Whether it’s a sticky door lock or a cruddy bathroom fixture, there are tons of things around the house that drive us crazy. Even if they’re not always at the top of your mind, everyday annoyances can really get on your nerves after awhile. It’s time to take a few minutes out of your busy day to take care of the projects below once and for all:

Remove buildup on shower drains: have gunk in or around the drain? There’s a simple solution for that. Tie 3-4 zip ties together, remove the drain catch and feed it down. Swivel it around a bit and move it up and down to catch and remove hair, dirt or other debris.
Pop open sticky door locks: tired of sticking a key in the lock only to have it get stuck? Twist a mechanical pencil so a fair amount of graphite sticks out of the top. Slide it into the sticky lock so it breaks off and turns to powder. Then stick your key in there and turn it a few times to loosen up the stickiness.
Bring cruddy bathroom fixtures back to life: have you tried scrubbing them to get them clean only to realize that it just doesn’t work? A fresh coat of spray paint will do the trick. You can save lots of money this way, especially if the fixtures are still working just fine.
Silence squeaky doors: have a bottle of olive oil, or any other type of cooking oil sitting in the cabinet? Break it out and pour a bit on the hinges. In most cases of squeaky doors, it’s because the hinges need a bit of lube.
Clean out your gutters without stepping foot on a ladder: this one takes a bit of creativity and some basic arts & crafts skills but all you need to do is attached a few pieces of pvc piping to the end of your leaf blower.

And when it comes to your heating or plumbing problems this fall, know that you can always count on the experts at Uptown Plumbing, Heating & Cooling. We’ve been serving the Twin Cities for over 100 years so you know you’re working with experienced professionals.