how do i mend a dripping tap?

i have two dripping taps, how do i go about stopping them dripping?
Alexis Gegepo, January 2004


done
If these are the two old twist knob style faucets then turn off the water at the main (or if you're lucky under the sink); take off the knobs; unscrew the top of the valve; twist out the valve stem (keep track of the number of turns for later); replace the rubber seal on the bottom; replace the two rubber "O" rings on the stem; gently (so as not to scratch the "O" rings) insert the valve stem back in the same number of turns; snuggly tighten the top and reinstall the knobs; turn the water on. When I do this I often have to replace the on/off valves under the sink because they end up leaking when I turn them back on since they are so old.

Kep, April 2004