Diwali Kitchen Cleaning Habits to Remove Cockroaches for Good
Apply a readymade anti-roach gel at your kitchen’s corners and entry points, and cockroaches can stop coming back for years — alongside a handful of everyday habits that keep your kitchen festival-clean without extra effort.
These are small, tried-and-tested tips I use in a real Indian kitchen every day. They touch cooking, cleaning, storage and pest control — exactly the things that matter most during Diwali cleaning, when you want the kitchen spotless and free of insects.
How do I get rid of cockroaches in my kitchen for good?
Even a very clean kitchen can attract cockroaches, so first check their entry points. If you still can’t control them, the method that works is a readymade gel called Hit Anti-Roach Gel, available at any general store and on Amazon for within 300 rupees.
It works like an injection-style tube: press from the back and the gel comes out. You don’t finish it in one go — it keeps for a whole year, doesn’t dry out, and has no odour. Apply it this way:
- Identify where cockroaches and small insects enter — mainly under the sink and from the drainage.
- Put a little gel at those spots, in corners and at joints. There’s no need to apply it across the middle, only in corners.
- In a modular kitchen, treat the many hidden spaces too, since cockroaches hide there.
- If you apply it where you keep things, lay a paper napkin or newspaper over it so cutlery and utensils never touch it directly.
- Keep it away from children, don’t touch it yourself, and if it gets on your hands, wash them well.
It’s effective for cockroaches and small insects, but not for lizards — for those, a net on windows or doors is what keeps them away. Done once, this gel kept my home cockroach-free for 8 to 9 years, with not even any droppings left behind. Use it in the kitchen, the store room, anywhere you see them.
How can I save gas and stop food burning while cooking?
Most food burns at the start because the empty pan overheats while you fetch ingredients after lighting the gas. Reverse the order instead.
Bring out everything you need — from the countertop, the fridge, the cabinet — and set it to one side first. Only then light the gas and put the pan on. This saves gas and stops oil and tempering spices like jeera and mustard seeds from burning the moment they go in. Always cook with a cover on: food cooks faster, uses less gas and takes less time. Using a cooker with its stacking containers lets several things cook together at once, which saves time and keeps fewer utensils out. And after cooking, return every ingredient to its proper place so the countertop stays clean and tidy.
Can I reuse leftover frying oil safely?
After deep-frying, a lot of oil is left behind, and you can reuse it if you strain it first. Place a thin napkin in the strainer so all the fried debris is filtered out, leaving completely clear oil for your other cooking. Store it in a small bottle — keeping a few small bottles on hand is useful for exactly this — but use it up soon rather than storing it for many days.
How do I use a dishwasher without wetting the floor?
Many people avoid a dishwasher thinking loading and unloading is a hassle, but a simple system removes the problem. Keep a tub beside the sink instead of letting atta-smeared and dirty vessels pile up.
- As utensils come out through the day, rinse each one and drop it in the tub — no soap needed.
- For tea and milk vessels that stick at the bottom, give a light brush before loading; the rest only need rinsing.
- When the tub holds a full dishwasher’s worth, load it all at once.
- Wash and put away the tub, so its dirty water never collects on the countertop.
A tub is used here rather than a colander, because the water from dirty utensils would otherwise drip onto the counter. With the tub, no water drips on the floor, the sink never looks full of dirty vessels, and the counter stays clean.
What’s the easiest way to keep counter jars and bottles clean?
Oil bottles and masala boxes pick up fingerprints and food, especially glass ones. Make it a habit to wipe each container during your final counter cleaning after cooking. Jars that aren’t very dirty need only a dry cloth; a bottle with atta and hand stains gets a clean wet cloth followed by a clean dry one. Always use a clean cloth, or you’ll only make things dirtier. Done after every session, this keeps every bottle and jar on the counter clean, with no separate cleaning time needed.
How can I organise small items so the house stays neat?
Small things like hair bands, scrunchies and clips end up scattered, making a home look messy and vanishing when you need them. Small stick-on holders with double tape fix this — stick them inside a wardrobe or on a dressing table and hang light items like scrunchies, clips or light-weight necklaces. Avoid heavy items, which can pull the adhesive off. One such organiser costs around 200 rupees and holds plenty.
A few more storage fixes:
- Stand plates vertically inside a sturdy cardboard box in the cabinet instead of stacking them flat — the box supports them so they don’t slip, and you free up a lot of space.
- In the bathroom, hang brooms, mops and the water squeegee on small hooks — behind the door if you want them hidden — so they dry quickly and don’t smell in the rainy season.
How do I stop steel utensils from burning with milk?
Stainless steel is great for cooking, but it burns at the bottom when you boil milk or make tea or coffee. Add a little water to the vessel first, then make your tea or coffee. Whatever little sticks releases after 10 to 15 minutes of soaking and a light scrub. Skip the water and the bottom burns so badly the shine is nearly impossible to restore.
Should I leave batteries inside devices I rarely use?
No — take batteries out of items you don’t use often, or keep them loose and insert them only when needed. Leaving them inside unused battery-operated devices wastes the batteries and spoils them faster.
📺 About this video. This post draws on Jasmine Choudhari’s YouTube video Remove All Cockroaches From Home In This Diwali Cleaning | घर किचन की ये Habits इस त्यौहार काम आएगी. Watch the full video for visual demonstrations of every tip.
Watch the video
Frequently asked questions
How can I remove cockroaches from my kitchen for a long time?
Apply a readymade anti-roach gel at the cockroaches' entry points and corners, and they stop coming back for years. I used Hit Anti-Roach Gel around the sink, under the sink, and near the drainage 8 to 9 years ago, and not a single cockroach has returned since. You only need a little in the corners, not across the middle.
Where should I apply anti-roach gel in the kitchen?
Apply it only at corners, joints, under the sink and near the drainage, where cockroaches actually enter. A modular kitchen has many hidden spaces, so treat those too. If you apply it on a surface where you keep things, lay a paper napkin or newspaper over it first so cutlery and utensils never touch the gel directly.
Why does my food burn as soon as I start cooking?
It usually burns because the empty pan overheats while you turn on the gas before getting your ingredients ready. Instead, bring out everything you need onto the countertop first, then light the gas and put the pan on. This stops oil and tempering spices like jeera from burning instantly, and saves gas from being wasted.
Can I reuse leftover oil after deep-frying?
Yes, strain the leftover oil before reusing it and you get clear oil fit for other cooking. Place a thin napkin in the strainer so all the fried debris is filtered out. Store it in a small bottle, but use it up as soon as possible rather than keeping it for many days.
Is a dishwasher hard to load and use daily?
No, a dishwasher is easy once you follow a simple system. Keep a tub beside the sink and rinse each used utensil into it through the day, so dirty utensils never pile up in the sink and no water drips on the floor. Only tea and milk vessels need a light brush at the bottom; the rest just need rinsing before loading.
How do I stop steel utensils from burning when I boil milk or make tea?
Add a little water to the steel vessel before boiling milk or making tea or coffee, and the food won't stick badly. Whatever little does stick comes off after soaking in water for 10 to 15 minutes and a light scrub. Without the water first, the bottom burns hard and the shine is very difficult to restore.
How do I keep oil bottles and masala boxes on the counter from getting sticky?
Wipe each bottle and masala box during your final counter cleaning, right after cooking. Containers that aren't very dirty need only a dry cloth; ones with atta or hand stains need a clean wet cloth followed by a dry one. Doing this after every session keeps counter jars always clean without setting aside separate cleaning time.
Should I take batteries out of devices I rarely use?
Yes, keep batteries out of items you don't use often and insert them only when needed. Leaving batteries inside unused battery-operated devices wastes them and makes them spoil faster. Store the loose batteries aside and put them in at the moment you actually want to use the item.
About Jasmine Choudhari
Jasmine Choudhari shares practical, no-frills ideas for organising small Indian kitchens and homes. Follow her on YouTube (600K+ subscribers · Silver Play Button), Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. For collaborations: collab@jasminechoudhari.com.