How to Find Products to Fix Problems
Have you ever been involved in a home improvement project and found yourself with a problem you needed to solve? Or maybe you have someone in your family that has experienced an injury or illness that requires you to step into the role as a caregiver. Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to think outside the box and look for tools and gadgets that can help provide the solution. Most of the time, these simple solutions don’t cost a lot of money, but you do have to know where to look and what questions to ask. Here are some ways to help you find products to fix problems.
Hobbies on a Budget received products or discounts for the purpose of this post. Affiliate links are included.

Find Products to Fix Your Problem
Every holiday season, we haul out the Christmas seasonal decorations and deck the halls inside and out. One of the problems that many of us face is how to keep extension cords from getting wet in the snow or rain. That’s where one company decided to find a solution. They offer a product called the Twist and Seal Cord Dome that securely keeps your cords and connections safe from the elements. You simply plug in the connections and then cover the base with the top. There’s no mind blowing technology, just a simple plastic base and cover that protect your electrical outlets and let you decorate the outside of your home.

The Cord Dome protects multiple extension cord connections including entire power cord strips and Y-connectors. The Twist and Seal Cord Dome completely encloses your power cord connections to keep your home and family safe from electrical hazards.

Ask the Right Questions
Finding solutions to fix your problems is often a matter of asking the right questions. Instead of giving up on outside decorating, you simply ask the question of “How can I keep the cord connection dry and protected?”
Another question to ask could be born out of an injury. When one of my family members recently had a wintry accident requiring him to be in a sling for several weeks, he realized that he would not be able to wear his regular clothes. So his wife asked the question “how can we get a shirt on one side like normal and yet keep it attached on the other side with his arm completely immobile?” That question led to the discovery of the SlingShirt.
Turns out that someone else had experienced the same problem and decided to create shirts that magnetically attach on the side. This simple yet powerful solution now offers options for others with shoulder injuries.
Search the internet
When you have a problem, start brainstorming the questions and then do simple internet searches to see if other people have discovered a solution. It’s amazing what you can find when you search with the right questions.
Think outside the box.
One problem we have in our house is how to organize LEGO bricks. So we branched out and searched for a solution in an unusual place. We looked in the garage and found a toolbox organizer that we weren’t using. With the little boxes and trays, it’s perfect for keeping all the LEGO character pieces organized!

Ask your Friends
Another problem that people sometimes need to fix is how to wash their hair when you can’t get wet because of a cast, sling or injury. When a friend of mine and I were talking about how to fix this problem, I was able to suggest dry shampoo. Because she talked about the problem, I was able to help her find a product that helped remedy the situation. And in case you are wondering, dry shampoo has come a long way in the past 20 years.
You can buy dry shampoo at many drugstores or online at Amazon.com.
Use Problems to Provide Gift Ideas
When it comes to birthday and gifts, problem solvers are great gift ideas. For Christmas one year, we purchased a pencil roll-up organizer for a family member to keep their colored pencils contained. But she decided it would solve a bigger problem she had and used it to organize her makeup brushes. She had a problem, and we unknowingly provided the perfect solution.

Solving problems with products is something we do every day. What are some ways you have repurposed or designed a solution to problems you are facing in your life? I’d love to hear!
Looking for more organization tips? Take a look at these benefits of being organized!
Excellent article, Sharon! I’ll bet that there are many more solutions to everyday problems out there and I would welcome reading more articles on other solutions to problems that your readers have found.