Monsoon Home Cleaning & Care Tips

Oh, how we welcome the first showers of rain after the scorching months of summer! But soon the romance of the showers gives way to dampness, mosquitoes and flies. A few changes to your house cleaning routine and some extra care will help you keep your home healthy and clean during the wet months of the Indian rainy season. Here are some of my monsoon home cleaning tips, gathered over the years from my mom, various magazines and internet sources.

Disinfect the Surfaces

I use ‘Lizol‘ throughout the year, but even more so, during monsoon. It is an important part of my monsoon home cleaning. Wipe all your surfaces with a good disinfectant to keep flies away. This includes floors, tables, furniture, appliances etc. You can also add a cap-full of antiseptic liquid like Dettol or even vinegar to a mug of water to do this. This single step can eliminate many health risks during the rainy season and is a crucial step towards hygiene.

Keep Furniture Dry

Try to ventilate the furniture as much as possible. Allow air to circulate by moving in the furniture that touches the walls. If the walls are damp, this could spoil your furniture. Make sure that the clothes are completely dry before keeping them in wooden wardrobes. Or else, they will add to the moisture.

Leather Sofas are prone to spoil during rains as during extremely hot temperatures. Wipe clean your sofa and clean up any spills immediately.

Keep the Kitchen Clean and Dry

The kitchen is the most important room to take care of, during monsoon. It can get damp very quickly. To keep it clean, use a disinfectant to wipe all surfaces. Other than keeping all foodstuff covered, make sure to cover pots and pans too, while cooking. This will allow less moisture to escape and further dampen the walls and the ceiling.

Keep Bathrooms Clean and Dry

Although we religiously clean the toilets, the bathrooms are often neglected. Take extra care to keep bathrooms clean and dry. These are the places where the dampness sets in the quickest. Clean bathroom tiles using a bathroom cleaner. Take steps to ensure that the bathroom dries quickly. You need a lot of ventilation in the bathroom. If it is raining and you cannot keep the ventilator open, try leaving the door open for a while to let the bathroom floor and walls dry quickly. Do not do this for too long as the dampness could enter the other rooms from your bathroom. If and when possible, try to ventilate. If your bathroom walls are tiles, wipe them down after a bath.

Eliminate the Smells

The damp and musty smell caused by wet walls and still-wet clothes is extremely unpleasant. Use a fresh fragrance to liven things up. Use a new fragrance for your toilet cleaner and use reed diffusers in rooms for a pleasant smell.

Keep Clothes Safe

Drying clothes is already a big issue during the wet months. Add to it the terrors of mold and mildew in damp closets. If your wooden wardrobe feels damp, remove expensive clothes from it. Alternatively, put a layer of waterproof material like plastic or flex to keep the mildew from getting to your clothes. You can also keep the clothes in plastic cases and then store in closets.

Re-Stock Your Entryway

If you have a place near the entry of your house, such as a mudroom or even a bench or wall hooks, use it to keep the soil out. Stock it with umbrellas, extra shoes, towels and cloths to dry oneself. This will ensure that dampness and mu do not enter your home. Whoever comes in, can stop, change their shoes, dry themselves off, before coming in.

Remove Heavy Upholstery

Heavy curtains and expensive carpets etc. can be spoiled in the damp climate. It will be best if you remove them and roll them away for the season. Use lightweight and weatherproof materials temporarily.