“Fix It”: 40 Times People Had No Clue How To “Fix It,” But The Internet Had Their Back
Nothing is safe from wear and tear. Time gets to all of us. Fortunately, there is a subreddit called 'Fix It' where people post pictures of the things that they need help with, and the members of the community provide them with clear instructions on how to take care of the issue, saving them time, money, and a whole lot of headaches.
So in order to remind you that becoming self-sufficient doesn't mean isolating yourself, we put together some of the most popular cases we found on 'Fix It.' From broken appliances to damaged furniture, where there's a will, there's a way!
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Was Quoted $500 To Put This Back In Place, How Many Would I Reattach Myself?
u/_DapperDanMan-:
That's flashing, not siding. Tuck it back in, under the shingles and nail it into the wall with roofing nails 1-1/4" long. Put a blob of 100% silicon on the nail heads. Don't fall off the roof.
How Can I Fix This? Daughter Was Showering And Randomly Leaned Into The Wall, Causing This
u/therealdarkcirc:
That looks like you’ve got some bigger troubles in that wall.
I’d start pulling tile and see where the backer went.
Your shower was likely installed with tiles directly over drywall, so once moisture seeps through it damages the drywall and tiles can cave in. The tiles and drywall need to be ripped out. You can do this yourself, it's actually kind of fun, just avoid the wall with the faucet until you can pick around it so you don't damage the plumbing. Then the wall has to be checked for mould, then it needs new drywall, a vapour barrier (critical), then tiles - those should be done by a professional.
Can This Concrete Pad Be Repaired?
u/HGwoodie:
If by "repaired" you mean dug up and replaced the answer is yes.
There is a chemical that can be poured on crumbling concrete which basically glues it all. But it is designed for a small spot and would be ridiculously expensive to apply to the entire driveway.
Such wholesome communities aren't exclusive to the internet. Since a woman named Martine Postma established what is considered to be the first repair café in Amsterdam in 2009, the concept of free events at which volunteers with valuable skills assist participants with broken possessions has spread far and wide.
Over 50 cafés operate throughout the Netherlands, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
In the United States, people have reportedly begun convening regularly at coffee shops and event spaces in New York, Chicago, Palo Alto, Los Angeles, Seattle, and other cities to fix busted items.
Did Someone Try To Burglarize Me?
u/coza97:
Certainly looks that way, no reason this would happen by itself.
u/No_Regrats_42
I install these and fix them for a living.
There are two reasons why this would happen.
1. Someone was trying to break back into their home as they had locked the keys inside.
2. Someone else tried to break in.
This is the width of most crowbars. The idiot probably thought you could just lift it out from the outside(you can't.... For.. obvious reasons)
How Can I Fix These Wrinkles In My New Oven?
u/fruitmask:
This is one of those things that you fix by getting your money back. I don't even know wtf I'm looking at, but I'd bet my extended warranty that it's not fixable.
I was a toolmaker who serviced the dies that make ranges/stoves. This is called a draw wrinkle, and it comes from not having enough pressure in the draw pad during the creation of the oven wrapper. This cannot be fixed without disassembling the range, and replacing the entire oven cavity, which you do not want to do. If it's under warranty, contact the manufacturer. If it's not, new range time. This defect is entirely cosmetic, it will not affect the operation of the range at all, nor the safety. Source: I was a toolmaker for Whirlpool. Edit: I can also tell you that is not a Whirlpool/Maytag/Magic Chef product. The geometry of the ribs is different, because I milled them.
Does Anybody Know What Would Cause This Water Jug To Do This ? We Have Had This For A Year. This Is My 10th Jug And This Is The First Time This Has Happened
u/aviwrekz:
There is a clog in the airline... You typically would get a glugluglug after dispensing water, which I'm sure you are not. Needs to be cleaned.
Please clean your water dispensers thoroughly every once in a while! So many things can form/get lodged in the water path which you can’t really see and might not even notice in your water if you’re in a rush to drink. From bugs crawling up inside to mold developing. My roommates and I discovered roaches inside our room’s dispenser after it was left unused due to Covid restrictions keeping us from returning to our room. Had to empty nearly one large 12 L bottle plus cleaning chemicals down it to make it safe again.
But tinkering has been becoming an increasingly harder challenge. Unlike the things made by older generations, it’s hard to get inside an iPod, and even when you do, you face a battery and computer chip rather than moveable components that can be adjusted and replaced.
