Suraksha
Torch and slippers under the bed
One torch and one pair of slippers in the same spot under the bed, always. Getting up in a night power cut with a broken glass or a snake in the room is exactly when you cannot find either.
Jugaads for “night”
11 resultsMausam
Newspaper under the bedsheet in winter
A layer of newspaper between the mattress and the bedsheet is a surprisingly effective insulator on a cold night in a house with no heating. It crackles when you turn over, which is the price.
Bijli
Wrap the cable the way it wants to go
Chargers fray at the neck because they get bent there every night. Loop the cable loosely over your hand rather than wrapping it tight around the adapter, and a spring from an old pen slipped over the neck stops the sharp bend altogether.
Paisa
Sabzi at the end of the market run
Vendors drop prices near closing rather than carry stock home. Perfect for anything you will cook that night. Not for a week's storage — that is why it is cheap.
Rasoi
Curd sets faster in a warm vessel
In winter, rinse the setting vessel with hot water first and wrap it in a towel inside a closed casserole. Milk that took all night sets in five hours. Do not disturb it while it sets — a shaken pot gives you watery dahi.
MausamCooler pump dead? Bucket and a mug
When the submersible pump in the desert cooler burns out, pour half a bucket of water directly over the khus pads every hour. Not elegant, but it gets you through the night until the electrician comes on Monday.
Rasoi
Curd instead of a marinade you do not have
Plain dahi with salt, haldi and whatever masala is in the house tenderises paneer, soya and vegetables as well as anything sold as a marinade. Half an hour is enough; overnight makes it mushy.
Ghar
Vinegar bag on the shower head
Tie a polythene bag of white vinegar around a shower head clogged with hard water and leave it overnight. The scale dissolves and the spray pattern comes back. Run it hot for a minute before you use it.
Rasoi
Lemon and salt for the copper vessel
Half a lemon dipped in salt, rubbed over a dull copper lota, brings the shine back in two minutes. Rinse well and dry immediately — a wet copper vessel spots overnight.
Rasoi
Ice tray for leftover ginger-garlic paste
Freeze the paste in an ice tray, then knock the cubes into a bag. One cube is roughly one meal, it keeps for months, and you stop throwing out a spoiled jar every fortnight.
Gaadi
Cardboard under the parked car
A flattened carton under the engine overnight tells you whether the car is leaking and what colour it is. Brown is engine oil, red is transmission, green is coolant, clear is just the AC and nothing to worry about.
That is all 11 of them. बस, इतना ही।