Ghar
Two-minute door hinge fix
A creaking hinge does not need WD-40. A drop of any cooking oil on the pin, then swing the door ten times to work it in. Wipe the run-off or it collects dust and blackens the frame.
Jugaads for “fix”
9 results
PaisaSafety pin for a broken chappal
Strap popped out of the sole mid-market? Push a safety pin through the strap and the base and clip it underneath. Gets you home, and honestly some people never fix it properly after that.
Rasoi
Chawal jal gaya? Pyaaz kaat ke rakh do
Jale chawal ko doosre bartan mein palto — jala hissa neeche chhod do. Upar ek kati pyaaz rakh ke dhak do, das minute mein jali boo kaafi kam ho jaati hai.
Rasoi
Namak zyada ho gaya? Aloo daal do
Do moti aloo ki phaanken sabzi mein daal ke das minute pakao, phir nikaal do. Namak kaafi kam ho jaata hai. Gravy hai to ek chammach dahi ya besan bhi chalta hai.
Rasoi
Save the aloo, add raw potato to salty curry
Over-salted the sabzi? Drop in two thick raw potato slices and simmer ten minutes, then remove them. They pull out a surprising amount of salt. A spoon of curd or besan works on gravies too.
GharChappal under the wobbly table leg
Fold a rubber slipper, cut it to thickness, wedge it under the short leg. It grips the floor better than folded paper and does not compress over time. The most-deployed jugaad in India.
Mausam
Tape the window gap with foam
Self-adhesive foam strip along the window frame gap stops the cold draught that no amount of blankets fixes. Same strip keeps dust out in summer, so leave it on year round.
Ghar
Cardboard behind the switchboard photo frame
A frame that will not sit straight usually has an uneven wall behind it. Stick a folded bit of cardboard to the low corner on the back of the frame. It stays level and the fix is invisible.
Ghar
Toothpaste on a scratched screen? No — use it on the wall
White toothpaste on a dry cloth lifts pencil, crayon and scuff marks off a painted wall without taking the paint with it. Test one corner first on a dark wall. It does not fix scratched screens, whatever the internet says.
That is all 9 of them. बस, इतना ही।