Using Some Smart Gadgets Saved Us From Going Crazy In This Help-Less Lockdown

Using smart gadgets for housework during the lockdown was one of the best things this family did; saving them so much of labour.

The easy availability of cheap labour has rendered Indians largely lazy. We are so used to having house help around that we don’t even give it a thought about what happens when the house help leaves, as we can always look for another one.

But this lockdown showed me a different side of life; one I have seldom experienced. A life without domestic help. And the human effort it takes to keep a house running… and how, with a little bit of help and smart gadgets, my life could be so much easier.

Vacuum Cleaner

Admit it. Most of us were conned into buying this dirt-sucking pangolin by well-trained hypnotists prowling around in the garb of vacuum cleaner salesmen. But it’s a clunky thing and after the initial burst of cleaning enthusiasm, didn’t we all put this gadget deep into the darkest corners of the attic or storage?

Well, I did…and I forgot about it. It took a month of sweeping and a severe backache until my allergy-ridden husband reminded me that maybe we should employ its services, and he would be the one to start on it.

While I groaned in pain, he meticulously got the machine out, and while his allergies don’t allow him to dust or mop, the machine ate up all the pet hair and dirt without a single complaint or without raising a dust storm. Corners which my maid had conveniently ignored over the past few months saw the light of the day. Stubborn pet hair disappeared and the house was clean..seriously clean.

After about a week of using the old thing, I decided to invest in a smaller, more handy vacuum cleaner which was not so clunky and also reasonably affordable. Everyone in the house now takes their turns at vacuuming the house. That’s one major chore taken off my head.

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The Spin Mop

I have to admit that many a times, my vacuum cleaner did such a clean job that I would not mop the floor for a couple of days in between. And then, I decided to invest in a magic spin mop.

It’s a long handle mop with microfiber mop heads and comes with a double compartment. One, to dip the mop in floor cleaning water and the other one to spin out the excess water on the mop.

I took to a Facebook group to figure out with some people about the best variety of mops – spray mops, bucket mops and so many choices! I was amazed that there was so much more to the modest pocha!

This gadget seemed the most popular choice, by far. I’ve got one for my mother who is 70 years old because she won’t be hiring a maid for at least the next six months. If the spin mop can make her life so easy, it’s even more so for the rest of us. And like the vacuum cleaner, everyone in the house does this chore without a complaining, including dust-allergic husbands and stubborn, lazy teenagers.

I’d say that if you don’t want to retain a maid, or even if you never had one, this is a one time investment (not too expensive, starts from 500 rupees onwards) and totally worth it.

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Food processor (to knead atta)

Again, like my vacuum cleaner, I underutilized the food processor, only using the mixer and grinder features. And I hate kneading the dough and making rotis, for which I had a maid.

Yet again, it took my hubby to remind me that it existed.

It takes only one or two times to figure out the exact proportion of water to dough but the food processor works like a charm. Not to mention that the kneading, which took me 10 minutes to do, happens in less than a minute and I don’t get my hands too dirty. Plus, the hubby has also learnt to knead the dough. Double whammy! Cutting, chopping, juicing, milk shakes etc.

It’s an amazingly handy gadget. Plus…if you have a mixer, you can only buy the kneading attachment if you don’t want to buy the whole thing.

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The onion and tomato chopper

This is something which I have always used, and swear by. But lately, I have started to use this chopper for a lot more than just onions and tomatoes.

Use it to grate cabbage, make cauliflower into finely chopped cauliflower rice, which I can then use for parathas etc., chop roasted peanuts into peanut powder, even make a rough granular paste if I don’t want to make a fine paste in the mixer.

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In conclusion, these smart gadgets made housework interesting for everyone!

I hate household chores…I’ll be upfront about it. And so does my husband and child. While I am still not crazy about doing house work, I have to give it to these gadgets for making our lives a lot easier during this lockdown. With everyone chipping in, using these machines, we seriously didn’t miss the help at all. And even if you are a home maker or do not employ a house help, these smart gadgets are worth investing in. To save you time, money and mostly…your sanity.

Editors’ note: The author of this piece is not endorsing any particular brand. However, the editors have added possible online options for your convenience.

Image source: shutterstock

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