Tooth picks, yeah wooden tooth picks! Besides, getting gunky stuff out of tiny cracks in hardware safely without scratching, wood tooth picks have other non-dental uses. Hubby uses them to repair worn out holes in wood. You know when that screw just doesn’t seem to tighten up? Or that screw seems to always back out of that door hinge?
Try this next time. Before you replace that loose screw, stuff one, or more, wooden tooth picks in the hole with wood glue. Let it dry. Then break the tooth picks off flush and install the screw back in. This trick also allows a “do-over” if a screw has been mistakenly installed off center in something; for example, a hinge.
This is a really old trick but it is a good one that take little skill to master and can save some real $$$ or hassle.
I feel kinda silly but here is your photo of a tooth pick just in case you don’t know what I’m talking about. 😉
…..And yes, the colored one work just fine.
the nut house co. 
Lorin that is such a smart idea. That sometimes happens to me when the hole is just too big and the screw is not happy to stay put. Thanks for that!
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