Even the businesses that supply the repair industry have become increasingly scarce. For example, in an attempt to boost plunging profits, RadioShack switched from selling cables, connectors, and widgets for garage and basement hobbyists to selling smartphones and other wireless devices all the way back in 2009.
Trying To Preserve My Mother’s Handwriting In Lipstick On A Mirror?
u/Joe-pineapplez:
Take a photo of it and print it. A transfer of the words could be used on the back of the mirror and the ‘silver’ could be engraved/sand blasted off.
I used to work in a glass shop.
Help Get These Off
u/CYPH3R_22:
I buy the all purpose kitchen cleaner from the dollar store and a tooth brush. Works great. It’ll take you about 30 seconds and $5. Don’t brush too hard or it’ll be super clean then you’ll have to clean the rest of the seat to match
Is There Any Validity To This? Does It Make Your Door Harder To Kick In? Seen On Facebook
u/Correct-Junket-1346:
A door is only as strong as the nearest window.
u/Strongit:
Yep, I can personally attest that this works. A few years ago around Christmas, there was a string of garage break-ins in my neighborhood. Everyone except us were broken into and had things stolen. I went out back the day after and the thief had tried to get in and got a closer look; the wood around the trim was splintered and there was a big dent in the door where they tried to kick it in.
u/willreadfile13:
Most people give up after one or two attempts. No one wants to risk making noise and getting caught.
The societal shift toward products that are untouchable, robotic, and useless when single parts break down has given rise to a number of negative consequences, such as growing landfills.
Overall, the U.S. produces 268 million tons of trash annually. The average American throws away 4.5 pounds of trash per day, compared to 2.68 pounds in 1960, and most of it is comprised of recyclable items.
While we can't just slash the number in half in one go, the subreddit 'Fix It' is doing its part.
Why?!
u/4551016:
My guess is the door seal is worn out and needs to be replaced. Or you put dish soap in the washer...
A Friend Decided To Clean This With Alcohol In The House He Just Moved In (Rental). Is There Anything He Can Do (Apart From Fleeing The Country)?
u/comscatangel:
If this represents your friend's intelligence and skill level then no, your friend is not qualified to refinish furniture.
The Tap Hose No Longer Retracts, How Do I Fix This?
u/1northfield:
There is normally a weight at the back of the sink that is attached to the other end of the hose, it’s likely that this has become hitched onto something, you should be able to dislodge it and pull the sprayer back up.
Oven Glass Panel Exploded Without Warning. What To Do?
u/slapcornea:
I am an appliance repair tech in Canada but I am pretty sure this is the same in the US (if that's where you are). Call the warranty number for this range and tell them what happened and that it is currently a danger to your family. No matter how old this is, the manufacture will repair it for free. This is true for all brands in Canada and likely the USA due to several class action lawsuits.
How To Easily Remove These Metal Shavings From This Magnet??
u/Bergwookie:
A stronger magnet, put in a plastic bag, you stroke over the shavings, get them on the new magnet, lift off the plastic bag and the shavings fall down.
It's a smarter idea to take the bag off turning it inside out like a dog poop bag, so the falling shavings won't get attracted right back on the magnet
Multiple Outlets In New Apartment Caked With Paint Like This One. Any Tips On How To Get This Off Safely And Clear Out The Grounding Prong Holes Too?
u/Unlikely_Election649
The best thing to do is replace these.
I don't know the exact best process but every possibility starts with "turn off the breaker switch"
My Roommate Knocked A Giant Bottle Of Laundry Detergent On The Carpet. This Is After We Wiped Up As Much As We Could With Paper Towels. How Do We Fix? Help?!?!?
u/keepinitoldskool:
Water and a shop vac. Or rent one of those rug doctors, just don't add soap to it. Laundry detergent isn't such a pain in the ass to clean up because it doesn't foam up much.
Landlord's Table. What Can I Do? How Screwed Am I? Coin For Scale
u/DogRiverRoad:
That is never coming out. people commenting "you can sand that out" don't have a damn clue what they are talking about. You try and sand that out and you are going straight through the veneer, no the table looks even more s**t. You can try stripping it and using oxalic acid over the whole top, but that it not going to make this disappear. The righ thing to do is tell you landlord and offer to buy the table off them (not in its current condition, but the use condition it was before the burn mark)
Cat Broke Toilet, Can It Be Fixed?
u/Mtolivepickle:
Replace the toilet. No ifs, and, buts, or maybes. That will cut you faster than you can imagine. It’s not worth it.
