Ah! I acciden-
tally used
permanent
marker on my
whiteboard.
THE FIX: First let the per-
manent marker dry, says
expert cleaner Melissa
Maker. Next, find a dry-
erase marker and write
over the lines you drew in
permanent marker. Then
erase all the scribblings
together—everything
may come off in one
swipe. This trick works
best when the perma-
nent markings are fresh,
notes Maker. If your
marker lines are old or
stubborn, try applying a
generous amount of rub-
bing alcohol to a paper
towel or soft cloth and
using some elbow grease
to erase them. Just avoid
anything that might
scratch the whiteboard,
like a heavy-duty sponge.
The cork broke as I was
opening the wine.
THE FIX: Insert the corkscrew into the broken cork and
try to remove the remaining part. If that fails, says
Chelsie Petras, creator of Chel Loves Wine, a wine and
lifestyle site, find a screw about two inches long. Turn
the screw into the broken cork with a screwdriver (or a
towel to protect your hand). Then grab the screw with
the back end of a hammer and pry out the cork; work
slowly to prevent further damage. In a pinch, Petras
says you can push the cork into the bottle with the han-
dle of a wooden spoon. Strain your wine with a strainer,
a mesh tea infuser, or cheesecloth to remove any cork
pieces that might be floating in the bottle.
SMART FIXES FOR LIFE’S LITTLE DISASTERS
By Kristine Gill
Now What?!?
One of my
decorative
china plates
is chipped.
THE FIX: If your china is
white, it will be easier to
repair, but this method
works for colored and pat-
terned pieces too, says
Morty Bachar of Lakeside
Pottery in Rehoboth
Beach, Delaware. Mix up
a 50/50 epoxy resin
material (like PC-Products
Clear Epoxy, $3; amazon
.com) on a paper plate or
small piece of paper with
a toothpick. Then use the
toothpick to smear the
material onto the chipped-
off piece; press it back
onto the china plate with
your fingers. Work quickly,
as epoxy resin begins to
cure in about 90 seconds.
Allow excess to ooze from
the chipped area and give
it about an hour to cure.
Then, using a utility knife,
remove the excess epoxy
resin from the china’s sur-
face. Apply an epoxy filler
to the cracks (Bachar likes
PC-Products PC-11 Epoxy
Filler, $15; amazon.com).
Once the filler has cured,
sand the area with 220-
grit sandpaper, followed
by 400-grit sandpaper.
Leave the repair to the pros
if your piece is antique.
GETTY IM
AGES
THE REALIST
40 REAL SIMPLE NOVEMBER 2019
