New Delhi: The monsoon season brings welcome relief from the scorching heat, but it also ushers in a familiar problem: high humidity. The constant feeling of dampness, stuffy air, and musty smells can make even air-conditioned rooms feel uncomfortable. But what if the solution to this sticky situation was hiding in your local store, costing merely ₹5?
During the monsoon, the excess moisture in the air can make your home a breeding ground for mould and mildew, and leave you feeling perpetually sticky and lethargic. While expensive dehumidifiers are an option, a simple, incredibly cheap, and traditional Indian household item can come to your rescue: Camphor (कपूर).
The ₹5 Trick for a Cool, Fresh Room
Camphor, a staple in many Indian homes for religious and medicinal purposes, is a powerhouse when it comes to tackling monsoon dampness. Here’s how this tiny, fragrant cube works wonders:
- Creates a Cooling Sensation: Camphor undergoes sublimation, meaning it turns directly from a solid to a gas. This process has a natural cooling effect. While it won’t drastically lower the room temperature like an AC, the subtle, cool, and minty fragrance it releases into the air provides a powerful psychological sensation of freshness and coolness, cutting through the stuffiness.
- Natural Air Freshener: Its strong, pleasant aroma effectively neutralizes musty, damp odours, leaving your room smelling clean and rejuvenated. Unlike artificial air fresheners that merely mask smells, camphor purifies the air.
- Reduces Humidity: Camphor has natural dehumidifying properties, absorbing a small amount of moisture from the air, which helps combat the feeling of stickiness.
- Repels Insects: The monsoon also brings an influx of insects. The strong scent of camphor is a natural insect repellent, helping to keep mosquitoes and other pests at bay.
How to Use It: Simply place 2-3 camphor tablets in a small, open bowl and place it in a corner of your room. For a stronger effect, place it near a fan to circulate the fresh scent throughout the space. The tablets will slowly evaporate over several days, leaving your room feeling cool and smelling fresh.
Bonus Tip: For Heavy-Duty Moisture Absorption
If your room suffers from excessive dampness, you can create a highly effective, super-cheap DIY dehumidifier using Rock Salt (सेंधा नमक).
- What to do: Take a wide bowl or a tray and fill it with a kilogram of rock salt. Place it in a damp corner of the room.
- How it works: Rock salt is a natural desiccant, meaning it is highly effective at absorbing moisture from the air. You will notice the salt becoming damp and may even see water collecting in the bowl. Simply dry the salt in the sun for a few hours to “recharge” it for reuse.
By combining these simple and affordable hacks, you can easily combat the humidity and stuffiness of the monsoon, ensuring your home remains a cool, fresh, and comfortable sanctuary throughout the rainy season
