Tausi Insider

Image : Mega Pixel ( Shutterstock ) While power tools maybe be the most exciting components in your tool collection, basic hand tools can be every bit as enticing, and perhaps even more essential. There isn’t always a powered solution for every problem you’ll run into over every job that needs doing in the shop, and keeping the low-tech essentials on hand will make your home improvement projects go easier and get done faster. Here are six of my favorites to get you started. A spring-loaded nail set It’s not exactly sophisticated, but a spring-loaded nail set can really come in handy when you need to take care of nails that are popping out on molding or to finish off a project that has some protruding nails. You place the tip of the nail set on the head of the nail, pull back on the end, and release. This efficient little thing will help keep your nails flush without a hammer, and it won’t mark the surface of your wood. You can get one for about $14, and it fits in your pocket. F...

Photo : Sorapop Udomsri ( Shutterstock ) Children can be fickle creatures. A toy they wanted more than anything else could lose its appeal in a matter of minutes. But through fads and trends, one item has kept kids entertained for generation: A (large) cardboard box. To a kid, a cardboard box that’s big enough for them to fit inside with a friend or sibling has the potential to be anything: A fort, a plane, a spaceship, an office cubicle, or their own personal library. It can also simply be a cardboard box that they sit inside while everyone else is stuck on boring couch or chairs. That’s why we propose gifting your little kid a giant cardboard box—not as a replacement for their other present(s), but as something to add that doesn’t cost much, but they’re likely to enjoy. Here are some ideas. How to gift a cardboard box to your young child The first step is finding the right box. If you happen to be getting a new large appliance sometime very soon, then you’re all set. Otherwise...

Photo : Ground Picture ( Shutterstock ) Crumbs and dust have a nifty little talent for refusing to actually slide into your dustpan with a broom . However, there’s an easy way to collect them up that you probably never thought of. T his hack has been all over TikTok for some time now and has, since its revelation sometime last year, spawned a number of reaction videos from people who want to try it themselves and see if it works. Spoiler alert: It does work. All you need is a paper towel, water, a broom, and the dirt, of course. How to sweep up that last bit of dirt W et one side of a paper towel, then lay the towel down next to the dirt, dust, or debris you’re struggling to sweep up. Gently sweep the mess over the paper towel, where the dampness will make it stick. Cleanup is easy now, as all you have to do is gather up the soiled towel and toss it in the trash. In a pinch, you can use other paper goods, like newspapers, which will do essentially the same thing. Just be care...

Photo : The Toidi ( Shutterstock ) If you’re making your own built-ins, hanging cabinets, or just putting up art, a stud-finder is a must. Although there are ways to measure for studs, they’re not fool-proof, so using a stud-finder is always a good idea. This one from Zircon will not only find the stud, but also locate the center and edges for you, avoiding misses that can result in collapse and damage to the walls. https://www.tausiinsider.com/11-of-the-best-gifts-for-the-diyer-on-your-list/?feed_id=331440&_unique_id=6454a667d7d15

Photo : New Africa ( Shutterstock ) Some households use Christmas tree ornaments as markers of major events—mementos of marriages, births, new homes, and vacations dangle from every branch. They’re nostalgic, eclectic, and rarely match—and that’s their charm. Others , though, see Christmas trees as an opportunity to flex their interior design skills— and for those tree decorators, expenses can add up with new colors and themes being rotated in every year. There’s an easier way and more affordable way to change the color and style of your globe ornaments , though. A hack making the rounds on TikTok right now promises to help you make your tree decor any color you want on the cheap: All you need is standard round ornaments with detachable tops, r egular-sized balloons, a pair of scissors and another other crafty decorative elements you may want to dress up the final product. Use your scissors to cut off the mouthpiece of the balloon ( the dangly little part you blow into) . D...

Photo : REDPIXEL.PL ( Shutterstock ) There are so many sm art ways to use a vacuum besides just running it over your carpet, but there are also some things you really shouldn’t be sucking up . You can avoid damaging your expensive machine by learning what can’t be vacuumed . Here are the things to always avoid vacuuming up: Glass Element Electronics , which manufactures vacuum cleaners, recommends never vacuuming up glass . The sharp pieces can do internal damage, especially if your machine has bags or hoses. If you’re worried about stray shards of broken glass that could damage you , try some upgraded sweeping hacks, like this one , to make sure you get it all contained. Large quantities of hair A little hair in your vacuum is fine, and likely unavoidable, but there’s a reason you see stylists sweeping after their shifts: Too much hair is not good for a vacuum. Per Element, long hair can tangle around your brush and lead to clogs, so you should get rid of the majority of it...

Photo : Mila Rachmania ( Shutterstock ) The holidays are a season of giving to others, but it’s also an opportunity to give a little something to yourself—that is, the freedom from your insurmountable pile of reusable totes. The thing is, no one else wants more totes, so you have to be sneaky-sweet about it. The best way is to present it as part of an otherwise generous gift. I first started gifting totes because I needed extra packing material for the Christmas cookie tins I was shipping to friends and family. I was running low on paper bags and spotted my bag of bags. Perhaps you have one of these too: a reusable tote bag full of simply more reusable tote bags. I have my favorites, but the rest just take up space. Maybe some of them are even lovely and sturdy, but sadly, never used. It turns out, though, that they do keep cookie tins from sliding around. Neatly folded, or bundled around the main present, they looked like part of the package, and provided a buffer when getting to...

