14 Essentials to Help You Fix and Clean Almost Anything

March 22, 2016December 10, 2018Home And Garden

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Back in 2011, I wrote a little piece about the importance of having a selection of items on hand to fix and clean almost everything. Since that time, my views have changed; and whereas many of the items on the original list still hold a prominent place in my fix-it kit, some have dropped off and others have been added.

Given that my focus this year is on simplicity as well as frugality, this is a great time to go back and credo this list; because, let’s face it, life is filled with little fix-it and clean-it tasks.

Life is Filled with Things to Fix and Things to Clean

We live in a throwaway society where it is less costly to throw something out and buy new, than to have it repaired. Along those same lines, messes happen and we have to clean up after ourselves. It is a fact of life.

Most all of us have a traditional tool box and a conventional cleaning bucket. You know the kind: hammer, saw, screwdrivers, drill, clamps all kinds of stuff. Add some fancy, schmancy household cleaners, various types of cleaning wipes and the next thing you know, you will have as much fix-it and clean-it gear as you have items to fix and to clean.

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Some of this is good, and some of it is not. I say that because space is precious and those one-use products we just had to have while strolling the aisles at Home Depot are now taking up valuable real estate in our closets and cupboards. I don’t know about you but for me, I could make better use of that space by storing bulky emergency supplies not the least of which is TP and biomass.

This morning I took a stroll around my house and took inventory of those essential items that take up my own handy dandy fix-it and clean-its. These are useful doo-dads and other supplies that will hold it together and solve many if not most of those annoying little fix it and cleaning tasks in any household, large or small.

14 Useful Items to Fix or Clean Almost Anything

1. Duct Tape: No surprise here. It is strong, flexible and waterproof. Cut it to size and shape it anyway you want. Hold stuff together, fix rips, mend broken glass, and even use it as a splint. You can repair vacuum cleaner hoses and catch flies. You can even make yourself up as the Tin Man for Halloween. The possibilities are so endless that there are websites devoted to the stuff. And the bonus? Duct tape comes in all colors as well as small, portable “to go” packs.

Read more about the uses of duct tape in 50 Ways to Use Duct Tape for Survival.

2. Elmer’s Glue: It is amazing how useful this classic kiddie glue can be. Use it to glue wood moldings back on to the wall, fix the loose heel or flapping sole of you shoes or to repair tears in the upholstery. Glue together ripped seams or hems in your clothing. Put a coating of Elmer’s on a splinter, let it dry then peel it off. Out comes the splinter.

My favorite? Patch nail holes in the wall by squirting in a bit of glue, waiting for it to dry, then painting over of patched hole. No messy, sticky Spackle to deal with and clean up is with simple soap and water. Elmer’s can be used for so many things that I include a small bottle in my suitcase when I travel.

3. Swiss Army Knife/Pocket Tool: When all else fails, use a compact Swiss army knife. Many come with two types of screwdrivers, a Phillips and a flat head, plus a scissors that is really sharp, a nail file, can opener and yes, even a corkscrew. Lest I forget, a knife blade or two a typically included as well. Use your Swiss army knife to open the mail, open a package, or cut your toenails. Very handy indeed.

4. Zip Ties (also called tie wraps or cable ties): I carry these everywhere, including my handbag, my backpack and my luggage when I travel. What are they? Strong nylon bands with a slotted head at one end. When you wrap the plain end around something, you come full circle and slip it through the slotted head where it locks in to place. Once locked in to place, the item is solidly bound together – only to become unbound when you cut the tie. (This is where your Swiss army knife will come in handy.)

Use the zip ties to hold cables or cords together, bundle kindling or firewood, secure car parts that have come loose, and more. One unconventional use is to wrap a zip tie around the hose bib preventing passers-by from stealing our water. Zip ties come in all lengths and you can piece 4 or 5 together to make a super zip tie. As with the duct tape, they come in a rainbow of colors, but I prefer clear, which is the least expensive.

5. Dental Floss: Remove dental floss from the bathroom and it becomes super-string. You can use it to sew on buttons, substitute for a broken shoelace, make a temporary clothesline, or hang your stuff from a tree while out in the woods. Use it to mend a hole in your backpack by making a floss patch by darning over the hole back and forth until it is covered – just be sure to also carry a large needle with you as well. Dental floss even has a place in the kitchen or on picnics where it can be used to neatly slice a cake or a hunk of cheese. Of course, you can and should use floss to clean your teeth and gums, too.

6. WD-40 or other spray lubricant: Have a stuck zipper? Get out the WD-40. Rusty garden tools? Get out the WD-40. Greasy marks on the floor? Yes, get out the WD-40. This stuff is also so popular (like the ubiquitous duct tape) that there are fan clubs and web sites devoted to the stuff. Other uses include fixing sticky drawers, squeaky hinges and surprise! scuffed up leather that needs a quick conditioning. Heck, forget about the scuffs. If your shoes are too tight, spray them with a bit of WD-40 and they will stretch ever so slightly to fit the shape of your foot.

