16 Kitchen Hacks Before Diwali: Cleaning & Organisation Tips
Most small kitchen troubles have simple, low-cost fixes already sitting in your home — old towels, an old cup, a toothbrush, and a few cheap buys can solve them before Diwali.
What is the cheapest way to clean spills on my kitchen counter?
Liquid spills — milk, oil, water, or curry — are a daily problem, and paper napkins are a poor answer. One napkin won’t lift a milk spill; you end up using three or four, which quietly raises your kitchen cleaning costs.
Switch to an old towel instead. We usually throw old towels away thinking they’re useless in the kitchen, but their soaking power clears a spill in a single wipe — on the countertop, on any surface, even on the floor. Where four or five napkins get wasted, one towel does the job.
For spills right beside the sink, keep a small wiper. Add a little water, wipe, and the counter is clean — no duster, cloth, or napkin needed. This also stops the smell that milk or malai leaves behind, and it keeps your cloths from getting spoiled.
How do I store towels in less space?
Stacking folded towels flat wastes space. Two better methods free up room and let you fit far more in one box:
- Make small folds and stand each towel vertically — storing anything upright saves considerable space.
- For even tighter packing, do one or two folds and then roll each towel into a small roll.
Use these for bathroom, hand, and kitchen towels alike. A transparent box is ideal because you can see what’s inside, but any old carton or delivery box works just as well.
How should I store odd kitchen bits I can’t throw away?
Every kitchen collects things you can’t throw out but have nowhere to keep — and the moment you discard them, you need them again. The simplest fix is to take one big box and dump them all in. It keeps the clutter out of sight, and whatever turns out useful later is easy to pull back out.
For the small essentials you actually reach for — little brushes, permanent markers, candles for birthdays and celebrations, a pen, and above all a screwdriver for loose pan or cooker handles — keep them right in the kitchen so you’re not hunting through another room mid-task. Repurpose an odd old cup (a “Happy Birthday” mug that looks wrong for tea is perfect). To stop the small items mixing, cut a paper-napkin roll and stand it inside the cup as a divider.
What can I use if I don’t have a funnel?
Homemakers are full of jugaad, and this one works beautifully. If you can’t find your funnel while transferring oil into a dispenser, press a piece of silver foil firmly into a cone shape. It channels the oil straight into the bottle with nothing spilling — the bottle and surface stay clean. Funnels are cheap enough to keep two or three spare, but when one goes missing, the foil cone saves the moment.
How do I keep extra spices from spoiling?
Open spice packets are risky: insects can get in, and because spices are so richly coloured, you’d never spot them — you’d use the spoiled spice unknowingly.
- Seal every open packet shut with cello tape.
- Pack up all spare packets — sealed or opened — the same way.
- Store them in the freezer, where they won’t spoil for a very long time and fungus won’t grow.
Spare sooji and besan can go in the freezer too, so bulk-buying never goes to waste.
How do I stop smells inside my fridge?
Mango, muskmelon, and cut garlic can make the whole fridge — and your other food — smell. Mix a little salt and baking soda in a small bowl, stir well, and keep it inside. It absorbs the odours so nothing picks up an off smell.
How do I get rid of ants before Diwali?
Before Diwali there should be no trace of ants, and there’s really only one treatment that lasts: Lakshman Rekha chalk. Other methods clear ants for a while, then they return. Apply the chalk wherever you see ants and along the corners — they die within seconds, and as long as the line stays, they stay away. It’s sold at any general store or chemist, or online on Amazon and Flipkart.
How do I keep cockroaches out of my cabinets?
Never line the inside of cabinets with newspaper — it attracts cockroaches and gives them a dark place to hide and breed. Newspaper is only safe on top of cabinets, out in the open.
If cockroaches are already a problem, mix a little Dettol in water, spray the cabinets well, and wipe; the strong smell keeps them off. Tuck bay leaf (tejpatta) into the corners or under trays as extra defence. Check and spray-clean once a week — continuous cleaning is what keeps insects from coming at all.
