Here’s a quick and easy tip for filling in small holes in the walls.

Even the tiniest drill bit, tack, nail or Hercules Hook will leave a hole in the wall visible enough to be an eyesore and large enough to warrant repair. Spackling is the first line of defense against holes left behind. Spackling is inexpensive (a $4 tub can last for ages) and easy to find, even at some convenience stores. Buy your gas, grab a Slurpee and pick up some spackling while you’re there.

When there’s no spackling handy, there are alternatives for hole repair. The more familiar options include white toothpaste and even crushed aspirin made into a paste. Even plain white tissue can be used to fill small holes in the ceiling in a pinch.

For the next hole repair task, make a simple dough using any one of the many easy dough recipes found on the Internet. Prepare an extra-small batch, just enough for this one task. A good recipe is:

• 1 tablespoon of plain white flour
• Water, a few drops at a time (you can always add more)
• 1 tsp plain table salt

Mix the ingredients well forming a soft workable dough. Press a small amount of the dough into the hole with a finger. Remove any excess. Some will fall to the floor but the crumblies are easy to clean up.

Allow the dough/filler to completely dry. The best bet is to allow an extended drying time (like 1 day), whereas spackling dries relatively quickly. After drying, the filler can be lightly sanded then painted to match the wall color.

(This fix is meant for small holes and not for particularly large jobs.)

According to Click to visit this external linkHowStuffWorks.com, the addition of salt adds some antimicrobial properties and reduces the number of free water molecules.