Get an approximate budget for your kitchen design by sharing your space details.

Here’s every detail on monsoon-proofing your kitchen

  • Tips & Tricks
Jul 04, 2025
Clean and dry modern kitchen – Beautiful Homes

Homemade hacks to prevent food spoilage, odours, and pests, and protect your pantry from the extreme monsoon humidity

Monsoon is a season that is loved and dreaded in equal measure, because while the rain can be magical, it can also be a pain: high humidity levels, fluctuating temperatures, and dampness all around.

 

All of this creates a less-than-ideal environment for your kitchen. Moisture is your enemy during the monsoon. Food can spoil, pests can crawl out of the woodwork (literally!) and overpowering odours can take over. But with a little prep and some simple home remedies, you can keep your kitchen clean, hygienic, and fresh.

 

PANTRY PREP

Storing food can be a challenge during the monsoon, as excess humidity and moisture quickly spoil perishable goods. Insects and bugs can get into grains, flours, and pulses, so clean and      dry storage is a must.

 

What to Do:

  • Keep all dry goods like spices and beans away from damp areas like your sink or windowsill. Place them in cool, dry areas like the pantry or inside kitchen cabinets. Check that there is enough air flow in these spots to avoid moisture build-up and wipe down surfaces regularly.
  • Airtight containers are the best way to store grains, pulses, flours, and other dry staples. Opt for glass jars with rubber linings, which restrict air flow and keeps food fresh for longer.

  • Nuts and seeds should move into your refrigerator. The natural oils in walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, etc can go rancid in this weather. Storing nuts in airtight jars in your fridge (or freezer) helps them last longer.

  • Dehumidifier pouches are easily available these days—similar to the silica gel sachets you find in store-bought snacks and cosmetics. Buy them online and slip them into food storage jars, or use scotch tape to fasten them onto the inside of the lids of your storage jars, so they can absorb moisture. 
Clear airtight jars – Beautiful Homes
Clear airtight jars are the best way to store grains and beans. Image courtesy, Shutterstock
Masala dabba under sunlight – Beautiful Homes
Place your masala dabba under direct sunlight when possible to get rid of moisture and retain flavour. Image courtesy, Shutterstock

Home Remedies and Hacks:

  • You’ve probably seen your grandmom dry-roast sooji (semolina) before storing it in a steel vessel. This wasn’t just to make upma or halwa taste better, but to reduce the moisture content as well! During monsoons, lightly dry-roast flours, grains, and spices before storing them to extend shelf-life.

  • Air out your spices. Spices tend to lose their potency and aroma in humid weather, so if you use a masala dabba for ground spices, open it up and expose it to the bright sun (weather permitting) for an hour or two to retain flavour and keep your spices dry. 
  • Add rice to your salt! Salt goes soggy and sticky, so the age-old remedy of adding a few grains of rice to your salt shaker or in your salt pig/container works wonders. Rice absorbs excess moisture and prevents salt from turning into liquid.

  • In case your cookies and crackers go soft, you can heat them up in the microwave for a few seconds, or heat them on a tawa. Once done, cool them completely and consume. The heat gets rid of the dampness and your snacks will be crisp and fresh again!  
Glass jars with rubber linings – Beautiful Homes
Glass jars with rubber linings restrict airflow and keep cookies fresh. Image courtesy, Shutterstock

PEST CONTROL 101

The monsoon brings extra moisture in the atmosphere, an abundance of vegetation outside, and a nip in the air as temperatures drop. These are the perfect conditions for pests to multiply. As water floods their natural habitat, bugs and other creepy-crawlies seek shelter indoors, causing infestations.

 

What to Do:

  • Ideally, you should do a round of deep-cleaning and professional pest control ahead of the monsoon. Clean out clogged gutters and drains for easy water flow. It’s also a good idea to secure doors and windows with wire mesh, and vacuum false ceilings.

  • Check for cracks and gaps in the backsplash, along the wall, and on the floor of the kitchen. These are the tiny nooks and crannies where insects can get in. Fill these cracks with white cement paste or use an epoxy-based sealant for a basic level of pest control, or call in a professional to get the job done.
Clove studded lemon on counter – Beautiful Homes
Pierce a lemon with cloves and place them on your kitchen counter to repel insects and bugs. Image courtesy, Shutterstock
Cinnamon sticks and powder repellent – Beautiful Homes
Cinnamon powder and cinnamon sticks also keep insects away. Image courtesy, Shutterstock

Home Remedies and Hacks:

  • Essential oils are your kitchen ally. Add a few drops of peppermint, eucalyptus or lavender oil to a spray bottle filled with water and use it to mist the parts of your kitchen where insects tend to show up.

  • Vinegar is another effective insect repellant. Fill a spray bottle with equal quantities of vinegar and water and spray it along ant trails and entry points. A mixture of apple cider vinegar and dish soap placed near fruit bowls and other foods helps keep fruit flies away. You can also use this solution to clean surfaces like the counter and kitchen floor.