This Stupid Thing Beeps Even After Changing Battery. Why?!?! Am I Supposed To Do Something More?
u/wdcpdq:
CO monitors expire. There should be a date on the back. 5 years maybe? If it’s expired, you’ll need a new one.
How Do I Go About Repairing This Door?
u/overboost_t88:
You replace it. its a hollow core door. You can get a slab door and remove hardware and use the old door as a template. OR you can get a whole pre-hung door and frame. remove trim and remove old frame. Install, shim and level door frame and replace door trim.
Buy a new door, and also avoid Jack Nicholson at any cost and get tf out that hotel.
Need Help Fixing Sink. I'm A Renter With Not A Ton Of Money. Is This Fixable? Or Do I Have To Purchase A Whole New Sink?
u/1968camaro:
Time for a new sink.
It’s Been Folded Since 1969. How Do I Get Rid Of The Creases Without Ruining It?
u/Jonas52:
Take it to a framing shop. They should have a large press for mounting photos.
I would leave this to the professionals, but otherwise the folds can be straightened with an iron on low heat, you should definitely put parchment paper between the iron and the paper. (I have ironed newspapers so they can be made into a big book for archiving). Edit: I don't know what happens if the paper has a shiny surface!
How To Stop The Huge Reflection Of My Dashboard So That I Can Drive Safely?
u/TheLastTsumami:
Put a black non shiny non reflective mat on it.
Help. Wrote On The Toilet Lid In Whiteboard Marker And It’s Not Coming Off… I Have An Inspection
u/totally_bored_dude:
So this works on whiteboards... If you leave something on too long, it will leave what you are seeing. What I do is take the marker and just go over it again and quickly wipe it off. It tends to "lift" the stained part and since the new mark isn't fully dry, it comes off. You could try it on a small section to see if it works.
FYI, this also works if someone uses a permanent marker on a whiteboard. Use the "Dry Erase" marker to lift the permanent marker and get it off the board.
Is no one else going to speculate on the reason for the marks that need to be removed? Did someone need instructions?
I'm guessing this is in a public or employee bathroom, at someone's job and they got sick of people not flushing the toilet, when they were done using it. 🤷♀️
Load More Replies...Rubbing alcohol works beautifully to remove "stained" dry erase marker.
Dry erase marker ink is just regular marker ink with an additional solvent added that allows for easy removal. If you have another dry erase marker writing over the old ink or even ink from a permanent marker, will make the whole thing wipeable because now that solvent is in play.
Alcohol works. I just cleaned off some old marks (years old) on a white board I gave away. At first thought I might have to toss it. But the alcohol removed everything with a bit of rubbing. EDIT: After posting I see several folks mentioned alcohol already. that's also why the hand sanitizer workds - it's the alcohol.
If only toilet lids could be designed with a hinge so that the lid could close. Then you could just tell the inspector "oh sorry I closed that because I had rather a smelly BM and didn't want to nauseate you"
I think all of these suggestions would probably work. We had a store where I worked with porcelain and granite - I preferred lacquer thinner.
Slipped And Broke The Shower Wall. I Plan On Remodeling In About A Year, Any Temporary Fixes For This Until Then So Moisture Doesn't Get Behind It?
u/pbaran11:
Speaking from experience here this happened because the condition of the plaster/render behind the tiling is in poor condition; it’s likely already sopping wet. You should be able to fall against the tiles without this happening. You’ll need to take down the all loose tiles and assess what’s there before you repair this. You’ll probably not want to wait a year, though it’s up to you but more of the tiles are going to start falling off now.
GF Was Cooking Her Dog Food And Left The Hot Skillet On My Counter/Cutting Board. We Are Renting... Anyway To Fix This?
u/TwitterJackBNimble:
Need to sand it and apply finish.
Hmmm… Random. How Do I Fix This?
u/HoboHaxor:
You really don't. Need to replace the handle.
Probably Hopeless, But This Couch Cover Shrunk In The Wash
u/Real_Clock7181:
I would try steaming it and while still damp and warm try hand stretching it. Then force pillow in as far as possible to help stretch it even more. Repeat this process until you get it to fit.
Help Me Fix Apartment Floor Damage From Bed Fame
u/Vinny_DelVecchio:
A little rub of minwax Golden Oak stain may help hide the marks. Then put those little slider cups under the legs to prevent more of the same.
