Dealing With Monsoon Troubles At Home? These Tips Might Help!

The monsoon season is not the best time of the year for any of us because it brings with it a plethora of small and big problems. From mold and fungus to roof leaks and damp walls, this season is all about trying to keep the inside and outside of our home in a decent condition. There is also the added burden of maintaining the condition of our furniture, clothes, electrical items and so on, especially if we  live near the sea. 

But fret not, just a little bit of time and effort and some preventive measures can help all of us avoid the impact of the yearly downpour. Over the years, we’ve found some useful hacks and tips that have helped us deal with common household problems that come with the monsoon season. Take a look, they are sure to help you too!

1. Clothing Care

Although it goes without saying that clothes must be washed, dried and stored properly throughout the year, this is especially true for the monsoons. It may take a longer time to get your clothes to dry completely in the rainy season, but this is important to prevent them from smelling. The unpleasant odour that inevitably emanates from clothes during the monsoons can and must be prevented.

We realized that just washing clothes regularly during the monsoons is not enough. Also at times, excessive washing of clothes wears them out. So we were looking for a solution that would not only keep our clothes smelling great but also keep them soft.  This is what led us to discover a fabric conditioner, a product that is known for adding new life to clothes. 

When we first washed our clothes with Comfort Core fabric conditioner, we found a noticeable change in their appearance and odour. They ended up smelling great after a wash, that too for a longer time. Also, the label on Comfort Care reads that it forms a protective layer on the cloth fibre and prevents damage that can be caused due to  repeated washing. Another added benefit of Comfort Core fabric conditioner is its quick dry technology, which prevents the development of malodor in the clothes during monsoon. It promotes the deposition of quats (i.e. the active ingredients) on clothes, which leads to quick drying, even in monsoons.

How to Wash Clothes With a Fabric Conditioner

If we’re washing clothes by hand, we just pour half a cap of Comfort Core into a bucket of water after completing the detergent wash and soak the clothes for 5 minutes. After this, we remove and dry them, no rinsing required. 

For washing machines, we normally add a cap of Comfort Core during the wash cycle in the additive compartment of the machine. If your machine doesn’t have an additive compartment, then simply add the fabric conditioner to your last rinse. 

2. Storing Food

Chips and nuts losing their crispness, a layer of fungus on pickle bottles – all these are common kitchen woes during the monsoon. These are actually signs of moisture penetrating stored food during monsoon. What we’ve learnt over the years is that using airtight containers for storing food during the monsoons is really important. It may sound very basic, but this is something that can really prevent your food from getting fungus or going rot in the rains. 

Using tissue or blotting paper to store food products like biscuits, chips, etc. has also helped us to effectively keep out moisture and prevent sogginess. Blotting paper is a highly absorbent paper which is often used for blotting different substances to get rid of excess liquids. You can easily wrap your cookies, chips, cereal etc. in blotting paper during the monsoon to keep them fresh. Make sure they are stored in a dry aka air-tight container.

In our experience, sun-drying grains and flour before storing them also works. It helps get rid of not only the excess moisture, but also little food insects that may be present in them.

A common protocol followed in most homes is storing vegetables in newspapers. This is particularly useful during the monsoon to keep out the excess moisture and prevent rotting.

3. Furniture Care

During the monsoons, wooden furniture, finishes (cupboards, doors, railings, etc), and upholstery tend to get damaged due to moisture in the air. We’ve noticed that furniture pieces might even get musty and infested with fungus and termites. A simple hack that has worked for us over the years is moving chairs, beds and sofas away from damp windows and doors to prevent any contact with rain drops. 

Another wise idea is to use camphor balls, cloves or neem leaves in closets to prevent dampness. If you’re looking to prevent your wooden furniture from swelling up in the monsoon (due to the absorption of water), we recommend using a spray-on wax or oil on it. This hack has really worked for us, you should try it too!

4. Dealing with Insect infestation

The warm and humid environment during the rainy season is perfect for the breeding of insects and other pesky creatures, and we know how annoying they can be. Some of these insects also have the ability to ruin furniture, walls, etc., so we’ve found that it’s best to be watchful and take adequate precautions as necessary.  

We strongly suggest avoiding any stagnant water bodies at home during the monsoon– no buckets of water in bathrooms, open water coolers, etc. This helps in preventing the breeding of mosquitoes. Another idea that works for us is installing mosquito nets so that adequate ventilation is ensured while keeping mosquitoes out.

Keeping bathrooms clean and dry at all times and keeping drains covered also ensures protection from insect infestation.

5. Preventing Fungus and Mould on Walls

You’d be surprised to know that the gross, black-ish growth you sometimes see on walls during the monsoon could very well be a toxic fungus. It not only looks ugly, but has some dangerous side effects too. So, you need to do everything possible to prevent this growth from occurring and if it does occur, you could try a few solutions that have worked for us. One of them is to use bleach to remove mould from walls and tiles. Bleach is a helpful agent in killing organisms like mould. Another is scrubbing affected areas with a borax and vinegar solution. You might also consider repairing leaks in your kitchen and bathrooms and installing bathroom exhaust fans. This will help prevent the risk of damp walls during the monsoons.

Try these tips to  take care of your house and enjoy the monsoon season, free of all worries!