Small Miracles: 12 Amazing Home Repair Products For Fixing Just About Anything
A lived-in home, especially one with kids and pets, gets plenty of wear and tear. Some damaged items require costly replacement, but others perk up with easy fixes if you have the right products on hand. With a few standard tools and specialty repair glues, tapes, and kits, you can fix, seal, and otherwise freshen up home items in need of a refresh. These home repair products listed below are good staples to have on hand or to order when rips, dents, gouges, and squeaks pop up.
1. WD-40
That familiar WD-40 can has probably been in your garage for as long as you can remember. The workshop standby, designed for use in the aerospace industry in the 1950s, has a secret blend of lubricants and other agents that displace water, repel dirt, and prevent corrosion. Use it to silence nearly any squeak (quiet, door hinges!), remove rust from locks or outdoor tools, and to perform a variety of household repairs.
Get a 12-ounce can of WD-40 at Target for $7.69.
RELATED: 14 Surprising Ways to Use WD-40 Around the House
2. CalFlor VinylFix
Any surface receiving lots of foot traffic is prone to scratches, dents, and gouges. Repair damage to vinyl flooring in high-use areas like kitchens, laundry rooms, and bathrooms with CalFlor VinylFix. Apply some of the kit’s wax putty, gently smooth the repair’s surface, and then mix your custom color (up to 28 are included) and paint.
Get CalFlor VinylFix Vinyl Repair Kit at Amazon for $22.98.
3. Bondo All-Purpose Putty
When you need to repair cracks in metal, concrete, masonry, and wood surfaces, reach for Bondo All-Purpose Putty. Even use the putty to fill dents in drywall or door frames and help bond a loose tile. It dries so quickly, you can sand and paint it within 15 minutes of applying, so it’s a versatile and quick fix for a wide range of household holes and scratches.
Get 1 quart of Bondo All-Purpose Putty at Amazon for $14.98.
4. Minwax Stain Markers
Keep a set of stain markers in the house to touch up nicks and scratches in all your wood surfaces. The markers can refresh any wood surface, including floors, cabinets, tabletops, doors, and moldings. Regular use will keep wood maintenance easy and manageable.
Get the Minwax Wood Finish Stain Marker at Amazon, priced from $7.21.
RELATED: 10 Genius Ways to Fix Scratches on Any Surface
5. Erase-a-Hole Drywall Repair Putty
If you have stubborn cracks in walls, masonry, or wood, you can eliminate them for good with Erase-a-Hole. Swipe this product on like you would a stick deodorant, and you’ll get a flexible layer of protection to keep cracks from coming back. It’s paintable, too, once the putty has dried. Made in the USA.
Get Erase-a-Hole Drywall Repair Putty at Amazon for $11.89.
6. Loctite GO2 Glue
Loctite GO2 Glue is an all-purpose glue that can mend myriad household hurts. Useful in applications in which at least one surface is porous, Loctite GO2 Glue can, say, adhere a tile back to the wall or join together a broken mirror. Loctite GO2 is water-resistant and dries clear, so it’s appropriate for both exterior and interior uses.
Get Loctite GO2 Glue at The Home Depot for $6.58.
7. KwikWood
Use KwikWood to repair damage to wooden window and door frames, moldings, and furniture. Mix together this two-part epoxy by hand and fill holes and cracks. You can even mold it into shape and then sand, carve, and paint it. Suitable for both exterior and interior applications, it won’t rot, shrink, or crack.
Get KwikWood Wood Repair Epoxy Putty at Amazon for $6.54.
8. VLP Leather & Vinyl Repair
A torn leather cushion may seem like a lost cause, but it’s not. Both leather and vinyl can be repaired with Performix VLP, which dissolves the edges of a tear, bonds them together, and then dries clear. No color matching is required. Repair inflatables, upholstery, awnings, covers, and more.
Get Performix VLP Leather and Vinyl Repair at Amazon for $8.68.
9. Gorilla Tape
Gorilla Tape, the best overall pick in our researched guide to the best duct tape, takes duct tape to the next level. It’s stronger and stickier than traditional duct tape and works well on porous surfaces like brick and wood. With a super-thick layer of adhesive, it can do everything traditional duct tape does, but better. Just don’t stick it to your walls, or it may very well take the paint off with it when it’s removed.
Get a 35-yard roll of Gorilla Tape at Amazon for $12.49.
RELATED: The 20 Weirdest Things You Can Do With Duct Tape
10. Bondic Plastic Welding
There’s glue, and then there is “not a glue.” The liquid plastic can hold together those awkward breaks and materials that glue can’t quite work on, like undercuts and rough surfaces. Apply the liquid and then place it under ultraviolet light (a light comes with the kit) for a few seconds. Use it to repair metal, wood, plastic, lass, and ceramics, plus others. Once it’s fully cured, the plastic should hold up to heat and water.
Get Bondic Pro Plastic Welding at Amazon for $17.98.
11. ATack Weather Sealing Tape
A drafty window lets in dust and cold air, which also can affect heating or cooling costs. The puncture-resistant ATack tape has industrial strength but is transparent, so it keeps a low profile while keeping drafts out. If you can’t replace a window right away, this quick repair is a fix any DIYer can do. It’s safe for use on the glass and wood surfaces around a window.
Get ATack Transparent Window Weather Sealing Tape at Amazon for $13.99.
12. Azobur Fabric Repair Patch
Fabric tears happen. Patch small tears in fabric sofas, car upholstery, drapes, or other items with a fabric repair patch kit. This one comes in one of two sizes (4 by 30 inches or 9.5 by 40 inches) and in 16 color options. With the strong adhesive backing, you need no sewing skills. Repair by cutting the patch to size and pressing it on. The patches also are washable.
Get the Azobur Fabric Repair Patch at Amazon for $12.88.
Prices are accurate as of update on January 12, 2023.