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We evaluate independently everything we recommend. If you make a purchase through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more › Before you ditch that temperamental toaster or give up on that beautiful antique lamp with the frayed cord, you may have a way to fix it for free.

Many communities have events called repair cafes, where teams of volunteer "fixers" can help diagnose the problems with your broken items and try to fix them. The repair shop where I live, in Buffalo, New York, hosts my local Tool Library, a non-profit organization that allows people to borrow tools instead of buying them.

Darren Cotton, executive director of The Tool Library, told me Buffalo's repair cafe has contained more than 5,000 pounds of waste since it opened in 2017, and in recent months has also saved visitors thousands of dollars in repair costs. Most of the time, "people go home with a perfectly working item," Cotton said.

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How To Find A Repair Café Near You

Not only can these events help you save money on repairs or replacements, but they also keep items from clothing to electronics out of landfills, reduce the amount of hazardous materials that end up in the environment, and reduce the emissions that come with manufacturing and shipping a brand new item.

Several experts have told us that the best way to shop more sustainably is to use what you already have as long as possible. Repair Cafe events usually happen once a month or so at libraries, schools or other community centers across the country. There's a good chance one will happen to you soon, too.

Here's how to find one and what to expect. You can find a local repair cafe by searching for that word along with the name of your city or by using the Repair Café International Foundation's map, although not all local cafes are affiliated with that group.

If you can't find one nearby, you can always start one.) Each cafe has a different list of things the volunteers are equipped to fix, so be sure to check the list before you go. The most frequently repaired items include lamps, vacuum cleaners, coffee makers and clocks.

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How To Find A Repair Café Near You

But garages can repair a wider range of items than you might expect. Volunteers at some events can repair laptops, printers, furniture, bicycles, knives, stand mixers, jewelry or even clothing. "When people hear 'repair,' they don't necessarily think of clothing," Cotton said. (We also have more advice on how to responsibly donate, recycle or reuse old clothes.) There's no guarantee you'll walk away with a good-as-new toaster.

Some items have better repair results (lamps and clogged vacuum cleaners have particularly high success rates, Cotton told me), and the Repair Café International Foundation's annual RepairMonitor statistics show that dull knives and scissors, worn clothes and bicycles also have higher-than-average repair rates. However, the Buffalo Repair Cafe reports that 75% of items brought in are repaired.

According to the 2022 RepairMonitor Report of Global Repair Cafes, approximately 61% of repairs were successful, 14% of people were sent home with advice and next steps, and 25% of items were not repaired. Most of these failed repairs were the result of requiring a spare part or special tool that the volunteers did not have on hand, but some things can be well and truly broken.

Also remember that many items are actually designed not to be repaired.) But even if you don't walk away with a good-as-new toaster, you can still get something invaluable out of the experience. "I'm definitely not a fixer," Cotton said. "But when I'm working with the volunteers, I feel more confident trying to fix things myself."

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Because volunteers do the repair for you and walk you through the process, you get a more intimate understanding of how your stuff works so you can do future repairs yourself. Besides, repair cafes are just fun. "Everybody is in such a good mood" at these events, Cotton said.

There's this sense of community and camaraderie, and everyone's learning and everyone's learning at the same time. It's more than just, 'Come and get your broken stuff fixed.' It's more about building community." Whether you're celebrating Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day, treat the special man in your life to one of these thoughtful gifts.

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