By : Kate Murphy

Have you ever been stuck with a squeaky door or blown light bulb and no clue how to fix it? 

Here we have the quick steps to help you renovate and restore the five common household nuisances.

HOW TO FIX A SQUEAKY DOOR

1. Using something such as WD-40 or CRC on the squeaky hinge, move the door back and forth a few times.  This should fix the problem most of the time.
2. If a quick spray didn't fix the problem, you may need to remove the hinge pins and give it a good splash of some oil or light grease.  Just about any oil will do, even cooking oil.  Take out the hinge pins and dip them in the oil or coat them with grease.  Put the pins back in and wipe off any excess.

HOW TO GET SPARKLY CLEAN WINDOWS

1. Remove any screens off the windows that need to be cleaned.  Most can be removed easily by hand, but others may need a screwdriver to make them loose.
2. Clean the inside of your windows first, using a window cleaner (vinegar is a good option) and a lint-free cloth.  Any debris embedded on the glass, like bugs or dirt, can be easily removed with light strokes of a razor blade.
3. Moving outside, begin by spraying the windows with a hose-end sprayer.  This will remove any large dirt.  Always start with the highest window and work your way down.
4. Fill your bucket with liquid detergent and water, and using a sponge, apply suds to entire glass.  Remove excess soap and water with a squeegee.
5. Give the window a quick pass with a lint-free cloth to remove any remaining water.
6. Repeat with each window.  When all windows are finished, replace screens.

HOW TO PAINT A ROOM

1. First, you need to prepare the room by clearing out as much furniture as possible, and moving everything else to the centre of the room.  Vacuum and wipe the area so you don’t get fuzz and carpet fibres in the paint when doing skirting boards.  Drape plastic sheeting over the furniture.
2. Assess the condition of all surfaces.  Chances are you will need to do some minor wall repair like filling nail holes and cracks.  With a damp rag and your caulking gun (from your hardware store), go around the room and caulk everywhere there is a tiny gap, such as along the tops of skirting boards, around trim and in the corners of walls and the ceiling.  Allow everything to dry.
3. Paint the skirting boards.  By painting them first, they'll be dry enough to use painter's blue tape along the top by the time you get around to the walls.  Follow by painting the ceiling in long strokes.  There is no need to wet the roller before painting your ceiling; the first roller full of paint wets it just fine.
4. Paint the rest of the trim.  It is almost impossible to get a straight line along the edges by painting them after the walls are done, whether or not you use tape for straight lines. 
5. Tape the skirting boards.  It’s best to use blue quick-release masking tape to avoid pulling off fresh paint.
6. Cut in first, and then roll paint on the walls, virtually eliminating brush marks around the edges.  Wait a few days until the paint is definitely dry before pulling tape off and putting the room back together.

HOW TO REMOVE STAINS

1. If the spill is new, blot it with paper towels or a clean cloth.
2. Combine one teaspoon of carpet shampoo (or dish soap) and one cup hydrogen peroxide in a small bowl.  Soak a clean sponge in the mixture, squeeze it halfway dry and then gently blot the stain.  Continue until the stain lifts.
3. Sponge the stained area with warm water before blot drying with a clean cloth or paper towels.

HOW TO CHANGE A SCREW-IN LIGHTBULB

1. Turn off all lights you are about to change and leave off for 30 minutes, allowing the bulbs to cool down.
2. Use a ladder if the light fixture is too high and turn the light bulb counter clockwise.  Unscrew until the light bulb comes loose, being careful not to hold the light bulb too tight so it doesn't break.
3. Place the light bulb in a safe place so it doesn’t crack.  Light bulbs contain harmful chemicals that are dangerous to the touch.
4. Take your new light bulb out and screw clockwise into the fixture until it fits tight.
5. Test by turning the light switch back on.

Any handy hints you have will be appreciated by readers - please feel free to jot them in the Comments section below.