13 home products that'll have you screaming, "that's genius!"
There’s no going back after adding these to your day
In my family, we don’t agree on much. But there’s one motto we all stick to. Why do something now, when someone else can do it for you later? We’re a group that likes to live life in landscape mode. We’ve gained a level of self-awareness that allows us to function with battery saver switched on while finding ways to make life easier. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day, isn’t it?
Over the past year, some people started painting, others wrote short stories and then turned those hobbies into businesses. We did something a little different. Finding the most genius home products was a hobby that turned into a competitive sport. Like countless others, we found comfort in retail therapy. And of course, we’d do some jugaad and recycle the packaging into home storage solutions. Why throw away a delivery box when it can be cut in half and repurposed as a small bookshelf?
The over-achiever in me spent hours browsing through websites, reading up descriptions and finding genius home products. But I’m also not the best at multitasking. To the point where walking and taking sips of a drink at the same time are too much coordination for my brain to handle. This means that my shopping list is always filled with things to make my day more convenient.
Sometimes these things can get a bit random. There’s a saying that people with very high IQ can seem a bit strange, even odd. Not everyone can relate to or understand them. I believe the same applies to genius home products, which can be life-changing. It’s always the unexpected ones too. The ones that’ll randomly pop up in the ad section on websites and you’ll scoff, thinking, “This is so random, who falls for this stuff and buys it?”
It’s usually me. Call me Ali Baba because through my travels and digs through e-commerce websites, I’ve garnered a treasure trove of things you never knew you needed. I’m about to change the way you live.
Others may laugh and call it bizarre. But they’re denying themselves the comfort that these products provide. While they complain about spilt coffee on their bed ruining the mattress, I’ll be sleeping comfortably with a new butterfly neck pillow.
Genius home products that we can’t live without
Silicone pan handle sleeves
Kadai handles can burn more than the acidity caused by eating the masaledaar curry that’s cooked in it. Especially the old-school ones swiped from our mother’s cabinets.
You can slip these silicone sleeves onto pretty much any handle of any pan. They’re heat resistant and give you a good grip on the pot, so even the clumsy ones can prevent any possible spillage.
Anti-slip carpet inlay
I’d love a woven Afghani or Kashmiri carpet to adorn the floors of my living room (and every room), but budgeting meant settling for more affordable textile alternatives. Maybe until my investments come to fruition.
I’ve had several slip-and-slide encounters with my budget-friendly carpets. A friend recommended a kind of tape you can use that holds down the corners of the carpet.
But I’m also paranoid about it in the long term. Could it damage the floor in my rented flat and the fibres of the carpet, especially in our humid climate? I opted instead for this mat that goes under the carpet and holds it in place. Find the right size for you.
In-shower grip mat
Speaking of sliding around, this is a dangerous one. We’ve all heard at least one horror sorry about someone slipping in the shower area. This is why this mat will always top my list of genius home products.
Is it the most aesthetically pleasing? Not really, but it’ll absolutely serve its purpose. Suction pads at the bottom of the mat will hold you in place while you soap up and shower off the day’s dirt and grime.
Under-the-desk wire hanger
Forget Malabar Hill and Akbar Road. The real prime property is our tabletop, with you deciding what gets a permanent spot up top. The computer, chai cup, coasters, water bottle… Will it be a notebook and pen or a little planter for company?
This gadget will give you one less thing to worry about when it comes to desktop organisation – the never-ending wires. Whether it’s headphones, laptop charger or phone charger, you can attach this to the bottom of your desk and hang it all up. Out of sight but close enough to reach when you need it. You can either stick it onto the bottom with the double-sided tape provided or make it more permanent by screwing it in place.
Ice tray with lid
No matter how many Instagram reels I see of ‘hacks’ to fill an ice tray the right way and prevent spillage, I always spill while filling it up, but mostly on the treacherous journey of transporting it back into the freezer.
Forget holding a spoon in your mouth with a lemon on it. This should have been the real test of balance and coordination in schools.
