10 Things You Never Knew You Could Do Around the Home With a Paper Clip

Unclog Spray Nozzles

Those tiny holes in spray nozzles, whether on cleaning product bottles, misters or lawn sprinklers, are prone to getting clogged. Paper clips can help clean them out and keep their spray patterns normal. “I bend one end and push deeply into the nozzle to loosen the accumulation,” says hair specialist Akirashanti C. Byrd. “No chemicals, no mess and I save the bottle from the trash.”

Pro-tip: Rinse the nozzle with hot water after unclogging it, which will help flush out the debris.

Fix a Clogged Drain

If your sink or shower drain is backing up, use a paperclip to remove hair and soap scum. Form it into a small hook, then gently wiggle it down the drain. After it goes beyond the stopper, twist and pull the paper clip slowly back. “It will hook onto the hair and debris so that you can pull it out,” says electrical services expert Adam Bushell. “This will not open a major obstruction, but it is a fantastic and free remedy for a slow, resistant drain.”

Fix Smartphone Charging

If the charging port on your phone or tablet is getting finicky, a buildup of dust is likely the culprit. A paperclip bent into a hook can help fish out the debris, but always power down the device first. Be very careful not to scrape the walls or touch internal pins, as they’re easily damaged. “I use this in home office setups when clients complain their dock is dead, and it turns out to just be pocket lint,” says Lee.

Repair a Toilet Paper Holder

If your wall-mounted, spring-loaded toilet paper holder is starting to sag or wobble, it’s probably because one of the plastic brackets has loosened. A bent paperclip wedged behind the bracket can firm up the tension, says Lee. “It acts like a shim to push the bracket forward and re-engage the spring bar properly,” he says. “I’ve done this in Airbnb properties where replacing the bracket would damage the wallpaper or tile.”

Retrieve Screws from Tight Spaces

If you accidentally drop a screw into a hard-to-reach space, unbend a paperclip and put a dab of poster tack or painter’s putty on the end. Then fish it into the gap like a hook. “The sticky end picks up the lost screw or nut like magic, and it’s way faster than dragging out the vacuum or disassembling the whole unit,” says Lee. “This one’s a personal favorite from cabinet installations, when a screw drops behind a dresser or inside a partially installed drawer track.”

Repair a Curtain Rod

If the bracket supporting a curtain rod breaks, you can straighten a paperclip and insert it into the hole where the screw has sheared off or fallen out. “Twist the paperclip onto the remaining piece of the bracket, or use it to help hold the curtain in place until you get a proper replacement bracket,” says home remodeler Karen Watts. “It’s not a permanent solution, but it can be useful for getting around the problem.”

Make a Phone Stand

Prop up your phone to watch videos or read recipes in the kitchen with, you guessed it, a paperclip. Fold it into an S shape and put it on a flat surface, then rotate it to the desired angle. “Voilà! You have your homemade phone stand,” says home renovator Geremy Yamamoto. “A bigger or thicker paperclip will provide greater stability.”

Pro-tip: When modifying the angle, use caution as pressure can lead to the phone sliding off.

Keep Things Together

From chargers to headphones, use a paperclip as a cable holder to tame that rat’s nest of electronic cords. Paperclips are also handy as makeshift keychains and to fix your eyeglasses if they break. “Use the small end to create a temporary hinge by inserting it into the hole where the arm used to be attached,” says home seller Jonathan Carcone. “This will keep your glasses functional until you can get them professionally fixed.”

Fix a Zipper

When a zipper pull becomes loose or falls off, it’s a hassle to zip up items like jackets and duffel bags with your fingertips. So, “Just run a paperclip through the hole in the zipper tab,” says Yamamoto. “It will leave you with a small handle you can hold on to and zip up your items up quickly.”

Pro-tip: Make sure to hook the paperclip back to itself, so it doesn’t keep poking you.

Open Locked Zippers

A similar paperclip hack can be employed with a stubbornly stuck zipper. Flatten the paperclip and then hook the small part into the hole of the zipper pull. “Tilt it out by pushing gently or wiggling it, and that will free the snag. Voilà, your zipper is unlocked!” says Carcone.

About the Experts

• Akirashanti C. Byrd, CFE, is co-founder and co-owner at Curl Centric, a platform for learning about curly hair products, hairstyles and hair-growth tips for natural hair.
• Adam Bushell is owner and director of AB Electrical & Communications, an Australian electrical services company which deals with residential and commercial electrical jobs.
• Ryan Lee is a furniture specialist and founder of Lakeland Furniture, a which sells stylish, functional and timeless furniture in the UK.
• Karen Watts is a mom, serial remodeler and founder of a DomiSource, a startup WBENC-certified platform supporting homeowners post-close.
• Geremy Yamamoto is founder of Eazy House Sale, which specializes in buying, renovating and selling dozens of houses a year, with a focus on fire-damaged and other challenging projects.
• Jonathan Carcone, is principal of 4 Brothers Buy Houses, which helps homeowners sell their properties with less stress.