{Handy-Woman Tip} A Simple Toilet Repair

It is a pretty odd handy-woman skill that I know but wanted to share with you because I have done this one a bunch of times and feel pretty confident about it.

First, please trust me when I say, toilets are not complicated.  Gross, yes, so I always give mine a good cleaning before I have to get this personal with it.

Problem:  A few weeks ago, I noticed the grout was darker around my toilet.  I cleaned it.  My first thought was that the boys were going and missing in my bathroom.  But that wasn't the case.  I knew it was the other problem- water under my toilet.  And the answer was most likely, and most cheaply, a new wax ring.  This repair is going to cost somewhere between $1-$6.

{Handy-woman} Solution:  Replace Wax Ring on Toilet

1.  If your toilet is caulked around the bottom (and it probably is) remove all the caulk.  I just scrape it off with a metal putty knife.  2.  Turn off water at the wall.   

3.  Flush toilet until won't flush anymore.   4.  Remove water from tank and bowl.       I use a cup to scoop out the water.  When that isn't efficient anymore, I use a towel or sponge to soak up the water and wring it into a bucket.   5.  Now detach water line from tank.  I had a bit of a problem with the waterline this time.  Even though I felt like it was turned all the way off, water was still dripping out.  I used a cup and towels to catch the water vs. tightening it more.  I am just overcautious after breaking one of those before (different house).  6.  Remove the nuts from the toilet bolts.  They are under those white caps, which just pop off.  **If the bolts look rusted out you will need to replace them as well.  You can buy the repair kit that includes the bolts or get them separately.  Only problem with the bolts is that sometimes they are too long and will need cut.

Before you move on, you are going to need some wadded up newspaper, a spot to put your toilet (against a wall works well), and probably a helper.  A toilet is pretty heavy and you don't want to put any pressure on the back tank!  Lift from the bowl so the tank doesn't crack.  Remember to handle the toilet carefully in the next steps so you don't crack any porcelain.  

At this point, I call for my helper- who was folding laundry.  That's right.  My husband did the laundry while I fixed the toilet.  We laugh pretty good about that!   Just like on Saturday, I fixed the gutters and he watched the kids.

OK back to business...

7.  Give your toilet a side-to-side jiggle to make sure it is loose and lift it STRAIGHT UP over the bolts.  

Now stuff some paper in that hole!  Keeps gross air out.  **Remind yourself to REMOVE that paper before you put the toilet back!

Now we will replace the wax ring.  Funny, my husband bought it, but I did the whole repair.  He chooses the jumbo size because in our first house we needed that one due to the floor being uneven under the toilet.  Back then, we used two regulars stacked together.  However, in this house we really don't need the jumbo.  It just means more squishing on (see below).

8.  Remove the old wax ring.  I use the putty knife.  Sometimes the ring might be on your floor but usually it is stuck under the toilet- where it should be.  

9.  Take the new wax ring and squish it right on the bottom of the toilet.  Center on the hole as much as possible.  (There is also the "cheater way" where you put the ring over the hole and squish the toilet on.)

10.  Put the toilet back where it goes.  **Remove that paper!**  CAREFULLY align directly over the bolts and press down super slowly and very evenly.  Stand over the toilet and press straight down to squish the wax.

Test it first.  TRUST ME.  I have done this repair before only to have water seeping out from the bottom on the first flush!
11.  TEST your work:
a.  reconnect waterline to the tank and fill the tank about half way.
b.  flush and look around the bottom
c.  let the tank fill completely and flush again.  and again.  and maybe once more for good measure.
d.  if you don't see water on your floor, you are in good shape!  If you do, I am so sorry, but you are going to have to turn off the water and start over.  You may or may not need a new ring.  
12.  Tighten your toilet bolts- do not over tighten!  Do a couple turns on the right then a couple on the left, alternating until it is tightened.
13.  Recaulk when floor is dry...I like to wait a few days before I recaulk.  Just to be sure!  Again, speaking from experience.  


And yes, I am linking up a post about toilets to these fabulous parties:

What I Did About Nicks in Wood Trim Around Our House

You are going to think that this is a product plug, but I can assure you, it is not.  I was not asked to, no did I receive any sort of compensation for writing this post.  Just sharing a "duh, why didn't I know this sooner" moment with you!

I know that one day in the next year or so we will have to move.  It's the military's way.  In the past, I have always had a good idea of when we would be moving.  Then we knew approximately when we should put the house up for sale.  This time, however, I really don't know!  Which drives us crazy at times because we are big planners.  Huge planners!  I do know whenever it is, it will be a lot of work to get this house in shape to sell.  I know some things that have helped in the past to make our house(s) look their best.  One thing we did that had a big impact was clean the wood cabinets in our kitchen.  A product like these is good for cleaning wood cabinets.

source

source

So I decided to get a jump start on our current house and thought I'd start with the kitchen cabinets.  (I mean why not- that's what huge planners do, right?)  In the past, I used Murphy's Oil Soap and it worked great!  Our 15yr-old kitchen looked brand new!   I didn't see it at the store (it was probably there)  so I picked up some Pledge Revitalizing Oil.  It has an orange scent that I can tolerate.  Well, after I wiped down cabinets, I thought I would take it to some areas that are really beaten up...the kids room!  Just to see what might happen.

