Homeowner receives warning after attempting to make household repair with baking soda and superglue: 'I wouldn't trust it'

Repairing broken items instead of purchasing new ones is a great way to save some cash and help the planet. One Redditor may have taken things a bit too far, though, risking their safety for a broken tea kettle. 

Posted in the r/anticonsumption subreddit, the original poster shared photos of their handiwork.

"Repaired my kettle's broken handle with the baking soda + super glue trick," they wrote. 

In the comments section, one user asked for an explanation of the trick. 

Another user responded, "Mixing the two together creates a super strong quick drying paste that is extremely hard and useful for filling in gaps of material where the lines don't match perfectly."

The OP's photos show exactly that — pale glue filling gaps and bonding the broken handle back together. While this Redditor certainly has the right idea, severe burns could be in their future if that bond breaks while the kettle is full of boiling water. 

In general, practicing upcycling and repairing broken items can lead to major savings on regular expenses. A new kettle could cost anywhere from $25 to $135 while using a repaired one you already own — safely — is free. 

For the OP, it's probably time to thrift a new kettle. Buying secondhand is another way to cut down on expenses while also helping the environment. Any way we can reduce waste will keep clutter out of our landfills and lower pollution output.

It seems the OP's kettle can no longer be safely used, so the next best step is to find a responsible way to recycle or dispose of it. Many organizations will help you offload used household goods and clothing — some even offer cash or credit in exchange. 

What would you do if natural disasters were threatening your home? Move somewhere else 🌎 Reinforce my home 🏠 Nothing 🤷 This is happening already 😬 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Trashie and ThredUp provide rewards in exchange for used clothing and textiles. GotSneakers will take your old shoes and offer compensation in return for every pair. 

Other Redditors were quick to caution the OP about using the glued kettle. 

One user said, "I don't blame you for trying to fix this, but I wouldn't trust it."

Another user warned, "Burns on even a small amount of your body would involve much more waste than the kettle."

One Redditor said, "It's just not worth the risk."

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