After the sweltering heat of the summers, the pitter-patter of the falling raindrops can be quite a relief as we welcome the monsoons with song in our hearts. But with this image, rains also tend to bring a fear of having musty odours, damp interiors, and leakages in the house. While we may love the smell of the damp earth during monsoons, we certainly don’t like the mud to be in our houses!
So, read ahead as we give you some simple tricks to drive away these dark vestiges of the rainy season from your home. These monsoon tips for your home will work well to give you a rain-proofed and comfy abode. Here, you can pleasantly sit near the windowsill with a cup of coffee in hand looking out at the dark grey clouds and the greenery carpeted world outside.
Ready Your Entryway
Your entrance is where the dirt and muddy water will collect, and this is where you must prepare your battleground to ensure that it doesn’t enter your home! A simple hack is to purchase good quality dirt-trapping doormats. These will absorb all the dirt and soak up the water from your shoes, keeping your entryway fresh and dry. Ensure to choose these textured mats in dark colours as they will camouflage the dirt.
To further dry your footwear faster, it’s better to have an open shoe rack instead of a closed cabinet. This prevents the growth of mould as well as ensures that there is no lingering dank odour at the entrance.
P.S. Aside from these, an umbrella stand is a must-have near the doorway! You could also opt for a coat rack or even a colourful basket for the same.
Take Care of Your Home Furnishings
During the monsoons, wood tends to expand and may change the shape of your furniture. To protect your wooden pieces from swelling, it’s advisable to apply a coat of varnish on them to seal their surface before the onset of the rains.
But if you missed doing so, you can move the furniture away from damp walls and windows. Ideally, we recommend that you keep a gap of 6 inches between the wall and the furniture. If they do get some rainwater on them, wipe the furniture immediately with a dry cloth instead of a damp one. As for the cupboards, simply place camphor balls or silica packets inside to prevent mould from setting in the interiors and ruining your clothes.
P.S. Do remember to repaint your balcony grills and railings to protect them from rusting during the monsoon.
Switch to Lighter, Easy-Dry Fabrics
Heavy fabrics such as thick rugs and drapes are a no-go during monsoons. This is because dirt from the feet and mildew in the moist air can easily coagulate on your expensive rugs. A monsoon tip for the home is to simply roll such rugs and store them in a safe place for the season. Instead, you can place a thin, easy dry cloth rug in your living room that will still give an aesthetic and fun look to your place.
As for the heavy drapes made from velvet or cotton, these tend to trap musty smells and thus further infuse a darker miasma into your home when it rains. Instead, you can swap them for light sheer or white lace curtains. These fabrics will bring in diffused sunlight in your spaces as well as give an airy feel to your space during the monsoon.
P.S. To drive those dull rainy moods away from the house, you can bring out your brightly hued upholstery and give a vibrant makeover to your living spaces!
Relocate the Plants
Indoor plants bring greenery and more oxygen into your home, but they also require constant care along with the right amount of water and sunlight. During the monsoon, these plants can add to the moisture content in the air, promote insect breeding in the house, and even cause a lot of mud spills in your living spaces. This is why it is essential to move the plants as per convenience.
If you own a garden on your balcony, move the plants that require less water indoors to prevent them from dying out due to excess rain. On the other hand, plants that are prone to earthworms can be moved out from the house and instead be kept on the balcony or the terrace. In this way, the earthworms will aerate the soil well to nourish your plant, and this process can happen far away from your living spaces.
P.S. Do apply fungicide or pesticide once a week to your indoor plants, to avoid pests during the rains!
Get Rid of Unpleasant Odours
Try homemade remedies such as vinegar, lemongrass oil, or even a mixture of baking soda and rock salt to rid your home of rancid odours. Add neem leaves between your clothes, as they will prevent the growth of fungus as well as bad odours. If nothing else, simply stock up on scented candles and potpourri as their sweet aromas will not only drive the foul odours away but also raise your spirits!
For a healing and rejuvenating effect, you can even try aromatherapy at home. Simply add an essential oil such as lavender, jasmine, eucalyptus, tea tree etc to the diffuser and wait for the magic to happen! In a while, their pleasant fragrance will replace the musty odours, and wake you up from your monsoon blues.
At Ashwin Sheth Group, we hope these tips help you prep your home well for the coming monsoon. These simple hacks will ensure that you are not constantly frustrated by the amount of mud or dirty water in the home. Instead, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the rainy weather with complete satisfaction right at home!
And if you are looking to get inspired and want to spruce up your home decor for the rainy season, head over to our article on 5 amazing monsoon flat decoration ideas
