Sedin twins

Double trouble awaits in Sedin twins

May 29, 2011
Kevin McGran

Henrik, left, and Daniel Sedin are the main reason the Canucks find themselves in the Stanley Cup final. The only other twins to enjoy similar sporting success are Paul and Gary Gait, once considered the greatest lacrosse players in the world.

DARRYL DYCK/THE CANADIAN PRESS

They are identical twins, with identical elite athletic prowess, an uncanny ability to find each other on the ice.
They are Henrik and Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks — the Swedish face of the first Canadian team to challenge for the Stanley Cup in four years.
And although twins have played in the NHL before, the Sedin “twin-ness” is an advantage no team has ever had. They’re unique among athletic twins in that they are at the very top of the game in a team sport, where chemistry matters.
“They’ve got a sixth sense, or a radar, or some type of communication with each other that I’ve never seen with any two players in my life,” says Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke, who moved hell and high water to draft the Sedins second and third overall in 1999 when he was GM of the Canucks.
“These two players together are worth more together than they are standing alone. They bring a magic, a sixth sense. They’re clearly better together.”
And they play, not just on the same team, but on the same line. Hockey has never really seen anything like it. Twins Patrik and Peter Sundstrom played briefly together with the New Jersey Devils. Rich and Ron Sutter played a few seasons together with Philadelphia and St. Louis.
But to find a comparison of twins at the elite level of a team sport, you have to look at Canada’s other national sport, lacrosse, where Gary and Paul Gait of Victoria were to that sport in the 1990s what the Sedins are to hockey today. Both were champions at the collegiate and professional level, with a litany of achievements and awards to their names.
“Anytime you talk about athletes (in a team sport), you talk about chemistry and how well they play together,” says Hall of Famer Gary Gait, now a coach at Syracuse University. “There’s a definite advantage in chemistry in knowing each other and how to play to each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”
Gary Gait is widely accepted as the greatest lacrosse player ever. Paul is widely accepted as the second best ever. They, like the Sedins, were better when they played together.
“It was more consistency on things,” says Gary. “Everything from a behind-the-back pass, a no-look pass, just communicating without doing it verbally. That was definitely an advantage.”
For the Sedins, playing together wasn’t just important, it was crucial. They’ve been in hockey since they were 8, and started playing on the same line at 14, when Daniel became a winger. In fact, they might not have come to the NHL had they not been picked by the same team. One might have tried to force a trade to the other’s team.
Burke engineered perhaps the trade of a lifetime. Burke’s Canucks had the third overall pick. Burke traded defenceman Bryan McCabe and a 2000 first-round pick to Chicago for the fourth overall pick. Burke then sent the fourth pick and a couple of third-round picks to Tampa for No. 1 overall. Then he sent No. 1 overall to Atlanta for No. 2 overall, a 2000 third-rounder and a promise the Thrashers would take Patrik Stefan and not either of the Sedins.
“I saw them at the world championships,” said Burke. “It’s unusual for 18-year-olds to go to that tournament and play well. That’s where I said, ‘We’ve got to get these guys.’”
The similarities in their career numbers and achievements are uncanny.
Henrik was named the league’s most valuable player last year. Daniel is up for the award this year.
Henrik has 666 points in 810 regular-season games (.822 points per game). Daniel has 651 points in 787 games (.827 points per game).
They’re in the midst of identical five-year, $30.5 million (U.S.) contracts.
Henrik leads the Canucks in points. Daniel leads the Canucks in goals.
They probably both lead the league in no-look passes — to each other.
“Because they are identical twins, people often say twins have a bond, that they can kind of read each other’s mind,” says Kerry Jang, a psychologist and professor at the University of British Columbia conducting research on adult twins.
“In a sense, it’s not reading each other’s mind, because they are virtually identical copies of themselves,” Jang says. “They can anticipate what the other is going to do by figuring what they themselves would do. That’s why they play the way they do. It’s almost intuitive to them: ‘I would be doing this, therefore my brother would be doing this.’ But it’s all happening instantaneously.”
It’s almost not fair. They play better because they play together.
“That’s always been my take on the twin thing,” says Gait. “I don’t read his mind. I know. He’s had the exact same experiences in life. I’ve seen how he reacts. I’m not reading his mind. I just understand him well.”
How do you tell them apart? Well, if they’re in uniform, Daniel wears 22, Henrik 33. (Daniel was officially the second overall pick in 1999, Henrik the third overall). Henrik wears the C on the front of his jersey, Daniel an A. That is, unless they switch, as they did earlier this spring when one came out as the other for a TV interview.
Henrik is six minutes older. Daniel is a dad.
And if you get real close, look at Henrik’s left hand. A small bit of the tip of his baby finger was amputated in 2004.
Reporters, if they want one of them, generally call out “Daniel” or “Henrik” to see which one turns around.
But what makes them so good? Gait says there might be something else at work — a healthy sibling rivalry.
“That’s a behind-the-scenes piece that drives twins to be successful, or certain twins,” says Gait. “Growing up, my brother and I always wanted to outdo each other and that drove us to be more successful.
“Having seen what the other could do, that pushes you and when you come to play together, you know the player inside and out.”

