Quick Tips - DIY (Part 1)

A solve-it-fast guide for home, car and more. Because--sometimes--duct tape just isn't enough. The world is populated by two kinds of guys: the ones who know what to do when something goes bust, and the ones who are always asking the first guys for help. Here's your secret manual for staying on the right side of the divide. It's filled with experts' shameless shortcuts for dealing with everything from flooded basements to mysterious oil leaks to flat mountain bike tires. These down-and-dirty repairs won't all last a lifetime, but they can certainly save the day.

INVADING ARMY: Ants are having a feeding frenzy in your kitchen, and you don't want to use a toxic brew to defeat them.

THE QUICK FIX: "A 50/50 mix of peppermint oil and water will get rid of ants," says Amy Devers, co-host of the DIY Network's "DIY To The Rescue" show. "Fill a spray bottle, and spray wherever you see them coming out of hiding."

SPEAR FACTOR: A weed-ridden asparagus patch has you about ready to give up on your favorite crop.

THE QUICK FIX: Add salt. "Asparagus is the only vegetable that can withstand salt," says Penny Griggs, an organic farmer in Vermont. "Spreading salt around your plants will kill the weeds but leave your asparagus unharmed."

SPILLED JUICE: The battery in your laptop is losing its charge much faster than expected. THE QUICK FIX: Wireless operations are a little-known drain on laptop batteries. "If you can disable your wireless networking and still get your work done, do it," says Andy Hooper, owner of Intelligent Systems, an IT security company. "Some wireless cards can eat up half of your laptop's power."