Let’s face it: there comes a point in every millennial’s life when they come across an everyday household problem that they don’t know to solve and, looking around for an adult to solve said problem, suddenly realize that they are the only adult in the room. I can’t count the number of times a picture frame has fallen off the wall, I’ve had a stain on my only business blouse the night before an interview, or I could not figure out how to make my sink stop leaking. In all of these instances I can just imagine my grandmother laughing at me for being 25 and not knowing how to iron a collared shirt properly, but thankfully we all have access to something our grandmothers never did: YouTube, the millennial’s savior for every problem. Here are seven useful skills that can be learned from short YouTube tutorials.
How to sew a button back on your clothes
There is nothing worse than when your outfit is on point until a button pops off your favorite blouse just minutes before heading out the door. I’ve sewed numerous buttons back on friend’s shirts before we’ve headed out to bars and can attest that this is one skill you should definitely have in your arsenal. All you need is a needle and thread, even the basic sewing kits that you get for free in hotel rooms are good enough for this fix.
How to Clean Your Oven / Shower Grout / Anything You Need to to get your Damage Deposit Back
Clean My Space is a life-saver of a YouTube channel. I’ve found that one of the worst things about apartment living is having to obsessively clean before moving out just so you can get your damage deposit back. Melissa Maker is a genius and her tips make your life so much easier. Most of the cleaning supplies she uses in her videos are things you probably have around the house already: baking soda, white vinegar, and some essential oils. Melissa has more than just cleaning tips though, she also provides small space storage solutions. Using her methods won’t be a huge time suck either: most of her cleaning tips that I have tried have taken less than a half hour.
How to Change a Flat Tire
You don’t want to be stuck calling your cousin/brother/Dad/sister-in-law if you wake up one morning to a flat. Changing a flat is so much easier than you would think, and this simple video shows you exactly how to do it. After a few trial runs, you will be able to change your tire in less than 20 minutes. Much quicker than waiting for AAA or a relative to come save you.
How to Find a Wall Stud
Drywall is the bane of my existence: every time I try to put up shelves in my apartment or hang a full-length mirror, I end up with ripped drywall and mirror shards on the ground. The last thing I’m going to do is call one of my guy friends to come save me. Thank you YouTube, for saving my ego. This video shows you how to find the wall stud (a piece of wood that is part of the frame of the house) behind your drywall so you can securely anchor wall hangings or shelves. All you need are your knuckles and a tape measure.
How to Reset a Breaker
I understand the basics of how a breaker-box works. What I don’t understand is all the little things I need to do to make the damn outlet work again so I can finish blow drying my hair. It’s actually not hard at all and can take you less than five minutes to gain electricity in your outlet again. No more getting frustrated, just perfectly blown-out hair.
How to Reset a Hot Water Heater
I hate calling my landlord whenever my hot water heater stops working—and I’m pretty sure that she hates it as well. Now that I know where the reset switch is, I rarely have to bug her and can actually take a hot shower whenever I want to. It is helpful to have a screwdriver on hand because some reset buttons are located under a panel that you have to undo a few screws in order to take it off. It’s handy to take a look at the user’s manual if you can find it, some of them have diagrams that tell you right where the reset button is.
How to Get that Stain off of your Couch
Even though all my furniture is secondhand, I can’t stand how grungy my futon looks with stains on it. These tips haven’t made my furniture look brand new, but they have made my apartment look less likely to be found in a frat house. These tips aren’t labour intensive, but you might have to buy some rubbing alcohol, dry-cleaning solvent, and white cleaning cloths (do not try to clean a white couch with a colored cloth, unless you want to accidentally dye your couch the same baby blue as your face cloth).
You know that adult you used to call each time you need to make a quick fix around your home? Darling, that’s you now. And thanks to these useful videos, there’s no problem you can’t solve! Any life skills you would like to learn? Comment below or tweet at us @litdarling
