How to Best Maintain Your Home during the Monsoons

The monsoon reminds Rishika of the rainy, verdant childhood days spent listening to the rain pounding on the roof, the croaking frogs and mom’s delicacies in her stilt house. But that was Assam where life was structured around the rains. In her metro apartment though, monsoons mean a host of problems for her dream home. Although the first rains bring in memories and respite from the heat, she is praying for the rains to stop. Why?

The downpour has a tell-tale effect on our precious homes in the form of leakages, seepages, rusting, etc. Add to that the foul stench, excessive moisture and dampness, and an abundance of creepy crawlies everywhere. Suddenly, the rains don’t seem romantic anymore, do they?

Fret not! Here are some invaluable pieces of advice and working tips to maintain your home during monsoons and to keep your love for rains intact.

Prepare before the Monsoon Season

Once the rains come in, the water won’t stop for you to do any kind of repair. Any arrangement that you manage to do after the monsoons have arrived will be ‘damage control’ at best and the water will continue to affect the part of your home worsening the problem. Therefore, it is imperative for you to make your house monsoon ready. Here’s how you can do it:

• Find and repair all cracks and crevices in the walls and ceilings. Bloated paint surface is a sure sign of leaking pipelines. An exterior coat of waterproof paint can prevent water soaking and keep the walls dry.
• Check and clear the pipelines running along the walls of the house and the interior drainage system. Unclogging them can help eliminate foul odour as well as any chances of waterlogging or seepage.
• Clean all rooftop drains and rainwater pipes to keep them free of obstruction and to avoid water accumulation on the roof.
• Install window shades and inspect for gaps. Windy rains will often bring in water inside through gaps between frames, use waterproof caulking or putty to seal them.
• Use anti-corrosive paint to coat metal grills, windows, outdoor or garden furniture to prevent rusting.
• Cover all exposed electrical wiring in and around your home to prevent accidents.
• Use water-resistant glue or wax on your furniture to prevent swelling or absorption of moisture. Also, check out these nifty tips to keep your furniture and wooden items safe during monsoons.

These steps when taken in preparation before the monsoons arrive help your home bear the rains much better and also makes your life comfortable. Conducting a pre-monsoon check and maintenance schedule adds to your home’s longevity and is a contribution towards its upkeep.

Tips to Maintain Your Home during the Rains

The freshness of rains soon gives way to the damp and humid atmosphere. Now that you have prepared your home from the water havoc by maintaining your premises, it is time for some timely interventions to further reduce the chances of monsoon damage. Follow these simple tips to maintain your home during the monsoons:

• Use naphthalene or camphor balls in cupboards, drawers, wardrobes and other storage units to prevent moisture build-up.
• Keep a distance between walls and furniture to avoid the transfer of moisture.
• Prevent water from stagnating around your home, on balconies, etc. Use chlorine solution and bleaching agents to keep insects at bay.
• Roll up your carpets and rugs and use bamboo or cane mats instead. You can easily get them in any local store or you can also buy them online.
• Use disinfectants liberally in your daily cleaning rounds to keep your home clean from germs.
• Kitchen and bathroom need specialized cleaning attention and a good way is using steam cleaners that clean and disinfect simultaneously ensuring a germ-free environment.
• Install an air purifier and/or de-humidifier to keep dampness and musty odour away as they help in ventilating your home and keep it free of germs.
• Wooden elements in your homes like doors, windows, panelling, flooring, etc. are especially susceptible to termites. Use anti-termite products to keep the pests out.
• Use non-slippery and high-absorption doormats to keep the dirt out of your home.
• Use air fresheners to keep the stink of damp and humid weather away.
• Change your bed linen weekly, to keep them from getting musty.
• Drying clothes is a headache during the monsoons but do not spread damp clothes inside because that adds to the moisture and humidity within. Dry all clothes in the washing machine itself or invest in a spin dryer.
• Place a moisture absorber on your bookshelves to keep the books from getting damaged due to moisture.
• If you have indoor plants, transfer them to open spaces like balconies, window sills, etc. as they retain moisture and invite insects during monsoons. Regularly watch your balcony garden for any accumulation of insects.
• Place a rack or holder for umbrellas, raincoats and rain jackets near the entrance.

These small steps go a long way in keeping your home clean and protected. These tips will help you face all kinds of predictable as well as sudden problem situations that crop up during the monsoons. Why should your precious home suffer when there are ways to enjoy the rains without having to panic at the downpour?

These preps and tips to how best maintain your home during the monsoons will surely make the monsoons a pleasurable experience again. While your home stays clean and safe from all the potential monsoon related problems, you can go back to watching the rains and reminiscing good old days. In fact, once the home is securely maintained to face the rains, you can welcome the monsoons with complete peace of mind.