- Rub out scorch marks
If you spot a scorch mark on a laminated benchtop, don’t use abrasive powder; chances are you’ll only remove the finish. If the burn isn’t too deep, buff it out with car polish or a mixture of toothpaste and bicarbonate of soda.
- A fast fix for dents
If the colour hasn’t been altered, you can disguise dents and scratches on practically any kitchen surface — including wood, glass and even some kinds of tiles — with clear nail polish. Brush on the polish in thin coats, letting it dry between applications. When you’re finished, smooth the polish with a piece of very fine grit sandpaper, then buff the area with a soft cloth.
- Check the fridge door gasket
If your fridge or freezer is more than five years old, inspect its door gasket for leaks at least once a year. The easiest method is to place a piece of paper — or a bank note — halfway inside, shut the door, and then tug on the paper. Repeat the process in several spots around the seal. The paper should hold firmly; if it’s easy to pull out, the gasket needs to be repaired or replaced.
- Add ballast to your freezer
Freezers work at maximum efficiency only when they are at least two-thirds full. If you don’t have enough food to freeze, add some bulk by filling a few plastic drinks bottles with water and placing them in the freezer. You can easily remove the ice ballast when there’s food to replace it.
- No-stick kitchen drawers
Most kitchen drawers work on a guide-and-track system. That is, rounded guides on the drawer keep it moving back and forth on tracks mounted inside the cabinet. Accumulations of dust and other impediments can slow down drawers or cause them to stick. Keep them moving freely by spraying the tracks and guides with a little WD-40 once or twice a year.
- Stop cupboard doors from banging
If your wooden cupboard doors always close with a bit of a bang, soften the blow by sticking bumpers at each door’s top and bottom corners. Inexpensive door bumper pads are one solution, but perhaps a little too obvious for the creative do-it-yourselfer. Instead, try pressing small circular padded adhesive dressings into service, testing to see if you need a double layer to silence the bang.
- Repair instead of replacing
If you’ve ever bought a replacement part for a kitchen appliance, you are probably still in recovery from the shock of the high price. The truth is many non-moving parts can be easily repaired for very little cost. For instance, a broken handle on a microwave oven or a cracked dishwasher arm can often be easily reattached with some two-part epoxy adhesive. Likewise, a little silicone sealant can be used to patch a small crack in your refrigerator’s door gasket, while a few strips of gaffer tape can usually mend broken parts on a fridge door shelf. Remember that you only need to replace parts that really can’t be fixed.