This week I have been going crazy over my squeaky refrigerator door. I don't have any WD-40 in the house, so I continue to ignore the sound until it is unbearable. I think it is time to stock up on the necessary supplies for the home.
If you are handy and enjoy DIY projects, you probably have a tool kit. Also, usually everyone has all the cleaning supplies to keep the house tidy. However, sometimes we forget about the little or large household supplies that are still necessities.
Household Supplies:
- WD-40: A couple cans of WD-40 is a smart investment for all things squeaky. Take it from us, extra noises can really start to get on your nerves and it is best to just fix the problem immediately instead of letting it linger.
- Extra Light Bulbs: We are not sure why light bulbs burn out so quickly, but it is always handy to have extras in the drawer.
- Power Strip: When we are trying to work, we have the desk lamp, computer, and other electronics plugged into a power strip. However, if we need to charge our cell phone, then we have to find another outlet because the power strip is already full. It would be great to have enough outlets for all the electronics.
- Extension Cords: We don't use extension cords that often, but when we do need one we don't want to make a trip to the store just to purchase an extension cord. As we all know, sometimes outlets are not located in the most convenient places.
- Space Heater: Even if you live in a warmer climate, space heaters are great for the few cold days or nights. It also helps to save money on the electric bill by only heating the room you are in instead of the whole house.
- Duct Tape: Wrapping a leaking pipe with duct tape is a quick fix until a plumber can fix the problem.
- Flashlight: A flashlight should be in an emergency kit or at hand when the electricity goes out.
- Batteries: Many home electronics depend on batteries. Instead of purchasing a new pack of batteries every so often, purchasing a battery charger and rechargeable batteries saves money.
- Disposable Gloves: Gloves are handy around the home when cleaning with harsh chemicals or any other messy jobs.
- Step Ladder: Our step ladder gets used quite frequently because, well, height is not our friend.
What are your "must have" items for your home?
For a list of other household basics, see Setting Up Home: DIY Tool Basics.
Image: Flickr member Adrian Nier via Creative Commons
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I use olive or vegetable oil in place of WD40...
A wise man once said all you need is WD40 and duct tape - WD40 to take apart things that are stuck together and duct tape to stick together things that are coming apart.
Bleach. No need to get cleaning products if you have this. It is cheap and it goes a long way.
We had a flat on the interstate late at night recently and were happy to find a flashlight left behind from a camp out last month. Today I stocked all vehicles with fresh flashlights.
Utility knife/box cutter. Great for opening cardboard shipping boxes and then breaking them down for recycling, opening bags of pet food and litter, cutting through plastic packaging.
Space heaters do not save $. They use a LOT of energy. You will use more energy using one little space heater to warm up a room than you will by using your furnace to warm up the average sized home (unless you live in a mansion at which point you can afford to run space heaters in every room).
Definitely a box cutter! Both of ours are missing right now because my beloved doesn't necessarily put things away where he got them from, but I am confident I will find it in the next move.
Kitties are also semi-essential, but they do not generally clean up after themselves well.
I'd add a wrench.
Kittens do dust, especially if you have the fluffy kind of kittens.
My essential is a small tool kit with a racheting screwdriver base, and one of those Mr. Clean sponge cleaners.
WD-40 story: I returned home from the beach and stuck my key in the front door...and couldn't open the door or remove the key. I didn't realize there was sand on the key and jammed the lock! I called a locksmith who showed up with a tiny can of WD-40. He sprayed the lock and key and presto! He charged me $60! A little can of WD-40 costs less than $5. Grrrrr!!!
Fire extinguisher
Vinegar and baking soda (no bleach)
A tape measure, for all those spur of the moment trips to see furniture off Craigslist or an antique shop.
WD40 is actually a solvent and rust dissolver and is not really a lubricant. It has minimal lubricants in its ingredients. It also dissolves old lubricants and disperses them on what you are spraying. Instead of WD40 to get rid of squeaks it is better to use a real lubricant, perhaps TriFlow.
my husband - he's like McGyver's secret brother from another mother!
and
goo-be-gone to get all those stickers off of everything.
A block of Post-Its, a Sharpie and a box of baggies (zip type, quart or sandwich size) come in handy in every single room for me.
love the pic of the oreo kitty :)
This is our cute little cat playing with the flashlight on my husband's desk – imagine my surprise when I saw her on this site!
A basic tool kit that includes screw drivers, hammer, allan wrenches, level, various drill bits, socket wrenches, pliers, measuring tape, exacto-knife, etc. My mom gave me a toolkit about 20 years ago and I've been using it ever since.
What @gttim said. The WD in WD-40 stands for water-displacing. For removing squeaks, a can 3-in-One oil would work just as well while being less smelly and toxic.
I'd also recommend having large and small flat and phillips head screwdrivers.
Second Goo Gone, and I'll add an assortment of cable ties--I've made them the third essential ingredient after WD-40 and duct tape.
I have a Six-in-One Screwdriver, which cuts down on the number of screwdrivers necessary in small spaces. It has a large and small Phillips head, a large and small flat head, and the receptacles for each act as hex bolt ratchets, too, for the most commonly used hex-bolt sizes (which is why it's a six-in-one, instead of a four-in-one). It's a life-saver!
Dremel tool: I can use it for anything, with a minimum of attachments. I got it for model-building in college, and I use it monthly for minor repairs around the apartment.
Measuring tape (6-foot) that's in my purse at all times, and a larger one (30-foot) at home. The 100-foot stays at the office!
A small fire extinguisher. Let's just say a rebel fork snuck into the microwave one night while I wasn't paying attention.
I got a set of two at Costco and I feel safer knowing they're there.
I also think for sheer practicality, those Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are a must-have. You have to use them sparingly because they work by actually abrading the surface of the wall, but to get doggie nail marks, fingerprints, ink and furniture scuffs off light walls, they are great. They will not, however hard you throw them at a burning microwave, put out a fire though.
Sounds a bit odd, but multiple scissors. Nothing drives you quite as crazy as needing to cut something and finding out there's only one pair of tiny scissors in a whole house, and of course no one knows where they are.
I'm a full believer that every single house should have at least one pair of scissors in the kitchen and one pair in some sort of desk area, if you have one.
When I needed a lubricant for a squeaky door and didn't have oil in the house....vaseline worked in a pinch.
OK, maybe most of you haven't got to this stage of your life yet, but I have reading glasses in nearly every room of my house.
I'm moving into an apartment in a week and would not have remembered a step ladder if it were not for this post. Thanks!
@ niteflytes - using a space heater is SO cheap! I live in Buffalo, and I've done the research. It only costs about 10 cents per hour to run a space heater.
If you keep your heat set at a lower temp, and only run the space heater when you're home and in the room, it is WAY cheaper than high gas bills! And more efficient -- you needn't heat rooms you're not really using.
A list of recommended:
1) plumbers
2) electricians
3) carpenters
If you rent, your landlord's number on speed dial.
Oh, I need to take a closer look at that kitty.
::steals kitty and runs::
All of the above, plus:
Staple gun
Twine
I agree that kittens/cats are essential. Everything is better with a fuzzy buddy.
I second, or third, the goo be gone. I use it regularly and it lasts forever, I got my current bottle when I moved into my place 6 years ago and it is still about 1/2 full. a little bit goes a long way.
You don't need goo-be-gone either. Rub some oil on, let it sit, then add a drop of dish detergent, rub off. Use things you are going to have around anyway.