DIY hacks with Sugru (review)

If you live in a house with several kids and pets, it's an inevitable part of life that things are going to get broken or worn out and need repairing or replacing. When Sugru got in touch and asked if we'd like to try out their totally unique mouldable glue, I was intrigued. It arrives in little foil packs (like ketchup sachets) and comes out like a rubbery modelling clay, in a variety of colours. You just rip off a bit, roll it around in your hands then mould it to the shape you require and leave to dry. In 24 hours (longer for thicker pieces), it sets to become a strong and flexible silicon rubber which is waterproof, temperature resistant up to 180°C and down to -50°C, dishwasher proof, UV stable and electrically insulating. It bonds permanently to most materials, including wood, glass, plastic, ceramics, metals and even fabrics.

The first item in need of TLC was the remote control for the upstairs TV. It got left in the bed and someone, who has yet to own up, obviously sat on it and almost broke it in half.

I pulled off a ball of Pitch Black Sugru and rolled it around to make it soft. It does leave marks on fabric and your fingers which take a lot of effort to get off, so don't start fixing things just before you head out of the door to work or a big night out !

I pushed it into the cracks and moulded it along the edges of the remote control on both sides to add extra support. I've just checked and it's now set and the remote control is much more solid and no longer makes little creaking noises like it is about to snap in half every time we press the buttons !

This got me wandering around the room, looking for other things to fix. One of the knobs on the chest of drawers has been annoying me for months because it comes off in your hand every time you pull it. 

I squished some Sugru all over the screw and another piece on the surface of the wood then pushed them together. This morning, we gave it a tentative tug, then opened the drawer normally, and it is as good as new.

By now, the kids wanted to get in on the action and suddenly broken things were coming out of the woodwork left, right and centre. Juliette brough in a brush with the handle snapped off.

Pierre introduced me to his "talking" trainer with a flappy sole.

They both selected their colour and undertook the necessary repairs themselves. The trainer got me thinking - my beloved Converse were about to make their way into the bin because the sole has a small hole in it that lets in the rain, as I discovered traipsing around London ast week. I'm going to try squishing a bit of Sugru in it to see if it will give them a slightly longer lease of life, although on their FAQs, they do say that this won't work as well as on the uppers because of the abrasion caused by walking. This morning, the trainers were perfectly sealed - unfortunately Juliette's brush was the only fail but we'll scrape it off and have another go tonight. There's no reason why it shouldn't work as it's literally the only thing that hasn't been a complete success.

The Home Hacks Made Easy guide that comes in the pack also has some ingenious uses for Sugru that I'd never have thought of, such as making little hooks to put your ipad on the wall.

Or rubber grips to keep your cables tidy. You can also use it to reinforce or repair ipad cables which is GREAT news as they are always breaking in our house.

Mending zip-pulls is another fabulous idea that will be incredibly useful here at The Madhouse.

Other ides are as funky as they are functional, such as making a shoe tidy with tennis balls.

Or my ultimate favourite - using Lego mini figures and bricks as a cable tidy. Pure genius !

There are so many uses for Sugru around the house, some of them fun but lots of them genuinely useful. As it can be moulded, it can be used to replace broken fixtures or small spare parts that no longer exist, repair leaks and holes in rubber seals (note to self - it's almost paddling pool season !)or patch up cracks in all manner of materials. The name Sugru comes from the Irish word meaning "to play" and it certainly makes DIY and home repairs a lot more fun and accessible to everyone.

The starter kit that we received costs £10 and is available at www.sugru.com.

Disclosure : We received the product in order to write an honest review.