Tighten the packing nut on the toilet shutoff valve one-eighth turn clockwise to try to seal a leak around the nut. Pro tip: Wrap cloth or masking tape on the plier’s jaws to protect the nut’s finish.

Q. The water inlet valve that supplies cold water to our washing machine drips slowly, and water accumulates on the round handle. I see a hex nut at the base of the stem that connects the handle to ...