10 unexpected natural cleaners

    White Bread and Ketchup

Use white bread to: Dust an oil painting. Gently dab a slice of white bread over the surface to pick up dirt and grime. See More: The Worst Cleaning Jobs Made Easy

Use ketchup to: Remove tarnish from copper and brass cookware. Squeeze ketchup onto a cloth and rub it on pots and pans. They should go back to their coppery color in minutes. Rinse with warm water and dry with a towel.
    
    Oatmeal

Use it to: Scrub very dirty hands. Make a thick paste of oatmeal and water; rinse well.
    
    Rice

Use it to: Clean the inside of a vase or a thin-necked bottle. Fill three quarters of the vessel with warm water and add a tablespoon of uncooked rice. Cup your hand over the opening, shake vigor-ously, and rinse.
       
Tea
      
Use it to: Scour rusty garden tools. Brew a few pots of strong black tea. When cool, pour into a bucket. Soak the tools for a few hours. Wipe each one with a cloth. (Wear rubber gloves or your hands will be stained.)
        
Glycerin
Use it to: Remove dried wax drippings from candlesticks. Peel off as much wax as possible, then moisten a cotton ball with glycerin and rub until clean.
            
Club Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide

Use club soda to: Shine up a scuffed stainless-steel sink. Buff with a cloth dampened with club soda, then wipe dry with another clean cloth.

Use hydrogen peroxide to: Disinfect a keyboard. Dip a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide to get into those nooks and crannies.

                 
Cornstarch
                    Use it to: Clean grease spills on carpets. Pour cornstarch onto spots and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes before vacuuming.

Rubbing Alcohol
Use it to: Erase permanent-marker stains from finished wood floors or solid-surface countertops. Pour
rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball and apply.

 Lemons

                    The acid in lemon juice removes dirt and rust stains. It’s especially effective when mixed with salt, which makes “an excellent scouring paste,” says Karyn Siegel-Maier, author of The Naturally Clean Home ($13, amazon.com).

                    Price: About 50 cents a lemon.
                    
                    Use Them to Clean Your…

                    Countertops: Dip the cut side of a lemon half in baking soda to tackle countertops; wipe with a wet sponge and dry. Don’t use on delicate stone, like marble, or stainless steel (it may discolor).
                    
                    Cutting boards: To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing.
                    
                    Dishes: To increase the grease-cutting power of your dishwashing detergent, add a teaspoon of lemon juice.
                    
                    Faucets: Combat lime scale by rubbing lemon juice onto the taps and letting it sit overnight. Wipe with a damp cloth.
                    
                    Garbage disposal: Cut a lemon in half, then run both pieces through the disposal. “The lemon cleans it and makes it smell great,” says Linda Mason Hunter, a coauthor of Green Clean ($17, amazon.com).
                    
                    Grout: Spilled morning coffee on your tile countertop or backsplash? Here’s how to tackle grout stains: Add lemon juice to 1 or 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (an acidic salt that acts as a natural bleaching agent) to make a paste. Apply with a toothbrush, then rinse.
                    
                    Hands: When you touch raw fish, the smell can linger on your fingers. Rub your hands with lemon juice, which will neutralize the odor.
                    
                    Laundry: To brighten whites, add 1/2 cup lemon juice to the rinse cycle for a normal-size load.
                    
                    Plastic food-storage containers: To bleach stains from tomato soup and other acidic foods on dishwasher-safe items, rub lemon juice on the spots, let dry in a sunny place, then wash as usual.
                    Next: Essential Oils
Essential Oils

Extracted from plants, some essential oils can kill bacteria and mold. They’re very strong, so don’t go overboard: One drop of peppermint oil is as potent as 30 cups of peppermint tea.

Price: $14 for 5 milliliters at health-food stores.

Use Them to Clean Your…

Combs and brushes: Fill a container with 1½ cups water, ½ cup distilled white vinegar, and 20 drops tea-tree, lavender, or eucalyptus oil. Soak combs and brushes for 20 minutes. Rinse and air-dry.

