7 DIY Hacks Everyone Should Know According to Trans Handy Ma'am Mercury Stardust

By Elizabeth Yuko

In the increasingly crowded field of online home improvement experts and influencers, Mercury Stardust stands out. It's not because of her blue hair, flawless makeup, or innovative DIY hacks (though they certainly don't hurt). More than anything else, what sets Stardust—also known as the Trans Handy Ma’am—and her instructional videos apart is her compassionate approach to DIY. "Think Mr. Rogers with a pair of boobs," she explains in a TikTok video from January introducing herself to new followers (of which she has amassed 2.3 million since joining the platform in March 2021).

Mercury Stardust in her studio

Before the viral videos—which Stardust and her production company now create in their Madison, Wisconsin, studio—she worked as a maintenance technician for 16 years. During that time, she says she encountered countless members of her profession who unfailingly blamed residents and "user error" for anything in need of repair.

"If every single person who comes into your home to fix something has that mentality, you're going to develop the mentality that you are the problem," Stardust says. "You’re not going to want to learn how to do this stuff yourself, because you’re convinced that every time you try to do something, you make things worse."

Along the same lines, she observed that when her fellow maintenance professionals did take the time to explain to residents what went wrong and how to fix it, many did so using jargon and prohibitively expensive tools, which Stardust views as forms of gatekeeping. "They think you have a baseline of knowledge, and don't understand that they’re actually skipping steps when they’re teaching something," she notes.

That's why in her videos, Stardust breaks a repair down into easily digestible steps, using tools and supplies people already own, or can purchase for a reasonable price—all while reassuring viewers that they’re "worth the time it takes to learn a new skill." This radically gentle approach makes Stardust's content feel fresh, despite covering well-trodden topics like unclogging a toilet and fixing a wobbly table.

"There's no shame in not knowing what we don't know, but we attach so much shame to these specific tasks," she says. "Compassionate DIY is about making people feel seen first, then worrying about educating them second."

While Stardust's tutorials—which can also be seen on her YouTube channel and heard on the Handy Ma’am Hotline podcast—are largely aimed at renters, most of the DIY hacks and repair techniques are equally relevant to homeowners, because as she points out, "a focus is not an exclusion."

Here are seven of our favorite videos showcasing Stardust's signature blend of humor, home-improvement tips, and kindness.

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Whether you’re hanging shelving, wall sconces, or a heavy piece of art on a wall made of plaster or drywall, the first step is finding a stud. Instead of using a stud finder—which not everyone owns, or necessarily needs—Stardust demonstrates how to get the job done using a $3 magnet attached to a necklace (though any type of lanyard, string, or chain with the equivalent of a pendant would do).

"This works because there's a screw that goes through the drywall into the wood frame…and [the] magnet is finding [it] in the wall," she explains in the video, noting that the trick "works even better with plaster and lath." The necklace is helpful because the weight of the pendant positions the chain or cord so that it lines up with the stud.

If the magnet isn't cutting it, Stardust suggests using a heavy-duty magnetic tool called a StudPoP. "Drag this high-powered magnet on the wall until it pops, and then you know that there's a stud underneath," she says in the video.

Concerned that the magnet might find a metal pipe instead of a stud? Don't be. As Stardust explained to a commenter who asked about this: "The screw is in one isolated location; a pipe will be continuous."

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When you need a piece of painter's or masking tape, it's usually pretty easy to rip off what you need as you go, without disrupting your work. On the contrary, getting a piece of duct tape, electrical tape, or extra-strong products like Gorilla and T-Rex tape can be annoying and a hassle.

In this video, Stardust tests a viral hack for cutting tape without scissors that has been making the rounds in multiple TikTok videos posted over the past year. The method involves folding the end of the tape connected to the roll at a 90-degree angle, so that when you press the two sticky sides together, it forms a triangle. She then holds the triangle down with her thumb, pulls the amount of tape she wants over the edge of the roll, and pulls it off in a clean break.

Using this technique, she was able to successfully tear off pieces of each type of tape listed above. If you’d like to try it out yourself, it's a good idea to watch the video: This one needs visuals.

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By Chloe Malle

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Tim Nelson

Not all of Stardust's videos involve DIY hacks. Some, like this one, simply walk viewers through fixing something using a traditional method, as a way to demonstrate that basic DIY isn't as complicated as many people assume it is.

Here, Stardust breaks down what to do if your garbage disposal is making a loud, unusual grinding noise, starting with unplugging it underneath the sink. "Then you can look inside to see if there's anything stuck in the sides," she explains. "Then you can go underneath the garbage disposal and push the reset button." From there, she shows viewers how to use an Allen wrench and a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove the objects and any water stuck inside.

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Using the right tool for a job isn't a hack per se—unless you’ve unintentionally been using the wrong one all along. And, as Stardust gently points out, this is often the case with plungers; more specifically, that some are designed for sinks, while others exist to unclog toilets, and they’re not interchangeable. (Not that you’d want that type of cross-contamination anyway.)

In this video, Stardust shows viewers three different plungers meant for sinks, followed by two types she uses to tackle toilet troubles. "For round toilets, I recommend a flange plunger," she says. "For elongated toilets, I recommend a beehive plunger for the best suction."

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Most residential bathroom sinks are built into some type of cabinet or counter, made to resemble a piece of wooden furniture. Whether yours is made from pine or particle board, you’re going to want to protect the bottom of the unit from water damage.

Here, Stardust notes that while it's possible to purchase a mat designed specifically for this purpose, they usually cost between $30 and $45. A far more affordable version, she says, is a $5 entry mat with rubber on the bottom that you cut to size yourself. "If there's a leak or a spill, this will help prevent damage to the wood," she explains.

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This is another example of Stardust walking viewers through a repair that seems like it should be intimidating, but is relatively straightforward. Here, she's responding to a question from a TikTok user about why the water coming out of their bathtub faucet never gets hot, even though neither the shower nor the sink has this issue.

In this particular situation, Stardust determines that there's a problem with the tub's hot water stem, and guides viewers through the process of replacing one—starting with turning off the water to the bathroom to avoid a flood.

"Your tub has both a hot water handle and a cold water handle and underneath both of them is their own separate water stem," she explains. "You can remove a set screw on the handle to reveal the hot water stem. Once you get the hot water stem out, you’re good to go by putting a new one in."

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By Chloe Malle

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Tim Nelson

Turning on your sink only to find a trickle of water coming out of the faucet is frustrating, but in this video, Stardust guides viewers through two options for restoring your water pressure—while wearing an evening gown.

While there are multiple reasons why your sink's water pressure is low, Stardust suggests starting with the easiest fix: cleaning the faucet's aerator. After removing the aerator with a pair of adjustable pliers, she holds it up to the camera to show the calcium buildup coating it.

From there, she soaks the aerator in a jar of white vinegar for about 10 minutes. Though there isn't the kind of dramatic reveal typically seen in TikTok cleaning hacks, it doesn't matter: The short vinegar bath was enough to restore the sink's standard water pressure. If the aerator is too far gone, Stardust recommends purchasing and installing a new one.

Mercury Stardust's book, Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair (Penguin Random House) comes out on August 29, 2023, and is currently available for preorder.