Check out these before and afters!

We seriously thought we would have to replace this window sill...guess not!  Whew!  A little Pledge oil did the trick!

I can't believe it's the same wood!  I love you Pledge oil!

I really had no idea that a product like this was capable of results like this!  And that is why I am sharing this info with you.  (Plus I got nothing else to yap about today- ha!)  I just thought this stuff was only good for cleaning my cabinets.  Well, it just saved us a lot of money because we were planning  to sand and restain all the wood.  OK, we would have paid someone to do it (like chumps) so we wouldn't screw it up.  You probably already knew about this stuff, huh? (You're like "duh, Kate!")

Well... that crosses "Repair Wood Trim" off our list!  

{Pinned it, Did it!} Homemade Stain Remover

Hi, I'm Kate and I pit out shirts.

It's true!

Oh did we just meet?  So sorry!  But it's true!  I can't help it.  My husband does too.  Oh, but he is waaay worse!  I am sure he will appreciate me sharing his shirt pitting out abilities on the internet!  Ahahahaha!

So with two pitter-outers in the house, I was pretty excited when I found this recipe for a homemade stain remover on Pinterest, of course.  Did you see it, too?

This pic is from One Good Thing by Jillee (she did a full test and even has pic of her own before and afters!)

So I read the blog post here.  I saw the pictures.  They were good.  Convincing-good!  But I was skeptical.  I mean, we're talking about my pit stains.  And don't even think I haven't already tried everything to get rid of them.  Especially these (brace yourself, it's gross).

In the past, I have made concoctions of you-name-it and left it sit or soak overnight.  Basically I was putting in more effort than the old shirts were worth.  

Until this week, that is!

I mixed up a little "shot" of this:

Put it on the pits.  Rubbed it in real good.  I did find that using a brush to scrub the mixture in had considerably better results.

My shirts started like this:

Now the AFTERS!
Mine:

now, it's not totally gone but what is left is in the seams.

My husband's looked like this!!  I only did one pit so I could see the difference.  And it did require two washings.  The second time, I used the brush.
After one wash:

After two washes:

There are only traces of stains left on this one.  They are deep in the seams.  But the shirt is wearable again.

I am amazed!!! We will be switching to this as my main numero uno stain remover!!!  And seriously, it must cost pennies, too.  Now, should I do the other pit on my husband's shirt????  Ha- I owe him that I suppose for plastering his pit stains on my blog without him knowing about it.

Linking Here:

Skip to My Lou ~ Mad In Crafts ~ C.R.A.F.T. ~ Making the World Cuter ~ The Girl Creative ~ Keeping it Simple ~ Sew Chatty ~ Sarahndipities ~ Sew Can Do ~ The Gunny Sack

How to Fix a Loose Screw {Handy-woman DIY Trick}

During the Christmas break, I had a screw loose.

Not THAT kind of "screw loose" and not ME, per se.  

It was the side rail on the bunkbed that I assembled about a month before.  

I really don't like bunkbeds, however, this purchase has given the kids so much more space in their room to play that it was worth it.  I just ordered one from Walmart.com and had it delivered to my house (shipping was a whopping $14, I'd say that was worth it!).  It was only  a small pain to put together but it really is a very nice and sturdy bed.  

Except for this pesky screw that sort of popped out.

The problem is that is can't just be tightened.  It is a wood screw and it basically got loose in the wood.  So you might say it was "stripped" or something like that.  But it was important to fix.  And this might happen to you on a hinge on a wooden cabinet or even on latch plate inside your door jam.  Follow me?

Well the solution is s.i.m.p.l.e!   Any guesses??  

If you said "toothpick" then you already know this trick!

{Handy-woman DIY Trick}  The Toothpick Trick:

Pin It

1.  Remove the screw (and wipe off the artwork from your 4-yr old!).

2.  Get a wooden toothpick!  

3.  Put toothpick in the hole and break/cut off so the pick is completely in the hole.

4.  Drive screw back in.

What happened is your screw wiggled and eventually bore a bigger hole in your wood.  Well then there isn't anything for the screw to grip onto now.  By placing a toothpick in the hole, it fills the gap and the screw twists into the pick.  Putting everything back into place.

**Please note, this is not going to work on drywall or with screw anchors.  This is just for a screw in wood coming loose.

Linking here: