GharToothpaste over a nail hole
Moving out and the wall has picture nails all over it? White toothpaste, pressed in with a finger and wiped flat, fills small holes convincingly on white walls. Let it dry fully before the landlord walks in.
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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.
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.
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.
Ghar
Store bedsheets inside their own pillowcase
Fold the sheet and both covers, then slide the whole set into one of its own pillowcases. The almirah stops being a landslide and you never hunt for the matching pillow cover again.
GharRubber band on a stripped screw
Screw head gone round and the screwdriver just spins? Lay a wide rubber band flat over the head, press the screwdriver into it hard, and turn slowly. The rubber fills the chewed grooves and gives the bit something to bite.
Ghar
Rubber band around the paint tin
Stretch a wide rubber band across the mouth of the paint tin and wipe the brush on the band instead of the rim. The rim stays clean, the lid seals properly, and the tin does not glue itself shut.
Ghar
Nail polish on a loose screw
A screw that keeps working loose in a handle or hinge: pull it, put a drop of clear nail polish in the hole, and drive it back before the polish sets. Holds for months, and comes out again when you need it to.
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Ice cube on a carpet dent
Where a sofa leg has crushed the carpet, sit an ice cube in the dent and let it melt fully. As the fibres take up water they stand back up. Blot dry and brush with your fingers.
Ghar
Hair clip as a cable tie
A bobby pin or a stationery clip holds a coiled charging cable better than the twist tie it came with. Clip one to the edge of the table and thread the cable through so it never falls behind the desk again.
GharBalcony rope pulley for deliveries
A rope and a cloth bag lowered from the third-floor balcony collects milk, vegetables and post without four flights of stairs. Standard equipment in Kolkata and Mumbai chawls for decades.
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Wet cloth on the mosquito net frame
Wipe a window mesh with a barely damp cloth wrapped around a butter knife. It gets into the frame corner where dust cakes and the mesh does not stretch out of shape.
Ghar
Turn the mattress every Diwali
Rotate the mattress end to end twice a year and pick a date you will actually remember. It stops the hollow forming where you sleep, and a mattress lasts years longer for two minutes of work.
Ghar
Talcum powder into a squeaky floorboard
Work talcum powder into the joint of a squeaking wooden floorboard with a dry brush and sweep off the rest. It stops the two edges rubbing. Lasts a few months, then repeat.
Ghar
Soap on a sticking zip
Rub a dry bar of soap or a candle stub along the teeth of a stiff zip, both sides, and work it slowly. Do not force it — a zip that has jumped its track needs the slider eased back, not pulled harder.
Ghar
Old toothbrush for tap and tile joints
Keep one retired toothbrush per bathroom. Nothing else reaches the ring where the tap meets the basin or the grout between tiles. Mark it so it never goes back near a mouth.
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Old sock over the broom for the fan
Pull a long sock over a broom handle, slide it along each fan blade and pull back. The dust comes off inside the sock instead of onto the bed. Turn the sock inside out over the bin.
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Doormat on both sides of the door
One mat outside catches the grit, one inside catches what the first one missed. Two cheap mats cut how often you mop more than any single expensive one.
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.
Ghar
Chalk in the almirah against damp
A bundle of chalk sticks tied in a thin cloth, hung inside the almirah, holds back the monsoon smell in clothes. Replace when the sticks feel soft. Silica packets from shoeboxes do the same job.
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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.
GharCandle wax on a sticky drawer
Rub a plain candle along the wooden runners of a jammed drawer or window. The wax fills the rough grain and the drawer glides. Better than oil, which just collects dust and turns into paste.
Ghar
Bucket under the leak, cloth in the bucket
A ceiling drip into an empty bucket keeps the whole house awake. Put a folded cloth or a sponge at the bottom and the noise stops immediately. Wring it out when you empty the bucket.
Ghar
Baking soda in the dustbin
A spoon of baking soda in the bottom of the bin, under the liner, kills the smell that hits you when you open the lid. Refresh it when you change the bag.
That is all 24 of them. बस, इतना ही।