Holi, the festival of colours, is one of the most awaited festivals of the year in India. Be it the vibrant hues, delicious savouries, or the colourful celebrations that the festival brings, it’s bound to bring a smile to everyone’s faces. But with these festivities comes the fact that the interiors of your home are vulnerable to tough stains from the colours.
While organic colours can be easily removed, synthetic ones could mean permanent stains in your precious home. The key is to safeguard your home interiors with the necessary precautions. However, it may not be possible to protect your home completely when the festivities are in full swing. Here are some post-Holi cleaning ideas for your home’s interior.
1. Walls 
Walls are the most susceptible part of the home when it comes to Holi colours. Be it dry or wet, if stained, painting the walls over could be an expensive affair. One of the safest hacks is to get an anti-stain varnish applied before the festival. Another trick is to cover the most accessible parts of the wall with plastic or cling film. While these methods are time-consuming, they provide the utmost protection. You could also try moving your furniture against the wall, so people do not touch the wall.
In case your wall does get stained, you could take off the colours by wiping it with a solution of mild bleach and water. Make sure the bleach used isn’t concentrated as it can change the wall colour.
2. Floor
Be it on the interiors or exteriors, it is unavoidable to protect the floor from stains during Holi. If you have marble flooring, it is best to avoid playing indoors as the colours could get difficult to get rid of. You could protect the most accessed part of the floor inside your home by spreading old newspapers. This could be the pathway from your main door to the bathroom.
If the colour seeps through, remove the dry colour by sweeping or vacuuming. In case of wet colours, treat the stain with a paste of baking soda and water for some time and wipe it off with a damp cloth.
3. Furniture
One way to protect your furniture from getting stained is by covering it with plastic sheets or old bedsheets which you can dispose of later. This saves you from the trouble of deep cleaning (which may still not be a hundred percent effective).
If your furniture does get stained, try dusting to remove the dry colours from your wooden furniture. If you have upholstered furniture, vacuum cleaning is your best bet. Do remember not to dust-dry colour with your hands since it could spread on the fabric. That will make it a lot harder to clean.
Removing wet colours from furniture could be quite a difficult task. You can clean your wooden furniture with varnish to keep the colour of the wood intact. For upholstered furniture, try soaking the affected area in white vinegar for about 15 minutes and then wipe it off with a cotton ball. Make sure you dry the area well afterward to avoid fungal growth.
You could try the same hacks for your cushions, carpets, bedsheets, and curtains as well.
4. Doors And Windows
Applying petroleum jelly or mustard oil protects the handles of doors and windows from colours. This avoids staining to a great extent. In case your doors and windows are still stained, wipe them down with mild liquid detergent. For tough stains, try acetone or use a paste of baking powder and water.
5. Bathroom
Like the floor, the bathroom of your home also goes through an unavoidable stain saga post celebrations. You can protect the bathroom fixtures by smearing them with petroleum jelly. Another tip is bathing in a tub instead of under a shower. This saves you from the efforts of cleaning the bathroom later.
In all cases, remember that quick action is key. The longer you take to remove the stain, the harder it will be to remove it. Safeguarding your interiors is important, but don’t miss out on enjoying the festivities to the fullest. Team HomeLane wishes you a terrific Holi with your friends and family.
