5 more household chores that are easier with a 3D printer

Published Sep 12, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT Tim has been covering technology for almost 20 years, in that time spanning a broad range of topics from security to product reviews. He is especially focused on the Apple ecosystem, productivity, and consumer advice. Over the years Tim has written thousands of articles, reviews, and round-ups in addition to producing video content and original photography. A graduate of journalism, he found his footing as a freelancer with a laptop and loves how he is able to work from practically anywhere. Now a Senior Editor for iPhone, Mac, and Smart Home at How-To Geek, Tim still loves to write. He can also be found crafting round-ups and productivity posts for the Zapier blog. Earlier in his career Tim spent nearly a decade as a writer and eventually Apple section editor for MakeUseOf. Tim currently lives in Brisbane, Australia. Outside of work he loves to hike and work out, play video games, and spend quality time with his wonderful partner and two cats Inka and Roger. Finding novel uses for your 3D printer is one of the best ways to burn through a few rolls of filament, so I’m always on the lookout. Though these household hacks definitely fall into the “nice to have” category, anything that makes the boring jobs easier is worth a look. Making your bed This print keeps your sheets in place I once read that the simple act of making the bed every morning can have a big effect on your outlook for the rest of the day. There’s definitely something to be said about the productive feeling you get from completing a task as soon as you get up, and this print can help with that. There are a vast number of fitted sheet holders out there for printing (like this one, and this one). They use a two-part design which includes a holder and a sliding fastener which sits between the sheet and the holder. The idea here is to keep the sheet firmly in place, even if you’re thrashing all night long. It’s especially useful if your sheets are always popping off the corners of the bed while you sleep. You’ll still want to give the sheets a little tug at the sides and foot of the bed and sort out the top sheet or duvet, but you hopefully won’t need to awkwardly lift up the mattress any more. Washing bottles and glasses Add these to your drying rack Credit: fifindr / MakerWorld If you have a carbonated water system like a SodaStream or you use a lot of glass and other drinking bottles, you’ll know that the dishwasher isn’t always the right tool for the job. SodaStream explicitly states that you shouldn’t do this, while thin-necked bottles require the use of a brush and several rinses to get clean. Drying these can be a pain since they often fall over. Even jars and wide-necked glasses can test your patience, since drying them face-down doesn’t always allow for sufficient airflow. This can lead to an unpleasant, mildewy smell, and the answer is to print yourself a stackable bottle drying rack. This is just one of many designs, but the principle is always the same: elevate the bottle, glass, jar, or other vessel to enable airflow while stopping it from falling over. Print with PETG if you want it to last! Cleaning the ceiling fans This print’s a bit of a reach Credit: Fat Tony / MakerWorld I purchased big, stainless-steel ceiling fans when I moved into my current place, and they’re basically on for three of the four seasons. I love them, but I hate having to clean them. This is made worse by our cats, since cat fur has a habit of becoming airborne and getting lodged on the edge of the blade. Thankfully, help is available with the fan blade vacuum attachment. This is the second version of this model and is designed to fit Shark vacuums and any other model that uses a 1.3-inch attachment diameter. Though the author states that they are able to help with attachments, you’ll probably have better luck generating your own with the parametric vacuum adapter. Cleaning shower tiles and grout Turn your drill into a power scrubber Credit: Makidev / MakerWorld Cleaning grout is one of my least favorite household tasks, but I can’t deny that it needs to be done. The longer you leave the grout to discolor, the harder it becomes to clean in the long run. You can make life easier by buying a good grout cleaning spray, but it mostly comes down to elbow grease and how long you want to spend cleaning the bathroom. That’s where the Scrub Daddy combat suit comes in. Built around a brand of sponge that has a seemingly cult-like following, this attachment fits onto your drill and turns an ordinary cleaning accessory into a power tool that makes light work of stubborn grime. This should work on any drill or impact driver with a 0.5-inch adapter (you could even edit the model to suit your power tool of choice if you wanted to). All those small fixes you’ve been putting off Shims, plugs, and replacement parts Credit: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek I also consider small fixes to be household chores, since they tend to pile up, take a relatively short amount of time to deal with, and make a big difference once they’re done. Some of my favorite recent fixes include custom printed wall plugs to fix a wobbly hand crank, using 3D-printed shims to straighten doors that are out of plum, and printing replacement parts for household appliances that cost way too much. You should be wary of trying to 3D-print your way out of every problem, but sometimes the solution really is found at the end of a hotend. Looking for more ideas? Check out some household repairs that are easier with a 3D printer, as well as our last compilation of chores that are easier with a 3D printer.