Repairing Almost Anything
Most broken household items fail in predictable ways: a jammed gear, a stripped screw, an oxidized contact, or a crushed washer. Learn the practical diagnostic habits and basic physical fixes that bring everyday devices, fixtures, and appliances back to life without expensive tools or service calls. Gain the confidence to inspect, disassemble, and repair items before throwing them away.
Like Duolingo, but for Repairing Almost Anything. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 11 levels across 2 sections, about 22 minutes end to end, roughly 4 days at five minutes a day. It moves through First Response: Triage and Mechanical Fixes and System Repairs: Restoring Flow and Power. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Repairing Almost Anything
- Testing the power source with a known-working item reveals whether the issue is inside or outside the dead device
- Changing one connection variable at a time keeps you from guessing which part actually caused the problem
- Most sticky mechanical parts are jammed by accumulated dust, grit, and hardened grease rather than worn-out teeth
- Adding fresh oil on top of accumulated dirt creates a thick paste that worsens the jam instead of freeing it
- A sudden, rubbery or hard stop indicates internal plastic or metal is bending or binding
- Forcing a mechanism past sudden resistance permanently snaps clips, stems, or teeth
- Taking a photo before removing each new layer records exact screw positions, orientations, and clip locations
- Visual records prevent mystery leftover screws and mismatched orientations during reassembly
- A driver bit that is even slightly too small or the wrong shape slips out under pressure, grinding away the screw head slots
- A properly matched driver bit seats fully into the recess without wobbling before you turn it
- Pushing down firmly while turning a snug bit prevents slipping
- Turning a screw backward with light pressure lets it ride along the opening until it drops into the start of the old thread path with a noticeable click
- Driving a screw straight forward into an existing soft hole often cuts a crooked new path that strips out easily
- Once seated in the original grooves, the screw turns smoothly inward without forcing
- A screw spins freely when the surrounding wood fibers have torn away, leaving an oversized hole
- Filling the void with glue-coated wooden toothpicks replaces the lost wood with dense, solid grain
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Repairing Almost Anything the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
When an electronic gadget will not turn on, why swap only one cord or plug at a time?
Get it right to open this lesson and 10 more in the app.
Where Repairing Almost Anything takes you
- 1
First Response: Triage and Mechanical Fixes
- Ten-Minute Triage for Dead or Jammed Items
- Tackling Loose, Stripped, and Stuck Fasteners
- 2
System Repairs: Restoring Flow and Power
- Stopping Leaks and Clearing Trapped Drains
- Reviving Dead Electrical Contacts and Cords
2 sections · 4 units · 11 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Repairing Almost Anything is taught in the Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
More Technology on Tomo
Everyday Home Maintenance
Take control of your living space with essential repair and upkeep skills. Learn to safely handle basic plumbing, electrical fixtures, climate systems, and structural fixes with confidence.
How Your Car Works and Why It Breaks
Learn what happens under the hood and how to spot mechanical trouble before you get stranded. Diagnose common engine, brake, and electrical issues and make informed fixes with confidence.
Automotive Mechanics and Diagnostics
Move beyond basic part replacement into systematic automotive diagnosis and mechanical repair. Learn how to pinpoint subtle engine faults, isolate electrical gremlins, and keep chassis, hydraulic, and thermal systems running safely.
Stop the Drip: Basic Pipe Repair
Don't panic when you see a puddle! Learn how to stop leaks immediately and fix common household plumbing issues using simple tools you already have.
The Flow of Power: Basic Circuits
Stop guessing and start building. Learn to direct the invisible force of electricity to power lights, motors, and your own inventions.
Everyday Mechanical Fixes
Learn why moving parts squeak, stick, slip, and strip—and how to diagnose and fix them. Build an intuitive feel for friction, fasteners, drive tension, and leverage in the physical objects around you.
Start Repairing Almost Anything today.
Download Tomo, search Repairing Almost Anything, and play your first lesson in under a minute.