Keep Tiny Screws From Falling Off Your Tools With A Simple Hack

While children's toys and electronics seem to get more advanced every year, the frustrations for parents never change. Trouble starts as soon as the products are out of the package, as they not only don't come with the batteries you need, but their battery covers almost always have those irritating little screws locking them in place. The #1 Phillips becomes an essential tool every homeowner should have for these situations alone. Yet even after you hunt down the right tool, you have to worry about fiddling with the tiny screws that love to fall off the screwdriver as you try to work them into place.

A magnetic screwdriver is a smart investment if this is a recurring issue in your household. But what if you need something to hold your screws in place now? Well, if you have a small piece of paper handy, like a sticky note, you've got everything you need to make the struggle disappear. To make it work, you push the tiny screw through a piece of paper near the corner until the paper has a solid grasp on it. Holding the paper, position the screw in place and drive it in until it's secure in the screw hole but not completely tightened. Then, pull the paper away from the screw and finish tightening it. Use this trick alongside simple hacks for when you lose a screw on the floor, and you'll make the frustrations of tiny screws a thing of the past!

So, how does this compare to other hacks to keep tiny screws from falling off your screwdriver? If you don't want to waste a piece of paper, you can apply a small amount of lip balm or petroleum jelly on the screwdriver tip. The dab of gel will make a sort of temporary glue to keep the screw on the screwdriver. Alternatively, you could swap the paper for a piece of tape. Poke the screw through a small piece of painter's tape, put it on the driver, and wrap the tape around the driver to hold the screw in place. Drive the screw into its hole and tear the tape away. Both approaches can be great tricks if you're working in a tight space since they only require you to use one hand. However, the paper hack can be more practical in other situations.

Using a Post-it note or scrap paper to hold your tiny screws is quick and easy to set up, and there's no sticky mess to manage. Plus, one piece of paper can hold more than one screw, helping you make quick work of reassembling items with multiple small fasteners. After you get the proper types of screwdrivers for your DIY project, you can fall back on this easy hack to help you whenever you find yourself struggling with a tricky set of screws.