1. One of the best nail hole fillers for white walls
is in your medicine cabinet-a dab of toothpaste.

2. To find studs for hanging shelves and other
heavy items try this trick: Run your electric shaver
across the wall. When the sound shifts from hollow
to solid, you've found your 2x4. Then mark those
studs with a disappearing ink fabric pen.

3. Change the batteries in each smoke detector
on your birthday. Safety is the best present of all.

4. Locate and mark the main shut-off
valves for your water and gas. During
an emergency is NOT the best time to
do this.

5. Before you screw in a new lightbulb, give the
base a quick shot of WD-40 or other spray lubricant.
It'll come out effortlessly when you need to change
it again. This is especially helpful with infrequently
changed bulbs for appliances (ovens, refrigerators).

6. When you paint a room, write the color and man-
ufacturer's name on a piece of masking tape, then
stick it on the back of the light switch cover plate.

7. If you'll be using an oil paint-filled brush or
roller the next day, wrap 'em in plastic wrap and
stick 'em in the freezer. When you defrost them the
next day, they'll be ready to go.

8. Build mini-shelves fast in your garage, laundry
room or unfinished basement by nailing horizontal
2x4s between the studs.

9. I Remove wax from a carpet by first scraping it with a plastic knife, then absorbing the rest with an iron over a
paper towel.

10. Use an old handsaw to push leaves, needles and debris out of the space between your deck boards; it'll help prevent premature rot.

11. Need a touch-up paint brush? Use a dis-
posable cosmetic sponge or snap a clothes-
pin onto a square of carpet pad.

12. To prevent a partially used cartridge of
caulk from drying out, screw a large wire
connector over the tip.

13. Liquid fabric softener applied with a
paint brush does a darn good job of remov-
ing wallpaper. To make it work even faster
and better, lightly drag the teeth of a hand-
saw across the paper-90 degrees to the way
you'd normally use it- to score it first.