Finding Replacement Parts: If It's Broke, Fix It

It seems like more and more items are meant to be disposable; most of the stuff we buy goes directly into the landfill within six months (according to Annie Leonard in The Story of Stuff). Eek! I was raised by some fairly handy people who had more than a passing familiarity with Depression-era sensibilities, so I know my way around a screwdriver and a clamp to hold on some wood glue. But I'm no MacGyver. That's why it's nice to know that often, saving something to use again is often as simple as a phone call or email.

Customer service is your friend! I'm a big fan of contacting the manufacturer directly, and I've found it extremely helpful to hold onto all of our manuals and receipts for toy and baby items, and household appliances. Even if you don't have the skills to fix something yourself, the combo of having all the necessary parts and a good handyperson can make the difference.

Some companies who have been especially helpful to me (all links are to customer service):

Sonicare replaces defective toothbrushes and takes back old or broken toothbrushes for recycling

Regal Lager services Phil & Ted baby joggers; I got an oldie but a goodie from a friend (meaning under 5 years old -- in perfect condition) and got their help figuring out how to replace the missing basket underneath despite the fact that they no longer manufacture parts for this model (don't get me started on how annoying that is but at least they were proactive about working around it)

Mobi will sell you used video baby monitors at cost should there be a problem with your old one (sigh).

Little Tikes sells replacement parts for all of its toys like the doohickey that adjusts the height of our outdoor basketball hoop.

I've had good luck googling appliance parts for our service repairperson for our stove and dishwasher; I've also tried looking on EBay and freecycle when I couldn't find the part elsewhere.

Finally, you can find missing game parts for all the 1/2 Monopoly sets in your house thanks to this tip from DeclutterIt! -- I haven't checked it out yet but I'm thrilled to file this away for future use.

Hopefully, none of our carefully sourced, well-made items of necessity will break ever again (due to planned obsolescence, shoddy manufacturing, or mistreatment!) but if they do...I'm hoping to keep them out of the landfill. Don't forget as a last resort to try to freecycle the item to see if someone else can use it or see value in it (be honest!) -- people have always kept parts cars around and it's possible that someone else can salvage my trash (my trash, possibly their treasure).



*Image courtesy of Rocks in My Dryer; head on over there for more Works for Me Wednesday
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Better Drainage for Container Gardens and Beds

In case you're planting up a storm these days, I thought I would pass along a tip a kindly, more experienced gardener shared with me. Most pots and containers have lousy drainage. And many people overwater when they're starting out. If you have soggy plants, they may rot. So grab a drill like I did this morning (CBoy was so thrilled! Trucks, heavy equipment, mud puddles, and power tools in one morning?!) and get started.

If you're smart, you will do this before you fill up your planter, but if you're like me and can only get to things when a certain tiny person will allow them to happen, don't worry, you can still do it. Plastic pots take a regular drill bit. Ceramic pots need a special drill bit, so don't head outside unless you've got one. Aim for about 6-8 holes, evenly spaced around the bottom of your pot. If you've already planted, this one is too late, but next time throw a bunch of gravel or rocks at the bottom of the planter as well to improve drainage.

If you have a garden bed that's flooded (like our sad, sad, formerly hoped-for peas-broccoli-and-arugula lake), a guy in the community garden this morning suggested the following: separate those perfectly-joined boards at the edge of the plot to allow for better drainage. Sometimes, you just need a stranger to point out the obvious! Nice guy that he was, he tactfully suggested this path when I inquired about which plants might thrive in rice-paddy conditions.

For water retention, a tip on the package of my new upside-down tomato planter (cool, huh? for our deck) made me smile: water it with soapy water to help the soil and roots retain water. Sounds like a case for graywatering if I've ever heard one!

Hope you're having lots of rain as well for your gardens, and that your plants are sprouting! And any and all gardening advice is welcome here.




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