Another good use of WD-40 is to loosen rings that can not be removed from swollen fingers. The same thing applies to with glassware or bowls that are is stuck together. Spray it on and they will become unstuck.

7. Compressed Air: The first time I purchased compressed air was to clear out the dust bunnies inside my computer chassis, Now I use it for a lot of other things: fan blades, the vents on electronic equipment, dirty keyboards, the head of Survival Husband’s electric shaver, all kinds of stuff. Use it to clean the dust off of lamp shades and to get grime out of the nooks and crannies of collectables or even fancy woodwork. By the way, compressed air is not air at all; it is actually a compressed gas.

8. Baking Soda: Non-toxic baking soda can be used to clean, scour, polish, deodorize and remove odors. It will smother grease fires and remove musty smells from your carpets. It can be used to remove food stains from your cookware and coffee stains from just about everything. You can use baking soda to treat minor burns and to sooth poison ivy rashes. Use it in the laundry to boost the power or your detergent and bleach so that you can save money by using less. Use a paste of baking soda and water to remove corrosion from battery terminals. Baking soda can even be used to clean your teeth.

I could list 101 uses for baking soda, but if I did, I would be leaving another 999 uses off the list. Dirt cheap and easily accessible with a forever shelf live, baking soda needs to be in your clean-it kit.

9. White Vinegar: White vinegar is another inexpensive and versatile item to have in your tool box. Mix a quarter cup with water and you have a great spray cleaner. Nothing beats this combo on hardwood floors. Vinegar kills germs and mold and it removes grease and stains and the buildup of mineral deposits on faucets and showerheads as well as in coffeemakers. It will remove mildew from shower curtains and “unglue” stickers and labels from your purchases. Mix vinegar and baking soda to unclog drains in a hurry. White vinegar even sweetens and softens your laundry.

You can buy white vinegar by the gallon for about $3. Need convincing? See 50 Reasons Why Preppers Need Vinegar in Their Stockpiles.

10. Rubbing Alcohol: As a disinfectant, rubbing alcohol can not be beat. It has a number of medical uses including sanitizing cuts and abrasions before applying bandages and surprise surprise, as a rubdown to cool down feverish skin. It does a great job cleaning windows and kitchen counters (along with or as an alternative to white vinegar). Rubbing alcohol can remove ink and lipstick stains from fabrics and remove buildup from combs, brushes and gunky bathroom mirrors. Use it to “defrost” icy windshields and get rid of fruit flies.

11. Microfiber Cleaning Towels: I call these magic rags. They are cheap, durable and lint free. They mop up spills like crazy and the tiny microfiber fingers work with plain old water to clean spots, grime and smudges. I became hooked on these over ten years ago and the old rags are still going strong, albeit a bit stained. Use them on floors, counter tops, sinks, wood furniture, cars, glass tabletops and more, Throw them in the wash – no bleach or fabric softener – and they are good as new again. You can purchase a pack of a dozen for less than a buck a piece at Amazon or Costco.

About the only thing I use paper towels for these days is to wipe down my cast iron skillet and Dutch oven. And recently, I have even replaced the stinky kitchen and bathroom sponges with microfiber rags Sure, the sponges are cheap enough but by cutting them out of my cleaning routine, I have one less item to deal with under my sink and an extra $20 or $30 in my pocket at the end of the year.

12. Cotton Hand Towels: As much as I love my magic rags, I adore cotton hand towels. In the old days, I believe they were called tea towels. I use these in the kitchen as well as the bathroom. They may not look as pretty as plush towels (which come out of hiding when guests are coming) but they sure do absorb water.

13. Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap: Although I have made my own liquid castile soap, I like the convenience of Dr. Bronners. I use it in my household cleaners as well as foaming hand soap dispensers.

14. Paracord: No list of fix-it products would be complete without paracord. This super strong cordage can be use for everything from tying up an intruder, to creating a makeshift clothesline, to holding a sprained arm in a sling. My own list of uses for paracord can be found in 44 Fantastic Uses of Paracord for Prepping and Survival.

The Final Word

This list of fix-it, clean-it essentials was put together after a quick, walk-around inventory of my temporary home in Arizona. These are the handful of items that have helped me keep things in good repair as well as clean and tidy during these past few months.

Needless to say, if I added my prep essentials, the list would be five times as long. That is because to my way of thinking, having emergency food, water, and supplies, trumps having the odds and ends I need to get by when Home Depot is down the street and Amazon.com is just a click away.

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All that being said, I would love to learn about your must have fix-it, clean-it essentials. Care to share? Do you have something simple and cheap that you simply can not do without?

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!

Gaye started Backdoor Survival to share her angst and concern about our deteriorating economy and its impact on ordinary, middle-class folks. She also wanted to become a prepper of the highest order and to share her knowledge as she learned it along the way. She considers her sharing of knowledge her way of giving back and as always, we at Natural Blaze are grateful for her contributions. If you would like to read more from Gaye Levy, check out her blog at http://www.backdoorsurvival.com/. You can also visit her Facebook page or sign up for updates by email by clicking on Backdoor Survival Updates.