Scuffed floors: Apply two to four drops of tea-tree oil to the spots. Wipe excess oil with a cloth and rub in distilled white vinegar.

Gum-encrusted items: Orange oil is great at removing this sticky offender from various materials. (Don’t worry: It shouldn’t stain fabrics. But do launder immediately.) Apply with a cotton ball.

Shower doors: Wipe scum-covered glass doors with a few drops of lemon oil twice a month. It will protect them from grime buildup.

Toilets: Add 2 teaspoons tea-tree oil and 2 cups water to a spray bottle. Shake, then spritz along the toilet’s inside rim. Let sit for 30 minutes; scrub. You can also place a few drops of your favorite oil on the inside of the toilet-paper tube. “Every time the paper is used, the scent will be released,” says Siegel-Maier.

Windows: Mix 2 ounces water and 10 drops lavender or lemongrass oil to wipe grime off windows. Bonus: These oils may repel flies.

Liquid Castile Soap

Like other soaps, this plant-based version efficiently loosens grime and dirt from surfaces, says Siegel-Maier: “But it’s gentler, so it won’t dull them.”

Price: About $8 for 8 ounces at supermarkets.

Use It to Clean Your…

Car: Mix ¼ cup liquid Castile soap with hot water in a bucket (fill almost to the top). Rub a generous amount of the solution on your car’s exterior, windshield, hubcaps, and tires with a large sponge, then thoroughly hose it off.

Floors: You can mop almost any type of floor with a solution of ¼ cup liquid Castile soap and 2 gallons warm water. If the floors are greasy, add ¼ cup distilled white vinegar to the bucket. leather upholstery: Add 2 drops liquid Castile soap to 1 quart warm water. Apply to the leather with a barely moist sponge.

Marble countertops: Stir 1 tablespoon liquid Castile soap into 1 quart warm water. Dampen a cloth with the solution and wipe surface. Rinse, then dry with a clean cloth.

Sinks, showers, tubs, and ceramic tile: Create a homemade soft scrubber by combining 1 tablespoon liquid Castile soap and 1/3 cup baking soda.

Stovetop and vent hood: Add a few squirts of liquid Castile soap to 2 cups hot water. Apply to the stovetop, the burners, and the vent hood to cut through accumulated grease.

Cooking Oils

Vegetable- and plant-based oils, such as olive and sunflower, dislodge dirt, diminish scratches and imperfections, and “hydrate wood that has aged or dried out from exposure to the sun,” says Hunter.

Price: About $7 a pint at supermarkets.

Use Them to Clean Your…

Cast-iron pans: Make a scrubbing paste with vegetable oil and a teaspoon of coarse salt to combat cooked-on debris, then rinse with hot water.

Hands: To get paint off your skin, rub with vegetable oil, then wash thoroughly with soap.

Leather shoes: Wipe away dirt with a damp sponge, then apply a drop of vegetable oil to a soft cloth and rub the surface to remove scuff marks. Buff the shoes with a chamois to a shine.

Rattan and wicker furniture: To prevent rattan and wicker from drying or cracking, lightly brush them with vegetable or sunflower oil and gently rub in with a cloth. Warm the oil on the stove first to thin it and make it easier to apply.

Stainless-steel surfaces: For extra sparkle, pour olive oil onto a cloth and buff.

Wood furniture: Make your own polish by mixing 2 cups olive or vegetable oil with the juice of 1 lemon; work it in with a soft cloth. To smooth out scratches in light-colored wood, rub them with a solution of equal parts olive or vegetable oil and lemon juice. 

Borax

When added to a laundry wash, borax makes detergents even more effective. It’s also “quite alkaline, so it kills mold and fungus and softens water,” says Robert Wolke, Ph.D., author of What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained ($16, amazon.com).

Price: About $5 for 4 pounds at supermarkets.

Use It to Clean Your…

Baseboards, countertops, and walls: Dissolve ½ cup borax in 1 gallon hot water and pour the solution into a spray bottle (which you can store for later use). Spritz generously, wipe down with a damp cloth, and let air-dry.

China (including hand painted): Soak china in a dishpan filled with warm water and ½ cup borax; rinse well.

Dishwasher: If the machine is smelling like last night’s chicken cacciatore, sprinkle borax in the bottom, let it sit overnight, then wipe down with a damp sponge. No need to rinse; just run the next load.

Pots and pans: Rub borax into cookware with a damp sponge; rinse well.

