I receive weekly emails from the National Association of Realtors and there are always great articles about real estate related news, the mortgage industry, etc. but I don't always have the time to keep up with reading all the info.  The other day I decided to take a minute and go through some of their past articles and I came upon the BEST series of articles!!!  It was all about "What would MacGyver do/use to fix home repairs."  First off, I love MacGyver and second, some of the ideas were really useful.  Here are some of the highlights:

 

WHAT MACGYVER DID WITH A PAPER CLIP:  The question is: What didn�t he do when a paper clip was within reach? MacGyver hotwired cars, picked locks, disarmed missiles, and everything in between.  What you can do:

• Unclog spray bottles. Unbend the paper clip and use one end to clear tiny clogs in your perfume bottle, lotion pump, etc.

• Pit cherries. Unfold a paper clip at its center, insert one hooked end into the top or bottom of the cherry. Once you feel the pit, lift it up and out.

• Reach tiny �reset� buttons inside electronics. Unfold and use the end to poke away.

• Temporarily replace a broken zipper. Untwist a small paper clip and slip the end through the zipper hole, twist it back, and unzip.

• Pick a small lock on a jewelry box, screen door, or a basic center key bathroom door. Untwist a paper clip and slip the end inside the lock. Then jiggle it to open the locking mechanism.

WHAT MACGYVER DID WITH DUCT TAPE:  Used duct tape to seal a hole in a hot air balloon, allowing him to escape his pursuers.  What you can do: 

WHAT HE DID WITH TOOTHPASTE:  Used plastic explosives disguised as toothpaste to create a diversion, allowing him to disarm his captor.  What you can do:

• Patch small holes in your walls. Use a putty knife or butter knife to smooth the toothpaste into the hole. Then sand the toothpaste to smooth the surface.

• Erase crayon marks from walls. Grab some non-gel toothpaste and a scrub brush, then just wipe until the marks are gone.

• Shine chrome. Smear non-gel toothpaste on the chrome surface, and use a soft, dry cloth to wipe it down. The fine abrasive in the paste polishes the chrome to a spotless shine.

• Deodorize a baby bottle. Apply toothpaste to your bottle brush to scrub out the stale milk smell. Then rinse it away.