Basic Tools Every Woman Should Own

The Mad Men days of the husband going off to work while the wife stays home are long gone. Nowadays, women don't get married until they've been living on their own for years, if they even choose to get married at all. In the past the man of the house worried about what tools were needed to perform the various fix it tasks around the house.

Single women, widowed women, divorced women and even married women can improve their self sufficiency by making sure they have the following tools on hand. Knowing how to use these simple tools will save time, stress and money that might otherwise have to go to a handy man.

Hammer

The first tool that every woman needs is a hammer. It doesn't have to be big, heavy or expensive. A cheap relatively small hammer will do just fine. Make sure it has two prongs on one side (this is for removing nails). Use your hammer to put nails in the walls in order to hang pictures to hammer bags of ice for the automatic ice cream maker. A hammer is an essential tool every woman should have at her fingertips.

Screwdrivers

Phillips versus Flat Head
Screwdrivers are the next essential tool. There are two main types of screwdrivers, a "Phillips head" and a "flat head". Make sure you have 1 of each. A Phillips screwdriver has a weird point with 4 "ridges" that form and "x". A flat head had a tip that is flat, with the two sides tapering to a point. The reason you need two types of screwdrivers is because there are two basic types of screws. The head of the screw that you need to screw in or screw out will tell you what kind of screwdriver you need to use. If the screw has 1 grove down the middle of the top of the screw, you will need a flat head screwdriver. If the screw has two groves that form an "x" then you'll need the Phillips screwdriver.

Why do you need them? Because door hinges, door knobs, and bathroom towel racks get loose! Having the right tool handy (a screwdriver) that will easily tighten up things around the house will prevent having to replace items later.

Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey
An easy trick to knowing whether you are tightening screws or loosening them is to remember the phrase, "righty tighty, lefty loosey". You guessed it. Turning the screwdriver to the right (clockwise) will tighten screws into the wood, while turning the screwdriver to the left (counterclockwise) will loosen screws.

Screw Stripping
Get your mind out of the gutter. When a screw gets over-tightened it sometimes looses it's effectiveness to hold something together. When this happens you have "stripped it". Not good. Be careful not to over-tighten.

Nails and Screws

Nails and screws are cheap, easy and convenient. You can pick up a variety pack of screws and nails at Target or Walmart that will last you years if you're not a carpenter. These are great to have around for a variety of reasons. Maybe one of the screws to the handle on the kitchen drawer loosened to the point of falling out and rolled under the dishwasher. Just take out a similar sized screw and screw the handle back on.

Small Ladder or Step Ladder

I don't know if it is technically a tool, but when you're short like me it sure feels like it. Having a foldable, sturdy step ladder for the kitchen is much safer than a cheap plastic stool (I've learned the hard way - ouch!). As for ladders, sometimes something with more height is required to reach high places or change that ceiling light bulb. Without some sort of "elevation device" you might miss out on lots of storage space and you limit the height of those pictures you're now nailing on the walls.

If you don't already have a hammer, screwdriver, step stool, nails and screws consider running down to your local department store this weekend. You won't regret it.