SPARELESS MISTAKE: You've got a flat tire on your mountain bike, and you don't have a spare inner tube.
THE QUICK FIX: Create a makeshift inner tube out of leaves and grass. "It sounds absurd, but it really works," says Scott Kaier, a mechanic at Onion River Sports in Montpelier, Vt. "Leave one side of the tire bead hooked on the rim, and cram the opening with as much soft stuff as you can find. Install the other bead, and away you go." At least it will get you home.
A TWO-WEEKEND PAINT JOB: You want to put away your paint-laden rollers and brushes without cleaning them.
THE QUICK FIX: Wrap the painting utensils tightly in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer. Once thawed, they'll be ready to use. Caveat: Paint is for painting, not eating. Be sure to seal the bag tightly to eliminate any chance of food contamination.
CHIMNEY SEEP: No matter what you do, the paint on your masonry chimney keeps peeling.
THE QUICK FIX: Install a galvanized (good), stainless (better) or copper (best) rain cap. These start at about $30 and are available in most home repair and building supply outlets. "Peeling chimney paint is almost always caused by water working its way from the inside, out," explains John Stauffer, technical director at the Paint Quality Institute. "A rain cap will keep the bulk of the water out of the flue."
FLUID LOSS: Your radiator is leaking, you're in the middle of nowhere, and there's no repair shop in sight.
THE QUICK FIX: Dump in a small container of ground black pepper. The pepper won't dissolve, but instead will remain in suspension. This allows it to temporarily plug minor leaks, buying you enough time to get to the shop.
CROSSED SIGNALS: You're constantly getting kicked off the wireless link on your home computer network.
THE QUICK FIX: Other devices are probably interfering. If you have a 2.4-GHz cordless phone, switch to a 900-MHz, or a newer 5.8-GHz, model. These phones operate on different frequencies than your wireless router. (Some 2.4-GHz phones allow you to change frequencies--check your owner's manual.) Microwave ovens can also disrupt your wireless signal.
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