Photo : SViktoria ( Shutterstock ) Another day, another TikTok hack that seems clean and safe but could actually be a total disaster in practice . While some viral hacks actually   are as miraculous as they seem , a newer one suggesting you make a reusable dryer sheet by soaking a sponge in a fabric softener solution ( and then tossing it in your dryer) is anything but. One British woman has spoken out to her local press , claiming that after soaking sponges in fabric softener and water and putting them in her tumble dryer, the appliance caught on fire overnight. Prior to this horror story hitting the news, appliance experts were already speaking out against this hack, popularized on TikTok, by warning that it could stain clothes, anyway . Still, TikTok is full of videos of people making “reusable dryer sheets” with sponges and fabric softener. If you’re a CleanTok lurker, you’ve probably already seen these clips or will soon. To correct your algorithm, click here for a vide...

Photo : wavebreakmedia ( Shutterstock ) Yes, y our broom is for cleaning, but even things that are for cleaning also need to be cleaned themselves. You shouldn’t be pushing a dirty tool around on the floor expecting it not to impede your quest to stop the floor from being dirty. Clean brooms are just more effective, so it’s worth it to take some time to spruce yours up—especially if it’s been a while (or ever) since you’ve done so. Here’s what you need to do. Remove the big junk first You can see the big debris that gets stuck to your broom easily, like hair and lint, and that’s the first schmutz that needs to go when you start cleaning. Maids by Trade , a home cleaning company, recommends taking your broom outside and smacking it against a tree or other solid object just hard enough to remove dust and loose debris attached to the bristles. Soak the broom In some instances, a good smacking is enough , but make it a habit to do a deep cleaning periodically, too— about once a mo...

Photo : Claire Lower I don’t know how or where you were raised, but I was raised by Southern people, both in Mississippi and Los Angeles. My people are iced tea drinkers, which makes having a steady supply of frozen water very important, especially when it’s hot out, which was almost always. A key component of this lifestyle is having some sort of receptacle to store your ice so you can build a surplus. Taking it directly from the tray means you have to finish that batch of ice before you can make more ice, and that isn’t acceptable. Almost every freezer I encountered growing up had some sort of ice bin inside of it, and it was perfect accept for one little flaw: The ice sometimes absorbed the fridge and freezer smells, tainting an otherwise lovely beverage. And while an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of fresh ice, and there are several fancy, sealable ice bins you can purchase to block wafting aromas, the most elegant solution is to use a freezer bag. Freezer bags are desi...

Photo : ESB Professional ( Shutterstock ) Does your gym bag reek ? You’re not alone, but it also doesn’t have to be this way. With proper care, you can keep your workout gear stink-free. Just do yourself a favor and start taking care of everything before it starts to smell. ( But even if you’ve already let things get bad, we have tips for you.) Rinse your gym clothes as soon as you take them off A lot of gym clothes these days are made of synthetic fabrics , because they provide stretch or sweat-wicking features to keep us comfortable. The downside is that bacteria can cling to synthetic fibers in a way that makes them nearly impossible to wash off. So it’s important that we don’t let those germ colonies grow in the first place. The bacteria I’m talking about are the ones that digest your sweat and skin oils. I know, gross. But that means it’s not the sweat itself that causes stinking, but rather the bacteria that multiply while your sweaty shirt is sitting in the laundry bas...

Photo : wavebreakmedia ( Shutterstock ) Everyone wants to be healthier and live longer, which can often translate into indulging in trends that promise to make us thinner, healthier, and happier, whether it’s a fad diet or a fad piece of workout equipment. Sometimes this stuff even works—but most of the time these health trends and products wind up having a more or less neutral effect on our health. For example, standing desks. These desks, designed to allow you to work at a desk while standing up, have been on trend for a few years now, inspired by studies that warned of the many health dangers involved with sitting on your ass for hours at a time. And it’s not just the sitting that makes your desk so dangerous—working at a desk can cause other problems, like carpal tunnel syndrome or good old-fashioned back aches . So chances are you’ve Googled “standing desk” at some point in the last few years, and therefore have experienced sticker shock, because there are some seriously e...

Photo : namaki ( Shutterstock ) Single-use plastic is a plague upon the Earth that the more environmentally conscious among us try in vain to avoid. No matter how careful you are to bring your re useable tote and buy stuff in recyclable and compostable packaging, eventually y ou’ll need to go to the grocery store for produce, which means you’ll become responsible for at least one more single-use plastic bag. There are plenty of ways to reuse plastic bags outside the kitchen , but plastic is annoyingly useful for certain kinds of food storage, and that’s mostly what I keep mine around for. Usually, reusing a bag is as simple as shaking it out and stuffing it in the “extra bags” drawer with its siblings, but every now and then, I run into a situation that requires actual cleaning. Washing and drying plastic bags might sound like a hassle, but with the right technique, it’s pretty simple—and an excellent way to get as much use out of them as possible. Here’s how to do it. How to cl...