Toilet: Pour borax in the bowl and let it sit overnight, says Annie Bond, author of Better Basics for the Home ($19, amazon.com). Swish the bowl a few times with a toilet brush and flush the next day. “Borax really gets rid of rust stains,” she says.

Vinegar

This acidic wonder can wipe out tarnish, soap scum, mineral deposits, and more. Among natural cleaners, it’s the clear champ. Distilled white vinegar creates an environment that inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, and some bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella, says Jeffrey Hollender, author of Naturally Clean ($18, amazon.com).

Price: About $1.80 for a quart at supermarkets.

Use It to Clean Your…

Coffeemaker: Pour equal parts vinegar and water into the machine’s water chamber, then switch on the brew cycle. Halfway through, turn off the coffeemaker and let the solution sit for about an hour. Turn it on again to complete the cycle, then run several cycles with clean water.

Dishwasher: To disinfect the interior of the machine, pour ½ cup vinegar into the reservoir and run an empty cycle, says Hunter. Or place a small bowl filled with vinegar on the bottom rack and run an empty cycle.

Drains: Clean drains―and the pipes they’re attached to―by pouring vinegar down them. After 30 minutes, flush with cold water.

Floors: Add ¼ cup vinegar to a bucket of warm water to clean almost any type of floor except marble (vinegar can scratch it) or wood (vinegar can strip it).

Glassware: For spotless hand-washed glasses, add 1 cup vinegar to the rinse water.

Moldy walls: Spray vinegar on the affected areas. After about 15 minutes, rinse and let dry thoroughly.

Showerheads: To combat mineral deposits, pour vinegar into a plastic grocery bag and knot the handles over the neck of the showerhead, securing with rubber bands. Let soak overnight. Rinse with water in the morning.

Steam iron: To get rid of mineral deposits, fill the iron with equal parts vinegar and water; press the steam button. Turn off, let cool, empty, and rinse.

Windows: Mix ¼ cup vinegar, 2 cups water, and a squirt of liquid Castile soap in a spray bottle. Spritz windows and wipe with a sheet of newspaper.

Baking and Washing Soda

Baking soda (a.k.a. sodium bicarbonate) and its close cousin, washing soda (sodium carbonate), both absorb odors. But unlike baking soda, slightly stronger washing soda can’t be ingested; wear rubber gloves when handling it.

Price: About $1.08 for a pound of baking soda; $7 for 4 pounds of washing soda; both available at supermarkets.

Use Them to Clean Your…

Can opener: Dip a toothbrush in a paste of 2 tablespoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon water and use it to dislodge gunk.

Garage floors (and other concrete surfaces): Pour washing soda generously on oil and grease spots and sprinkle with water until a paste forms. Let stand overnight. The next day, scrub with a damp brush, hose down, and wipe clean.

Garden tools: Dip a moist stiff-bristled brush in washing soda to scrub trimmers, clippers, and more. Rinse, then place in a sunny area to dry. (Don’t use washing soda on aluminum tools.)

Grills and barbecue utensils: To combat tough grease stains, dip a moist stiff- bristled brush in washing soda and scrub away.

Stove burner grates: In a dishpan, soak them in 1 gallon warm water and ½ cup washing soda for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry.

Stained teacups and coffee mugs: Fill with 1 part baking soda and 2 parts water and soak overnight; rub with a sponge and rinse.

Upholstered furniture: To remove odors, sprinkle baking soda on the fabric, then vacuum.

Scuffed walls: Erase crayon marks by applying a baking- soda paste (equal parts baking soda and water) to white painted walls (baking soda may dull colored walls). Let dry before brushing it off with a clean cloth.
Next: Toothpaste

Toothpaste

The combination of a mild abrasive, a surfactant (detergent), and an antibacterial agent makes toothpaste a potent stain-fighter. “Stick with standard paste, not gel, and steer clear of formulas designed for tartar control and whitening,” says Siegel-Maier. “These often contain chemicals and additional abrasives that can damage items such as fine silver.”

Price: About $3.65 for a tube.
 

Use It to Clean Your…

Acrylic accessories (such as desktop organizers): Squeeze toothpaste onto a toothbrush and work it into scratches until they diminish. Wipe residue off with a cloth.

Chrome fixtures: To polish faucets and taps in the kitchen or bathroom, smear a dime-size amount of toothpaste onto them, then buff with a soft cloth until they shine.

Scuffed linoleum: Reduce marks by scrubbing them with toothpaste and a dry cloth until no toothpaste residue remains.

Piano keys: Rub each key carefully with a damp cotton swab and a dollop of toothpaste. Wipe dry and buff with a clean cloth.

