The Singleton Argus

Handy household: 6 items you should always keep around the house

Handy household: 6 items you should always keep around the house
Handy household: 6 items you should always keep around the house

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A household is made up of a variety of different shared resources. Within your home and garage are all the assorted tools that can help your family get through the day-to-day.

Some of these tools you may only use at specific times of the year or on specific occasions, and some may be used year-round. Some families may utilise an item quite heavily, whereas another may not use that item at all.

Even so, there are some items that can become surprisingly invaluable and indispensable to families as soon as they start to be used. We've outlined just six of these items below.

1. A saw and vice

Whilst most people have a good idea of what they are, saws are one of those tools that you may not jump to invest in when first putting together your household toolkit.

With the prevalence of flat pack furniture over the last few decades, many households have veered more towards investing in hammers and Phillips head screwdrivers rather than hand saws or circular saws.

There has, however, been a rise in DIY over the past few years in particular, with parents across the globe acknowledging that introducing kids to DIY at a younger age can ensure they retain valuable, practical skills later in life, as well as a passion for creating independently.

You can even make a DIY workbench that can help add an extra sense of excitement and achievement to any shared DIY project that you set out to complete on that workbench!

This educational benefit is of course, second to the fact that having a full set of tools can also ensure the safety of both your family and your home, as you can see to any repairs promptly and before hazards are created.

Issues like broken fence slats can be incredibly easy to address with a saw and a vice. Why not get into the habit of handling these little fixes yourself?

2. A whetstone or knife sharpener

Yes, every household should have a set of good kitchen knives, housed perfectly in a knife block so that your little chefs are ready to take on any kind of culinary quest.

Just be sure that you have a whetstone or knife sharpener sitting right next to that knife block to ensure that your household knives stay in impeccable condition.

Keeping your knives sharp is incredibly important, with the benefits not just being limited to smoother, more satisfying food preparation alone.

A sharper knife means increased control over the cutting motions being made. Where dull knives can drag or get caught on the foods being sliced, a sharp knife will just go right through. Less drag means less unpredictable movements, which ultimately translates into a drastically decreased risk of knife-based injuries.

3. A well-stocked sewing kit

A sewing kit may seem like an outdated item to place on this list, but when you take into consideration the many benefits of sewing, this one begins to feel like an absolute no-brainer.

When we say a well-stocked sewing kit, we of course mean a kit that not only comes with a few needles for hand-stitching, as well as some spools of thread in a variety of colours but also some extra buttons to ensure that your clothing can be repaired in the event of a button being lost.

When you have a sewing kit, you're more likely to be able to retain all those extra buttons that come with freshly-purchased shirts, which essentially means that the lifespan of the clothing in your wardrobe will likely increase by quite a lot.

This is just one of the reasons why sewing is considered an essential life skill, and why each household - especially ones with growing children and many, many preloved articles of clothes - should absolutely have its own sewing kit.

4. Lint rollers

If somebody were to ask you how you'd go about removing copious amounts of cat hair, chances are you'd say use a lint roller.

Whether or not you have pets, however, your household will still have to tackle pills or lint balls on clothing and furniture. These little flaws across the cosy surfaces of your home can't be tackled by your vacuum cleaner, and are too minuscule to really pay too much attention to, that is until you're tidying up in time to entertain some guests.

Lint rollers can make quick and easy work of tidying in the most panic-stricken moments, whether you're preparing to play host or are about to run out the door to work.

5. A disaster kit

It goes without saying that any household is not complete without its own first aid kit, but a disaster kit that's designed specifically for environmental dangers or any natural disasters can be an equally fantastic and integral asset to your household.

Whilst a general first aid kit won't differ from household to household, your disaster kit will most likely be designed with respect to your geographic location, environmental factors, as well as the members of your family and their personal needs.

It's definitely worth taking some time to consider the emergency supplies that are most likely to benefit you and your family specifically.

For instance, if you're in an area or region that's prone to electrical storms, your kit may include flashlights to be used in the event of a power outage, and maybe even some canned food just in case you have no access to refrigeration.

If any of your family members require medication, it's also worth keeping a small supply of this medication in your first aid or disaster kit as well. It's always better to err on the side of caution.

6. Alcohol wipes

Simply put, there are messes in your household that are best tackled with a wet wipe. Alcohol wipes can be a fantastic method for easily disinfecting surfaces all over your household.

Their high absorbency coupled with their ability to freshen and add fragrance to any interior space, make them an absolute triple threat of a cleaning product.

As there are a growing variety of alcohol wipes available on your supermarket shelves today, you can opt for earth-friendly, biodegradable wipes to decrease your home's landfill waste production too.

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