Repairs
How to Fix a Dripping Tap in Under Thirty Minutes
A dripping tap wastes thousands of litres a year and almost always needs a part costing less than a coffee. Here is the whole job.
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Repairs
How to Fix a Dripping Tap in Under Thirty Minutes
A dripping tap wastes thousands of litres a year and almost always needs a part costing less than a coffee. Here is the whole job.
Repairs
Why Your Door Sticks in Winter and How to Fix It Permanently
Before you plane anything off the door, check the hinges. Three quarters of sticking doors are a loose screw, not a swollen frame.
Repairs
How to Unblock a Sink Without Chemical Drain Cleaner
Caustic drain cleaners damage pipes, seals and skin. Three mechanical methods clear almost every domestic blockage faster.
Repairs
How to Bleed a Radiator and What to Do If It Is Still Cold
Cold at the top means air. Cold at the bottom means sludge. The two problems have completely different fixes.
Repairs
How to Fix a Running Toilet, Which Is Probably Wasting More Than Your Shower
A silently leaking cistern can waste more water than a family uses for bathing. The fix is one of two cheap parts.
Cleaning
Methods tested against each other, with honest verdicts on the viral ones.
All Cleaning articles
Cleaning
How to Get Rid of Limescale Without Buying Anything Special
We tested the supermarket descalers against white vinegar and citric acid. The cheap options won, but the technique matters more than the liquid.
Cleaning
Nine Cleaning Hacks From Social Media, Tested Honestly
We tried the viral ones properly, side by side against a control. Four work, three are pointless, and two will damage your house.
Cleaning
How to Get Rid of Black Mould and Stop It Coming Back
Killing the mould takes ten minutes. Preventing it means fixing the reason it grew, which is almost always ventilation.
Cleaning
How to Wash Clothes So They Last Twice as Long
Most garment wear happens in the machine and the dryer, not while you are wearing them. Five changes fix it.
Home Improvement
Painting, shelving, sealing and upgrades a beginner can finish.
All Home Improvement articles
Home Improvement
How to Paint a Room Properly: The Preparation Nobody Does
The difference between a decorator's finish and an amateur one happens entirely before the first coat goes on.
Home Improvement
How to Put Up a Shelf That Will Not Fall Down
The shelf is not the problem. The fixing is. Here is how to choose the right one for your wall type.
Home Improvement
How to Seal a Bath or Shower Neatly on Your First Attempt
Silicone sealant is unforgiving and every mistake shows. The trick is entirely in removal, preparation and one continuous pass.
Home Improvement
How to Fill and Sand a Wall So the Repair Disappears
Visible filled patches are caused by three things: overfilling, underpriming, and sanding in circles.
Home Improvement
How to Make a Small Room Feel Larger Without Building Anything
Space is perceived through sightlines, contrast and light, all of which can be changed in a weekend.
Tricks & Hacks
Small, genuinely useful things that save time, money or a callout.
All Tricks & Hacks articles
Tricks & Hacks
The Five Tools That Handle Ninety Percent of Home Repairs
Ignore the 120-piece set. Five well-chosen tools cover almost every job a household actually encounters.
Tricks & Hacks
Twelve Small Maintenance Jobs That Prevent Expensive Repairs
Each of these takes under twenty minutes. Each one prevents a failure that costs hundreds.
Tricks & Hacks
Seven Things You Should Never Put Down the Toilet or Sink
Two of these are on almost every household's list of things they flush regularly, and both cause serious blockages.
Tricks & Hacks
How to Hang Pictures Straight, Level and at the Right Height
There is a standard height, a simple method for multiple frames, and a paper trick that removes all the guesswork.
Tricks & Hacks
How to Reduce Your Energy Bills Without Buying Anything
The measures with the best return are almost all free or nearly free, and most people do them in the wrong order.
Tricks & Hacks
How to Sharpen a Kitchen Knife and Actually Keep It Sharp
Most blunt knives are not blunt. They have a rolled edge that a steel straightens in ten seconds.
Latest articles
Repairs
How to Unblock a Sink Without Chemical Drain Cleaner
Caustic drain cleaners damage pipes, seals and skin. Three mechanical methods clear almost every domestic blockage faster.
Cleaning
Nine Cleaning Hacks From Social Media, Tested Honestly
We tried the viral ones properly, side by side against a control. Four work, three are pointless, and two will damage your house.
Home Improvement
How to Put Up a Shelf That Will Not Fall Down
The shelf is not the problem. The fixing is. Here is how to choose the right one for your wall type.
Home Improvement
How to Seal a Bath or Shower Neatly on Your First Attempt
Silicone sealant is unforgiving and every mistake shows. The trick is entirely in removal, preparation and one continuous pass.
Tricks & Hacks
Twelve Small Maintenance Jobs That Prevent Expensive Repairs
Each of these takes under twenty minutes. Each one prevents a failure that costs hundreds.
Cleaning
How to Get Rid of Black Mould and Stop It Coming Back
Killing the mould takes ten minutes. Preventing it means fixing the reason it grew, which is almost always ventilation.
Repairs
How to Bleed a Radiator and What to Do If It Is Still Cold
Cold at the top means air. Cold at the bottom means sludge. The two problems have completely different fixes.
Home Improvement
How to Fill and Sand a Wall So the Repair Disappears
Visible filled patches are caused by three things: overfilling, underpriming, and sanding in circles.
Home Improvement
How to Make a Small Room Feel Larger Without Building Anything
Space is perceived through sightlines, contrast and light, all of which can be changed in a weekend.
Tricks & Hacks
Seven Things You Should Never Put Down the Toilet or Sink
Two of these are on almost every household's list of things they flush regularly, and both cause serious blockages.
Cleaning
How to Wash Clothes So They Last Twice as Long
Most garment wear happens in the machine and the dryer, not while you are wearing them. Five changes fix it.
Tricks & Hacks
How to Hang Pictures Straight, Level and at the Right Height
There is a standard height, a simple method for multiple frames, and a paper trick that removes all the guesswork.
The Weekend Fix
One repair you can finish before lunch, one cleaning method that actually works, and one thing worth doing before it becomes expensive. Saturdays. Free.