Tarnished silverware: Put a dab of toothpaste on a soft cloth, rub it onto the tarnish, then rinse with water and dry with a clean cloth.

Steam iron: Mineral deposits can stain an iron’s soleplate. Apply a dab of toothpaste and work it into the plate. Use a clean cloth to remove residue.

Table Salt

Salt’s granular texture makes it perfectly suited for scouring. Table salt, sea salt, and kosher salt can all be used, but table salt is the cheapest choice.

Price: About 69 cents a pound.
 

Use It to Clean Your…

Artificial flowers: Place the fake blooms inside a paper bag and pour in salt. Close the bag and shake vigorously. The salt will dislodge accumulated dust and dirt.

Glassware: Salt won’t scratch the way a scouring pad can. To get out stubborn stains, add some salt for extra abrasion and scrub.

Greasy pots and pans: Sprinkle salt on cookware to absorb excess grease. Dump out the salt before washing as usual. (Not recommended for nonstick cookware.)

Spills in the oven: If that casserole bubbles over as you take it out of the oven, pour salt on the spill to soak it up. When the oven is cool, wipe with a damp sponge.

Stained teacups and coffee mugs: Sprinkle salt on the outside of a lemon peel; rub the affected area till clean.

Wooden counters and tables: Cover grease splatters with salt to absorb as much as possible. Wait an hour, then brush away the salt.

White Bread and Ketchup

Use white bread to: Dust an oil painting. Gently dab a slice of white bread over the surface to pick up dirt and grime.

Use ketchup to: Remove tarnish from copper and brass cookware. Squeeze ketchup onto a cloth and rub it on pots and pans. They should go back to their coppery color in minutes. Rinse with warm water and dry with a towel.

Oatmeal

Use it to: Scrub very dirty hands. Make a thick paste of oatmeal and water; rinse well.

Next: Rice

Rice

Use it to: Clean the inside of a vase or a thin-necked bottle. Fill three quarters of the vessel with warm water and add a tablespoon of uncooked rice. Cup your hand over the opening, shake vigor-ously, and rinse.  

Tea

Use it to: Scour rusty garden tools. Brew a few pots of strong black tea. When cool, pour into a bucket. Soak the tools for a few hours. Wipe each one with a cloth. (Wear rubber gloves or your hands will be stained.)

Glycerin

Use it to: Remove dried wax drippings from candlesticks. Peel off as much wax as possible, then moisten a cotton ball with glycerin and rub until clean. 

Club Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide

Use club soda to: Shine up a scuffed stainless-steel sink. Buff with a cloth dampened with club soda, then wipe dry with another clean cloth.

Use hydrogen peroxide to: Disinfect a keyboard. Dip a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide to get into those nooks and crannies.  

Cornstarch

Use it to: Clean grease spills on carpets. Pour cornstarch onto spots and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes before vacuuming. 

Rubbing Alcohol

Use it to: Erase permanent-marker stains from finished wood floors or solid-surface countertops. Pour rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball and apply. 

Old Gmail to a New Gmail

Migrate All Your Old Gmail to a New Gmail Address

The email address you chose when signing up for Gmail seemed completely hilarious when you first signed up, but after a year of sending resumes to employers from strangelove45@gmail.com, you may be reconsidering your choice. Luckily with Gmail's easy-to-use Mail Fetcher feature and POP3 access, you can easily import all of your old emails to your new, respectable Gmail address with a few very simple steps. Here's how it works:

First, login to your old account and go to Settings -> Forwarding and POP/IMAP. In the POP Download section choose to enable POP for all mail and then save your changes.

After you do that, you'll have a new option in the POP Download section to Enable POP for all mail. Since you want to import every piece of mail into your new account, you want to select this option and again save your changes.
Now it's time to import all of those messages into your new email account. Log out of your old account and then log in to your new Gmail account. This time go to Settings -> Accounts. In the Get mail from other accounts section, click on Add another mail account. Just step through the setup (the screenshot above is actually importing from my Google Apps Lifehacker Gmail account, but the settings are basically the same for a regular Gmail import) and you're done. Now it's just a matter of waiting. Gmail will use the POP access you set up on your old account to download every single message in your old account to your new one. When it's done, all your old emails will be instantly searchable from your new, non-lame email address. If you ever get wistful for your old account, you can always associate that address with your new one and send email from it whenever you want.
Once the initial POP import completes, you may want to consider heading back to your old account and disabling the POP access in favor of turning on forwarding of all new mail, also available in the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab of the settings. This will ensure that all new mail sent to your old address will get there as soon as it's received.

