Do you have a flashlight? Silly me, of course you do. But, if you only use it when the power goes out or to send your child out trick or treating, you are missing out on two additional uses for a flashlight.
Day 24 – Two New Tips using a Flashlight
1. Before you prepare to paint a room, double check the wall for any imperfections. Turn on the flashlight and shine it parallel to the wall to highlight any imperfections that need spackle or sanding.
2. Next time you drop something tiny on the floor (like a pill or earring backing) shine a flashlight at the floor level and it will illuminate any tiny objects. Beware, you might find some dog hairs that need vacuuming too.
Do you have any other uses for a flashlight?
Update: Two readers asked for recommendations for a good flashlight. By far, this is my favorite flashlight:
It is extremely bright and comparable to a floodlight. Sadly, it looks like these flashlights are being phased out. And even sadder is that they no longer sell them with the Ryobi TEK4 batteries and charger. Instead they include a AA battery converter. If you do buy this flashlight, spend the extra money to buy two TEK4 batteries and the charger. You’ll save money in the long run not replacing AA batteries. In short, best flashlight I’ve ever owned!
I’m participating in Nester’s 31 Days Challenge. Check out all the other bloggers who are participating!
Don’t miss a single tip! Sign up to get all the tips in your email:
Other tips in the 31 Days of Handy Home Fixes series:
kathy tee says
October 24, 2014 at 10:01 pmI sure wish someone could recommend a good flashlight! Seems every one i’ve ever had turns out to be poor illumination; either tiny beam or wide ‘marbled’ beam. My son gave me his police flashlight when leaving the job, and even it was not a very good beam! Love your blog !
Brittany Bailey says
October 25, 2014 at 11:04 amKathy, the good news is that I do have an amazing flashlight to recommend! Ryobi Tek4 LED Hi-Beam Flashlight
The bad news is that they no longer sell it with the TEK4 rechargeable battery. But, the good news is you can still buy the battery and charger from Amazon or Home Depot. It will cost you though. But, not replacing AA batteries will save you money in the long run.
Colleen Taylor says
October 24, 2014 at 11:06 pmI would like a recommendation for a good one as well. I have several but they are nothing to speak of.
Brittany Bailey says
October 25, 2014 at 11:06 amColleen, as I mentioned to Kathy in the comments, I LOVE this flashlight: Ryobi Tek4 LED Hi-Beam Flashlight
Best and brightest flashlight ever. However, they no longer sell it with the TEK4 rechargeable battery and charger. I think it’s worth it to buy two TEK4 batteries and the charger because it will save you replacing AA batteries over the life of the flashlight. For more information read my update in this post. 😉
kathy tee says
October 26, 2014 at 1:06 amThank you Brittany! I will look into this at Home Depot, Amazon and/or Lowes. I did see two videos on youtube and it appears to be a nice unit!! One fellow took it outside at night …WOW!
Thanks again!
Brittany Bailey says
October 30, 2014 at 7:25 pmKathy, I happened to look for those flashlights at Home Depot and they don’t carry them anymore. Snag them on Amazon now while you still can.
Gabrielle says
November 5, 2014 at 11:16 amSure I have flashlights… but the batteries are forever low, creating more of a ‘soft ambiance’ than a tool! I do use a flashlight in a way similar to your ‘wall imperfection detector’. When I am waxing furniture, etc., and especially if it is dark paint or in a recessed area where I can’t see the surface very well, I use a flashlight to check on my coverage and also my buffing.
Nini says
April 24, 2015 at 1:06 amFor flashlights I rarely use, for example, in the glove compartment of the car, I put the batteries in IMPROPERLY (they won’t work, but they stay fresh), then I insert them the right way when the emergency arises. Obviously, this isn’t always great idea, but it has worked very well for me over the years. Or, you can store the batteries in ziploc bag with the flashlight and accomplish the same thing. Of course, a 3 or 4 D cell Mag light with batteries (installed in any manner!) makes a pretty good defensive weapon in an emergency, so saving battery life isn’t the most important thing…