One more small thing: if you keep many medicines in one box, drop in a desiccant pouch or two so moisture doesn’t spoil them.
Which scrubber should I avoid at the sink?
The common metal-style scrubber spoils your hands, and its tiny particles can stick in a utensil or strainer and end up in your food — genuinely dangerous. Use dishwashing gloves with a built-in scrubber instead. Apply soap, Vim, or liquid dishwasher and wash directly; your hands stay safe and so does your food. They’re easy to order online (available in a pair).
How do I clean the dirty rubber inside my fridge door?
The racks are easy, but the rubber seal traps grime that normal cleaning won’t shift. Take an old toothbrush, add a little toothpaste, and scrub — the dirt lifts out fast. Wipe with a clean wet cloth afterwards. It looks like a long job but takes almost no effort.
📺 About this video. This post draws on Jasmine Choudhari’s YouTube video 16 KITCHEN HACKS Best Before Diwali Kitchen Organisation & Cleaning. Watch the full video for visual demonstrations of every tip.
Watch the video
Frequently asked questions
How do I get rid of ants in my kitchen before Diwali so they don't come back?
Use Lakshman Rekha chalk, applied directly wherever you see ants and along cabinet corners. It is the one treatment that works lastingly; most other methods clear ants briefly before they return. The ants die within seconds, and as long as the chalk line stays in place, they will not come back. You can buy it at any general store or chemist, or order it online from Amazon or Flipkart.
Why should I never line my kitchen cabinet shelves with newspaper?
Never put newspaper inside cabinets because it attracts cockroaches and gives them a dark place to hide and breed. Newspaper is only safe on top of cabinets, where it stays in the open and cockroaches avoid it. To keep inner shelves pest-free, spray diluted Dettol in water, wipe well, and tuck bay leaf (tejpatta) into the corners.
How can I stop bad smells from spreading inside my fridge?
Mix a little salt and baking soda in a small bowl and keep it inside the fridge to absorb odours. Fruits like mango and muskmelon, or cut garlic, can make the whole fridge and your other foods smell. The salt-and-baking-soda bowl neutralises these smells so nothing picks up an off odour.
What is the cheapest way to clean up liquid spills on my kitchen counter?
Use an old towel instead of paper napkins, because one towel absorbs a spill in a single wipe where four or five napkins fail. Towels soak up oil, milk, water, or curry quickly from the countertop, floor, or any surface, and they cut your kitchen cleaning costs. For spills near the sink, a small wiper with a little water also clears the mess without soiling any cloth.
How can I store towels so they take up less space in my kitchen?
Fold towels into small folds and stand them vertically, or roll them into small rolls, instead of stacking them flat. Vertical storage and rolling both save significant space and let you keep far more towels in one box. Use a transparent box so you can see the contents, or repurpose any old carton or delivery box.
Which kitchen scrubber should I avoid, and what should I use instead?
Avoid the common metal-style scrubbers, because they spoil your hands and their tiny particles can lodge in utensils or strainers and end up in your food. Instead, use dishwashing gloves that have a scrubber built in; you apply soap or liquid dishwasher directly and wash utensils safely. Your hands stay protected and no stray particles reach your food.
How do I keep extra spice packets from spoiling or getting insects?
Seal every open spice packet shut with cello tape, then store all your extra packets in the freezer. Open packets risk insects getting in, and spice colour hides them so you would never know. Freezing prevents fungus and spoilage for a very long time. You can store spare sooji and besan the same way.
How can I clean the dirty rubber seal inside my fridge door?
Use an old toothbrush with a little toothpaste to scrub the grime out of the fridge's rubber seal, then wipe it with a clean wet cloth. Dirt packs into this rubber and is hard to remove by normal cleaning, but the brush-and-paste method lifts it easily without wasting effort or time.
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.