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52 DIY Fixes for Annoying Home Ailments

By: Josh Garskof, This Old House magazine

Photo:  Ian Spanier

Tackle Your To-Do's

Caring for a home is more like a marathon than a 100-yard dash. Trying to sprint through myriad repairs in the days before you host a dinner party or the in-laws come for a visit only leads to frustration. And, like a winded runner dropping out of a race early, you won't finish. But if you pace yourself, taking on just one project a weekend, you'll always be working with fresh legs. Thanks to the following quick and clever solutions to 52 of your home's most niggling problems, you'll be moving on to more relaxing weekend pursuits in as little as 5 minutes.

Photo:  Ian Spanier

Chairs are wearing away the floor finish.

And felt stickers work loose in no time. Hammer in tacks with attached felt pads for dining chairs or anything you move around a lot, or rubber pads for sofas and stuff that stays put.

An air bubble is marring your wallpaper job.

If it's less than 1 inch across and you don't feel any debris inside, such as a paint chip, you can forgo the standard procedure of slicing an X into the paper and brushing adhesive behind it. Instead, use a syringe (about $5; at paint stores) to poke a pinhole that releases the air and allows you to inject adhesive right where it's needed. To get a clean cut in vinyl paper, make a small slit with a utility knife before inserting the syringe.

Plaster walls look rough.

Brush on a matte paint rather than the usual eggshell. The ultra-flat sheen helps hide imperfections in the surface; any amount of glossiness reflects light and highlights unevenness.

Old picture holes are glaring black dots.

Overfill holes with a lightweight patching compound. Once dry, smooth with a damp sponge. Unlike with sandpaper, there's no dust and no damage to the wall paint.

The cupboard door won't stay shut.

The old spring or roller latch is worn out or covered with paint. Order a heavy-duty magnet catch (about $4; rockler.com) and install it in just a couple of minutes. Works great for medicine chests, too.

Scratches are ruining the look of woodwork.

Hide marks in furniture, trim, and floors using Minwax markers (about $5 each, in nine colors; at hardware stores). They provide pinpoint stain application.

A double-hung's sash cords have snapped.

Pop out the old pulleys and use spring-loaded replacements with a retractable steel tape that eliminates the need for both cords and weights. (Standard Balances start at about $39 per pair; pullmanmfg.com). Watch a video of TOH contractor Tom Silva installing the pulley system at thisoldhouse.com/bonus.

Window sash locks don't align.

If the meeting rail on the front sash doesn't drop low enough to sit flush with the rear one, the problem may be that the upper sash was painted shut without being pushed fully against the top jamb. To release it, cut the paint-sealed seam with a window-opener saw.

It takes superhero strength to move the sliding patio door.

Chances are, debris has jammed the wheels. Remove the operable door by turning the adjustment screws at the bottom, then clean the wheels and tracks, and spray with silicone lubricant. Get detailed steps for a sliding-door tune-up at thisoldhouse.com/bonus.

Photo:  Don Penny/Time Inc. Digital Studio

Your screens are ripped or rusty.

The hard part of screen replacement is figuring out the size of the spline that holds it in the frame. Make it easy by measuring the old rubber gasket using an architect's template (about $6; staples.com). The plastic rule has holes that correspond with common spline diameters represented in decimals of an inch, such as .125 and .175.

A casement window's crank is stripped or jammed.

You could open the crank cover and attempt a repair, but it's easier and usually more effective to replace the hardware. Select the right crank for your window size and model at swisco.com.

A door swings open or closed on its own.

Pull out one of the hinge pins, lay it on a sturdy work surface, and hit the midpoint of the shaft with a hammer. Then reinsert the pin; the blow will have bent it slightly, providing enough resistance to prevent the unwanted movement.

Painted hinges look bad and spew tiny chips.

Leave the door hanging and use two opposing rubber doorstops or wood shims set on the floor to stabilize it. Remove one hinge at a time and strip the hardware. Learn how to safely remove paint without chemicals using an old slow cooker at thisoldhouse.com/bonus.

Photo:  Ian Spanier

A window rattles in the wind.

The sash lock's cam mechanism is misaligned or broken. To suck a double-hung's sashes together and eliminate rattling—and drafts—remove the center latch and install two new ones instead. Arrange them so that the latches are fully engaged when the cam is turned about halfway.

A vintage windowpane is cracked.

Standard replacement glass won't match the wavy look of the original panes, so you can either swap in a piece from the back of the house and put the new glass there or order a historic reproduction from bendheim.com. For the how-to on replacing a pane, see thisoldhouse.com/bonus.

