My neighbor saw me struggling with a stripped screw and told me to use a rubber band

I was trying to get a stripped Phillips head screw out of an old cabinet hinge yesterday and was about to give up. He walked over, handed me a thick rubber band, and said to lay it over the screw head before pushing the driver in hard. It worked on the first try and saved me from drilling it out. What other simple household items have you used as a last-minute fix like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

wright.taylor1mo ago

Ever try to fix a wobbly chair with a stack of old playing cards? I did that once, but then I lost my hand of aces to a furniture repair. It actually worked pretty well as a shim until I could get a real one.

janab821mo ago

Honestly, nobody's talked about how playing cards actually work better than paper because of that waxy coating. They don't soak up moisture and turn to mush the way a business card or magazine page would if you accidentally spill something near that chair leg. Ngl, I'd rather lose my aces to a shim than have to re-shim the same spot every time someone sets down a drink.

diana6901mo ago

Aluminum foil can work wonders for a temporary electrical fix. I had a battery terminal get all crusty on my kid's toy car, and wrapping the post with a folded piece of foil got the connection working again until I could clean it properly. It's also saved me when a wobbly table leg needed a shim, just crumple some up and stuff it in the gap.