Just Moved In And Made A Lovely Design Change To My Heated Wood Floors!
u/SKatieRo:
Similar thing happened to me. Get some Restor-Finish. Rub it into the scratch with a rag and wipe off the excess. It will be waaaay less noticable.
There are markers made specifically for this 😉 inexpensive easy quick solution.
Does Anyone Know How To Re-Tie The End Of The Drawstring So It Matches The One On The Left?
u/Present-Solution-993:
However you try to replicate it, if you're not happy with the match, then simply cut the other end and finish it how you did the first one, then it'll match.
Commercial Kitchen. Over The Last 8 Hours All These Tiles Raised Up And Actually Cracked. No Gas Line Or Water Leaks Underneath. The Tiles Were Installed 2009. Is This Just Tiles That Need To Be Reinstalled?
u/Aselleus:
Looks like the crack is leading right to where that sink is, so I'm guessing burst pipe?
It's likely that a broken drain pipe is eroding the fill beneath the concrete slab, causing subsidence.
These Bloody Things!
u/wildplant_:
There are hard plastic clear stickers you can buy from Amazon where you put one on either side of where it broke off and it remakes the little connection so you can hang them again.
Accidentally Set Hot Cast Iron On (Granite?) Countertop. Any Ideas On How To Fix?
u/onlythecrooked:
That is a composite top. You should be able to find a composite worktop fitter to come and fix it or find what they call a 'magic man' to come and touch it up with dyes, sanding and a sealer.
I Accidentally Chipped A Homemade Plate My Girlfriend Made A Decade Ago. I Feel So Bad And Will Do Anything To Try And Repair It. What Can I Do To Save It?
u/lockness2799:
The only food safe method would be to dremmel it down to a smooth texture, use ceramic glaze paint (you can try to match the color somewhat) and get it re-fired in a kiln. This is assuming it is ceramic pottery. Do you have a place like Color Me Mine near you?
If this was made at Color Me Mine originally, that blue is most certainly #35 Caribbean Sea.
Source: I worked a side gig at CMM for many years.
How Do I Keep My Shop Vac Hose From Pinching Like This?
u/uncletutchee:
Cut the bad part off and put it back together.
Me And My Roommate Share A Wall And You Can See Straight Through The Vent Which Lets In A Lot Of Noise. What’s A Temporary Fix For This For When We Have Company Over And Need Some Privacy?
u/TJNel:
This is a cold air return and those are needed for proper HVAC usage. Now using a magnet cover for a small amount of time will be fine. Do not permanently close it off though.
Tried To Take Away A Small Citrus Stain, Cleaned Just With Water, Made It Worse. Please Help
u/Good200000:
That’s a water stain. Spray the whole cushion with water and it will be fine.
Some ‘water stains’ are a sign of a dirty fabric. Wouldn’t advise just spraying the whole couch, but cleaning it
Someone Spray-Painted This On The Outside Of My House. How Do I Get Paint Off Of Porous Rock?
u/sandhoper:
Pressure washer.
I Stupidly Fell Over My Somewhat New Dishwasher And Dented It. Now It Won't Close. Is This Salvageable?
Did it bother anyone else that the DIY was 90% buy a new one? That's not a "fix"... You can fix porcelain or acrylic like the sinks and toilets, but it's way more feasible to get a new one. Get a chip in an acrylic tub and I'd much rather spend the $100 to fix it than replace.
It's because sometimes the only safe option is to replace it... if fixing something is either dangerous, more expensive than replacing or will seriously compromise structural integrity then replacement is the best option... also for things like sinks and toilets I don't think there's any sentimental value attached...
Load More Replies...There are over 3,000 Repair Cafes worldwide, and even more that go by other names! www.repaircafe.org/en
Did it bother anyone else that the DIY was 90% buy a new one? That's not a "fix"... You can fix porcelain or acrylic like the sinks and toilets, but it's way more feasible to get a new one. Get a chip in an acrylic tub and I'd much rather spend the $100 to fix it than replace.
It's because sometimes the only safe option is to replace it... if fixing something is either dangerous, more expensive than replacing or will seriously compromise structural integrity then replacement is the best option... also for things like sinks and toilets I don't think there's any sentimental value attached...
Load More Replies...There are over 3,000 Repair Cafes worldwide, and even more that go by other names! www.repaircafe.org/en