Paint on the door is sticking to the finish on the stop.

This "blocking" can occur when you close a door before the paint has fully dried. Apply wax to temporarily hinder adhesion. To fix it, sand around the door's edges and repaint using 100 percent acrylic latex with good block resistance.

The gate drags across the lawn.

Pick up Stanley's anti-sag kit (about $11; lowes.com). Run its cut-to-length cable from the bottom of the latch side to the top of the hinge side, then tighten its center turnbuckle to eliminate the droop.

Photo:  Ian Spanier

The entry set's deadbolt sticks when you key-in.

The lock needs lubrication, but not with oil, which can attract dirt over time. Squeeze in graphite powder to lube the lock without creating future gunk-ups. And while you've got the tube handy, give any other squeaky hinges or sticking locks around the house a squeeze too.

Rain cascades from the gutter like a waterfall.

The likely culprit is a clogged downspout. Flush with water, then use the hook end of a coat hanger to dislodge any remaining clumps. If that doesn't work, go at it with a hand-cranked pipe snake.

Little cracks in the driveway widen each year.

That's because water gets inside the fissures and freezes, pressing against the surface. Come spring, dig out any infiltrating crabgrass and dirt, and fix the cracks for good. For asphalt, use a cold-pour filler, such as QPR Asphalt Crack Filler (about $11 at lowes.com); for concrete, use Quikrete Concrete Crack Seal (about $10; acehardware.com), then seal the whole driveway.

Grass alongside the walkway washes out during big rains.

Swap your old pavers for permeable ones, such as those made by Eco-Stone. Pores in the surface or special seams between pavers allow water to move through the material and the compacted stone and sand below, preventing washouts.

The lawn is turning brown.

This is often due to insufficient watering. An easy way to tell if your lawn is thirsty, before it's too late, is to look at it through polarized sunglass lenses. If it appears blue-gray instead of green when it's in direct sunlight, turn on the sprinklers.

The blades in your porch ceiling fan are droopy.

Even all-weather fan blades can eventually lose their rigidity after years out in the humidity. Besides looking bad, this can cause the fan to wobble. But you don't need a new fan—just order a replacement blade kit from farreys.com.

The tree-swing rope is rubbing away bark.

Rehang the swing using eye screws that go all the way through the limb and are secured with a washer and nut. Drilling into the limb is less damaging than wrapping a rope around it.

Rainstorms lead to water in the basement.

Odds are, your gutters are dumping their loads too close to the foundation. Extra long kickouts at the bottom of down-spouts are tripping hazards. So route the water underground using Flo-Well's easy-to-install dry well (about $130; ndspro.com for dealers and installation instructions).

You always forget to turn off the basement light.

Screw a First Alert in-socket motion detector (about $20; amazon.com) into the fixture and leave the wall switch in the on position. The light will illuminate as soon as anyone approaches, then automatically turn itself off. The device is also handy in attics and closets.

A crack in the foundation lets in moisture and possibly critters.

You could fill the fissure with hydraulic cement, but it will split open again as the foundation shifts. A more durable and flexible solution is to use an epoxy system, such as Polygem's concrete repair kit (about $78; store.polygem.com).

Learn how to make the repair at thisoldhouse.com/bonus.

Photo:  Don Penny/Time Inc. Digital Studio

The finish has faded from your fence.

You don't need to buy a fancy paint sprayer. A $13 landscape pump sprayer makes easy work of the job.

The butcher block smells like garlic.

To sanitize a wood countertop, wash with a solution of 1 teaspoon of bleach in 1 quart of water. To eliminate odors, pour some coarse sea salt onto the surface and scrub it into the wood using the face of a cut lemon.

The mirror fogs up when you take a shower.

Treat it with Rain-X antifog wipes (about $4; at auto supply shops), which are made to improve windshield visibility.

Your toilet rocks.

If tightening the bolts on the base doesn't stop it, buy some plastic shims from a hardware store and slide them under the toilet to stabilize it.

You're tired of flashing the neighbors.

Rather than leave the bathroom blinds closed at all times, apply an attractive window film (about $79 to about $115 per roll, enough for two windows; 2jane.com). It'll create privacy without blocking natural light.

Photo:  Ian Spanier

Your stainless steel is covered with watermarks.

Forget about pricey products specifically designed for stainless, and grab your WD-40 from the utility closet. It will remove and repel fingerprints, watermarks, and stains. Just be sure to wipe away excess with a cloth.

The grout is cracking in the tiled shower.