  • Cloves are a natural insect repellent that can help deter cockroaches, flies, and mosquitoes. Simply sprinkle them around areas where these pests are a problem. You can also insert cloves into lemons and limes and place them around the kitchen. Cut the lemon in half and pierce the flesh with cloves.

  • Cinnamon powder is a sweet-smelling spice that insects detest, since it irritates a pest’s mouth and nose. Sprinkle it along windowsills, doorways, and other entry points to deter insects. Placing cinnamon sticks in cabinets and pantry shelves can also repel bugs naturally.

 

It’s also important to dispose of food waste properly and regularly. If left unchecked, rogue pests and rodents can spread diseases like dengue, malaria, cholera and Weil’s Disease (spread through contact via rat urine), so precautions are a must.

FIGHT THOSE FOUL SMELLS

Speaking of food waste, the monsoon air makes food rot faster and causes everything in its path to smell musty, funky, and unpleasant. Definitely not the kind of scent you want wafting out of the kitchen!

Louvered cupboard storing metal vessels – Beautiful Homes
Cupboard with louvered doors offer plenty of ventilation for metal vessels. Photography by Syam Sreesylam
Two kitchen towels drying – Beautiful Homes
Keep two sets of kitchen towels handy so one can be used while the other hangs to dry. Image courtesy, Shutterstock

What to Do:

  • Ventilation is a non-negotiable. Keep the windows open during dry spells to let in fresh air. Turn on the exhaust fan or chimney to get rid of steam and smoke that fill their air while you cook. If you have a ceiling fan in your kitchen, switch it on for short spells during humid days to improve air flow.

  • Deep-clean your fridge. You may think it’s a safe zone, but opening and shutting the fridge door exposes the interior to the damp air outside. Wipe down your fridge shelves with a vinegar-water spray, toss out expired food, and place a wedge of citrus or a bowl of coffee grounds or beans inside your fridge to keep it fresh. Don’t overcrowd your fridge shelves, as this increases humidity levels.

  • Dry your kitchen towels and washcloths properly. Wet towels are a common culprit behind musty kitchen smells. Keep two sets so one can dry while the other is in use. Always hang them in a well-ventilated area near a window or under a fan, and avoid draping them over closed surfaces or furniture.
     
Baking soda for kitchen freshness – Beautiful Homes
Baking soda absorbs moisture, traps smells, and neutralises kitchen odours. Image courtesy, Shutterstock

Home Remedies and Hacks:

  • Baking soda is your bestie. This multitasking ingredient absorbs moisture, traps smells, and neutralises odours. Fill small bowls or jars with baking soda and place them in problem areas like the sink, fridge, cabinet or under the stove.

  • Clean your sink well, because it can remain wet through the day and get stinky. Slice a lemon in half, sprinkle it with salt, and use it to scrub your sink. This natural combo cuts through grease, eliminates odours, and leaves behind a fresh citrus scent that is better than store-bought dish soap!
  • The best way to make your kitchen fragrant and inviting is to boil whole spices. Bring a pot of water with cinnamon sticks, cloves and/or orange peel to a boil. As it simmers, a warm, spiced fragrance will envelope the kitchen, refreshing the air. A few drops of vanilla extract in boiling water also works well, your kitchen will smell like freshly-baked cookies! 

 

 

Storing your utensils properly also matters in the monsoon. Steel and metal vessels need some breathing space so they don’t give off a metallic stench after washing, so place them on open shelves or in cupboards with louvered doors so they have ventilation. A little time and effort go a long way in ensuring hygiene and food safety. Follow these tips for a pest-free, odour-free, and rot-free kitchen, so you can keep the masala chai and filter coffee flowing as you enjoy the rain outside!

 

Title image courtesy, Temple Town

Get started with Beautiful Homes by Asian Paints

Leave your information and we will call you to book your preferred consultation slot

Please enter your Full Name
Please enter your Pincode
Please enter your Mobile Number +91
Please enter your Email ID

By proceeding, you are authorizing Asian Paints and its suggested contractors to get in touch with you through calls, sms, or e-mail.

tick

Thank You!

We value your interest in Asian Paints - Beautiful Homes. We will get in touch with you to customise your package.

Tell us more and you may qualify for a

special appointment!

Get a special appointment
2/ 4

What’s the condition of your home/space?

Will you be living in your space during the renovation ?

1/ 4

What’s the status of your home possession?

3/ 4

Is your interior design budget over 4 lakhs?

4/ 4

Book next available appointment slots with our experts!

DEC 2023

27 FRI
31 MON
1 TUE

JAN 2024

01 WED
02 THU
03 FRI
05 MON
06 TUE
07 WED
08 THU
arrow

Please Select Date and Day

Something went wrong!

We were unable to receive your details. Please try submitting them again.
To reschedule or cancel, call toll-free
Submit again

Appointment Scheduled!

Thank you for giving an opportunity to Asian Paints Beautiful Homes Service! Our Customer Experience Specialist will get in touch with you soon.

Appointment Date & time

17 Oct 23, 03.00PM - 04.00PM

To reschedule or cancel, call toll-free

Thank You!

Discover your style

Get an instant mood board

Take a quiz and discover your design style that sets you apart

Similar Articles