QUESTION: I have a door that insists on swinging open. How can I tighten the hinge pin so the door will stay in a position?

ANSWER: Because the door is not hung vertically, it can move when it shouldn't. There are two ways to fix it. One is the right way, the other is the dirty way. The right way is to remove one leaf of the bottom hinge and insert a cardboard shim, then put the hinge back in place. Of course, you want to make sure all hinges are tight first. This should work, but it may take a few trials and errors to make sure the proper hinge leaf is brought out.

The dirty way is short. Remove a hinge pin, lay it on a hard surface and give it a whack with a hammer. This will bend it slightly so that it will be tight in the hinge barrel holes when you reinsert it. You can do this with one or more of the hinge pins. The tight pin will keep the door from moving by itself. You may get a horrendous squeak from those tight pins, but you can quiet them with a little WD-40 dry lube.

QUESTION: Every year my wife puts out a few pumpkins for Halloween. This year, squirrels ate their way through several to get to the seeds. It's a bit messy. How can we avoid this next year, short of not putting pumpkins out? I tried using curry powder, and the critters rubbed their faces a lot, but it did not deter them.ANSWER: Try cayenne instead, but be careful; inhaling it can cause severe shock. And as odious as it may seem, put out plastic pumpkins next year. The new ones are satisfactorily realistic, and it is a good way to get back at the bushy-tailed rats.

QUESTION: How can I clean fiberglass shower stalls of a buildup of soap, scum, and a ton of other things? I have tried Scrub Free and Clean Shower with little success. Also, I was told to use a special paint in the bathroom ceiling that turned gray with mold, to keep away any future mold. Is that special paint Kilz, or what?ANSWER: One of the strongest cleaning agents I know of is KRC-7, sold in plumbing supply shops. It is very strong and you must use lots of ventilation when working with it. After cleaning the wall with the KRC-7, use the Clean Shower daily.Before using any kind of paint on your bathroom ceiling, wash it with a mix of one part household bleach and three parts water. Wear skin and eye protection when working with bleach. I know that is a cliche but it must be said. Rinse and let dry before applying paint. The specific paint is Zinsser's Super White latex indoor paint. It is mold-resistant. A better way to keep mold away is to eliminate water vapor, best done with a fan exhausting to the outdoors.

QUESTION: My toilet is 25 years old and sometimes flushes well, other times just whirls around and nothing goes down. What is wrong and how can I fix it?A. It sounds as if the toilet has a partial blockage. You can start by biting the bullet and reaching into the toilet to see if there is a wayward comb or something else down there. Also, clean out the small holes under the lip of the bowl with a coat hanger wire. Then put a cup of bleach in the tank and flush; this will help clean out those lip holes. If none of these tricks works, have a plumber clear the toilet trap and the drain under it. Another cause can be a blocked or partially blocked soil stack, which a plumber can clean out if necessary. This is probably not the cause because if the stack were blocked, other drains would be affected.No success? A plumber can lift the toilet and make sure the toilet trap is clear, as well as the drain below the floor.Still no luck? Buy a new low-flow toilet. The current batch of low-flows is very good.Handyman Peter Hotton is available 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions on house repair. Call 617-929-2930. Hotton also chats online about house matters 2-3 p.m. Thursdays. Go to www.Boston.com. Hotton's e-mail is photton@globe.com.The Boston Globe