This can be due to house settling or grout that was never sealed, allowing water to get in and break it down. Scrape out the old grout and replace it with Bostik Tru-Color premixed grout (about $76 for a 9-pound bucket; sears.com), which contains urethane to make it more flexible and eliminate the need for sealing.

Laminate kitchen countertop edge banding is peeling.

Brush contact cement onto the laminate and the substrate, and let it dry. Then press the laminate in place and clamp it tight using blue painter's tape.

Photo:  Ian Spanier

A towel rack is loose.

Only the most meticulous homeowners save the little hex keys that come with their hardware. So buy yourself a about $13 Allen wrench set. Before tightening the setscrew, remove it and apply a dab of Loktite Threadlocker Blue 242 (about $6; homedepot.com), which will hold it in place—without preventing removal later on.

Your beloved vintage medicine-chest mirror barely casts a reflection.

Remove the glass from the cabinet door, strip the old silvering from the back, and use a silvering kit to make it shine again. Just take note: This is an exacting job and supplies aren't cheap (about $176; angelgilding.com).

The grout is stained around the sink.

You can remove stains by bleaching with a grout pen, but that can leave the grout color uneven. Hide that problem by darkening all the grout with a grout colorant in a soft-gray or beige hue.

The bathtub caulk is moldy.

You've got to remove every bit of old grout so that the new material forms a seal against the tub and tile. If moisture gets back there, mold will form again. Use a 5-in-1 tool and a plastic razor to cut it out, and caulk remover to loosen any remaining bits. Then apply new acrylic latex caulk containing mildewcides.

The heat mat under the tile floor warms up too slowly.

Connect the mat to a programmable thermostat so that the first person awake in the morning doesn't get cold feet.

There are mildew spots on the bathroom ceiling.

Replace the wall switch for your exhaust fan with a mechanical timer and set it to stay on for 30 to 60 minutes after every shower.

Your two-prong outlets won't accept plugs for new electronics.

If you have BX cable (most two-prong systems have this metal-wrapped wiring), the sheathing can provide a ground, allowing you to swap in a three-prong outlet. But that only works if your home's electrical system is grounded. To be safe, just swap the outlet for a GFCI one.

A single-lever faucet is dripping.

Turn off the water and remove the faucet from the sink. Then smear Vaseline on the O-ring and replace the faucet. This isn't a cure, but it'll stop the drip until you get a new O-ring—or an entire faucet.

You're always fumbling in the dark.

If there's no switched outlet in the room, add a wireless one for a table lamp. Leviton's Anywhere Switch (about $24; amazon.com) has an adapter that plugs into an outlet to receive the fixture's plug, and a battery-powered switch that fastens to the wall.

A radiator isn't getting hot.

Paint or rust may be freezing the bleeder valve. Trying to free it with a radiator key usually just breaks the key, which is made of soft metal. Instead, use needle-nose pliers to gently work the valve back and forth until it opens. That'll release pent-up air so that the radiator will fill with hot water again.

A compression faucet has a slow drip.

With the water shut off, open the faucet completely, tighten the valve-assembly hex nut, then close the faucet again. This will realign the valve so that it will close fully.

The wall outlet shifts when you plug in your coffeemaker.

This happens when the outlet isn't sandwiched tightly between the electrical box and the cover plate. Lock it in place using plastic electrical-outlet spacers (about $3; at hardware stores) that work like shims to bring the outlet flush with the wall.

The toilet is running.

Call Korky Toilet Repair's Flapper Finder hotline (800-528-3553) for technical service. Read them your model number from inside the tank, and they'll send you all the replacement parts and instructions you need to stop the gurgling.

Photo:  Don Penny/Time Inc. Digital Studio

A switch cover keeps coming loose.

Get longer cover screws at the home center. For ones in decorative finishes, such as the antiqued bronze screws shown here, try kyledesigns.com.

Photo:  Ian Spanier

The light hums when it's dimmed.

Dimmers work by flickering lights on and off so fast that we perceive less illumination, but that can cause the filament to vibrate. Upgrade to rough service bulbs, which have stronger filament supports. Find them at thelightbulbstore.net.

Water pipes bang when the washer kicks on and off at the start of each cycle.

Install pipe hangers along the supply lines in the basement to secure any loose sections. Wrap pipes in insulation where they penetrate floors or walls.

A set of ganged light switches isn't aligning with the cover.

Loosening the screws, shifting the switches, and retightening the screws is doing it the hard way. Just place a flathead screwdriver against the attachment tab of the switch you want to adjust and tap lightly with a hammer.