First up then was taps and the dripping washer syndrome - does anything symbolise modern man's incompetence more succinctly? That little drip-drip is literally water torture and yet all it takes is a screwdriver, a wrench and a smattering of time to put the problem to bed. The only question is whether you'll be replacing a washer (cheap) or a cartridge (expensive) and you can bet that it'll be the latter - why would the tap companies want it any other way?
After this we turned our attention below the sink to the U-bend (or bottle trap) - source of smells, spills and bellyaches. Like so many things in life this vital part of the plumbing is simpler than it appears but the real secret to a well-tempered trap is prevention; in this case that means pouring some bicarbonate of soda and plain vinegar into your plug every so often and leaving it to work its cleaning magic. As a matter of fact vinegar (and half a lemon) turns out to be multi-talented; it'll clean limescale from your kettle and shower, it'll freshen up your dishwasher and you can even use it to make your windows sparkle like they're a game-show host.
To finish off we dealt with an old favourite - the seal around your bath and what to do when it starts going black with mold. Now it turns out that this isn't just unsightly but that the mold also creates microscopic holes in the sealant through which water leaks; so that's why the ceiling below your bathroom is always falling down! Sadly it's not all that easy to remove silicone sealant by hand but with a plastic tool, a Stanley knife and some elbow grease it's possible to lift it up and prepare a clean, non-greasy surface for your new silicone. Applying it smoothly is a bit of a life-skill but with masking tape limiting the spread and a small amount of dilute washing-up liquid (to lubricate your smoothing tool/finger) the results can look impressively professional. And a lot easier on the bank balance!
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