I don’t know which wizard decided to add lids to ice trays, but a hundred blessings to them.
Spice organiser
If you’re looking for an update on the traditional masala dabba that’s in every desi household, then this is an easy pick, also super convenient if you prop it up on the wall next to your stove.
Each segment swivels to the side for easy access and you can pull out the little compartments fully to refill.
You will love this
Mattress protector
I was 28 years old when I found out about the existence of mattress protectors. Where have you been all my life?
If you’re clumsy, have kids or pets, then make a mattress protector the one item you get off our collection of genius home products. Because that’s what it is. Pure genius.
This one by Wakefit goes on comfortably under your bedsheet, you won’t even know it’s there. The layer of terry cotton can easily absorb anything you spill.
This would have definitely saved me (and my mother) a lot of panicked bolting for the nearest towel/t-shirt/pants to soak up spilt dal and drinks. Though, haldi stains are forever. Just remember to pick the right size for your mattress.
Non-skid turntable cabinet organiser
You’d have noticed a trend of anti-skid, anti-slip and ‘strong grip’ items in our recommendations. The truth is that when you live in a house with a big and boisterous Indian family, a lot of things get knocked around.
This swivelling shelf can be inserted into the kitchen cabinet to stock sauce bottles and spices (you can never have enough of either), or placed in the bathroom for your toiletries.
Butterfly memory foam neck pillow
We value quality sleep as much as a good laugh, and the importance of that gained more attention during the lockdown while we worked from home. Hunching over a laptop all day has left a lot of us with a crick in our neck and pain in our lower back.
Of course, physiotherapy and good posture is your first stop to pain-free living. But you can bolster your sleep experience with a buttery memory foam pillow for added neck support and proper spine alignment.
This design of pillows caters to all styles of sleepers. Whether you’re a side sleeper, someone who nods off on your back Dracula-style or flops on your stomach. The contours and grooves of this pillow allow comfort in every position.
All-in-one small hole repair gun
If you live the renter life, then you know how difficult it can be to get back the complete deposit you gave your landlord after your lease is over. Every crack, hole and scratch get accounted for and cut from your money.
While some things are out of your control, one thing you can do some jugaad with and repair with ease using this product are the holes left behind by wall-mounted shelves, paintings and more.
This nifty product will let you repair small holes on your own. The application is easy, squeeze and fill the hole, flip it over and smoothen it down with the flat end of the tube, then sand it down with the attachment on the cap. Channel your inner Bob the Builder, even if it’s temporary to get your money back in whole.
Lingerie washing bag
Lingerie doesn’t always come cheap. Whether it’s more ‘casual’ daily wear items or some sexy lingerie when you want to add more pep to your step. One tradition that most Indian mothers pass down to their daughters is the art of handwashing their own underclothes.
But I’m lazy, and live a thousand kilometres too far from my mother for her to scold me. So they go in the washing machine.
After many rounds in a rowdy washing machine, the underwire of my bras started to pop out. Getting a lingerie washing bag made the entire rinse and spin routine kinder to my innerwear. You can fit two bras and two panties in this bag, zip it up and drop it in the drum without worrying about it getting tangled up in your other clothes.
Multipurpose cleaning goo
I have a strange fascination with slime, but at least this one has good use. I promise it’s not as… slimy as it seems.
This is a multipurpose cleaning ‘compound’ that you can easily roll over keyboards, vents, basically all inaccessible nooks and crannies. It sticks to dust and grime and pulls it out.
Cleaning your laptop keyboard will never be this easy. This jelly mush is reusable, but I would avoid keeping it in a spot that gets super hot because it could affect the consistency.
Heal protector
This technically doesn’t belong on a list of genius home products. But you will never want to leave home without it.
The new boots that you haven’t broken into as yet, the beautiful pair of heels that keep giving you shoe bite. This will give your sore feet some much-needed relief.
Slip them on and off, they can be washed and reused with ease.