in circular motions. Don’t forget to then clean the excess toothpaste with another cloth.
6. Remove rust from tools and stainless steel
To remove any rust from tools or stainless steel, you simply place them in a tub or container with white vinegar and table salt. As seen on TikTok, @mrfixitdiy demonstrates the impressive results after soaking tools for 24 hours, gaining 3.2 million views with this hack.
7. Use a hairdryer to get crayon marks off the walls
When kids get their hands on crayons it can spell disaster, however @aftontaylor on TikTok has taught us a simple way to remove all traces of it. Start by using a hairdryer to heat the wall for a few seconds to soften the crayon wax, then wipe off with a soft cloth.
8. Wrap a rubber band around the neck of the soap dispenser to avoid overuse
Wrapping a rubber band around the neck of a soap dispenser will slow its flow, meaning you will get the perfect amount of soap with each pump. TikToker @miseenplace-au demonstrated this tip in a TikTok video, amazing her 17,900 followers of how effective this hack is.
9. Make a dust catcher when drilling a hole
As shown by @toolstour to their 1.3 million followers in a TikTok video, this simple hack involves cutting off the end of a bottle, drilling a hole into the bottom, then placing this through the drill bit. This will collect all traces of dust when drilling.
10. The right way to use a bin bag
The easiest way to use a bin bag is simply placing the opened drawstring edge over the top rim of the rubbish bin, then pushing down inside the bag removing all the air. TikToker @ch0zi stunned fans with this easy hack, reaching 22.9 million views.
When doing DIY at home it’s important for you to be safe.
OnBuy Drills have provided some useful safety tips when handling DIY tools from home:
Always wear protective clothing such as safety glasses, gloves and dust masks, to avoid any injuries.
Always use the correct tools for the job! It’s better to invest in high quality tools, as they will not only get the job done quicker and safer, but they will come in handy again for future DIY projects.
When using knives or sharp objects, never cut towards you, as a slip on a finger could easily provoke injuries.
When using tools such as hammers, use a needle nose plier when hammering small nails into the wall. Trying to hold small nails with your fingers can be dangerous, using a needle nose plier will ensure that your fingers are out of the way.
And most importantly, ladders are one of the main causes of DIY accidents. Ensure that you never lean to one side of the ladder, as you could lose your balance. If you are unable to reach the designated area, pause and adjust the ladder closer.