Don’t Trash It—Fix It!

In the second half of the 20th Century, with the acceleration of consumer culture, it became more commonplace for Americans to throw away broken household and personal items rather than repairing them. Not only is this an issue of cutting into the household budget, but it also wastes resources and results in appliances, electronics, and clothing taking up space in a landfill.

And yet, many of us do not know how to repair basic items—or we lack the confidence. Walter Mulbry from the Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library is trying to fix that problem here in Takoma Park through Fix-It clinics, which have been held at the city library throughout the spring and summer. Bolstered by an army of handy volunteers, Mulbry has been staging these free clinics about once a month, based on the availability of his cohort.

“The idea is [people] not just bringing in stuff and dropping it off,” says Mulbry. “They could take it to repair shop. The idea is actually to show them how to do things—so they become fixers themselves. You show ‘em how to repair a lamp so they can repair the next lamp. Once you’ve replaced cords or switches or plugs, you’re like, ‘okay, yeah, no big deal.’”

“Now, indeed, it’s a continuum.” Says Mulbry.

The assembled volunteers walk in with a variety of fi xing expertise, including the ability to work on electronics like stereo systems and computers, small appliances, lamps, bicycles, and furniture. The library has a phalanx of sewing machines and skilled tailors who can help repair clothing and other cloth items, while showing the owner how to make such repairs themselves. Even knives and lawn mower blades can be sharpened.

Martha Peterson came to the July Fix-It Clinic with a lamp and two transistor radios. She is pleased that within an hour, all three were back in service.

“And the quality of the sound is good,” says Peterson. “You can’t beat it—better than a lot of these little radios you get now.”

Tanya DeKona brought in a fan to be repaired. Known as the Green Elf of Takoma Park, Tanya is adept at repairing mechanical things, generally, but was stymied by the fan, which she and volunteer Lars Leonard repaired on the spot. The speed settings on the fan did not work, so the two of them took the speed mechanism apart and cleaned it and it then worked fine.

“Sometimes something just needs to be cleaned,” remarked Leonard as he hit a little service bell, which indicates that a repair has been completed and the appliance has earned its wings.

As the Takoma Park Green Elf, DeKona volunteers as a reuse coordinator, Montgomery County recycling educator, and trash team member of several organizations, including Friends of Sligo Creek.

“So many things are simple to repair.” Says DeKona. Recycling, in my opinion, should be your last resort. Reuse something ‘til it’s dead.

“That was something my father and I did habitually. It was very exciting that I was able to observe and then he would always instruct and explain what he was doing and then give me a chance to then engage by turning the screws or whatever it was.”

“I don’t know if I call myself a great fixer,” says Leonard, who is 17. “I think it’s mostly just the compilation of years of random projects, finding free things and taking them apart, seeing if I can get them back together. Just fixing stuff that I need to work but don’t want to pay someone else to fix. So, yeah, just years of experience, no specific training.”

Anne LeVeque, the Computer Center instructional associate at the library, helps patrons with sewing issues. She says that the library is a natural place for the Fix-It Clinic.

“A library is a community center, a third place, which means a place that’s not work, that’s not home,” says LeVeque. “And it’s also a place where you don’t have to pay for things. And so all of this is provided absolutely free, and we are also trying to help people learn how to do the repairs themselves.”

“It’s part of this whole ethos of making things, mending things, et cetera. It’s a type of frugality that’s not stinginess, but not being wasteful. And the folks who know how to fix things and know how to build things are going to do better [during an emergency]. It’s good to have these sorts of skills.”

LeVeque says that there are simple things, like hemming a pair of pants, that most people can do. And the sewing machines at the library make it possible for those who don’t own a machine.

“One of the things that does have to happen is that people do have to register for this,” says LeVeque. “You can’t just walk in with a broken appliance and say, ‘Oh, hey, can somebody fi x this, we do provide links and email addresses and stuff like that for people to communicate with the organizers and say what they need to have fixed and to pick out a time slot and that sort of thing. That way we’re not inundated with here in the sewing corner with 15 people who need those pants hemmed right away.”

Ahead of a Fix-It clinic, people can sign up online at SignUpGenius.com, with information about the item that they are bringing in. At times, another part is needed, so the Fix-It volunteer will help their client order a part and come back to the next clinic. Information about the Fix-It clinics is announced on the Friends of Takoma Park Maryland Library website: ftpml.org.

Community members can sign up for the Friends newsletter, which will announce the date and time ahead of the clinic. In addition, the monthly Takoma Park Newsletter will announce the dates on the library page.

Mulbry says that he and his volunteers plan to hold a clinic every month throughout the balance of the year. The third Saturday of October (October 19) is International Repair Day, and Mulbry does plan to hold a clinic on that date.

“Fixing things in general is terribly frustrating,” says Mulbry. “The first time you do it, you’re just like, ‘Oh my God, I have the wrong tool.’ Or ‘Oh, how do you do this?’ And then you’re like, ‘Oh, gee, I don’t want anybody else to go through that.’ Let’s share that knowledge.

The next Fix-It Clinic will be on Sunday, August 25, 2–4 p.m. To sign up for a slot, visit tinyurl.com/yvykumps. You can also email any questions to Fixittakoma@gmail.com.