Imagine walking into a home where the floors are swept with neem leaves, the dishes are scrubbed with ash, and a hint of camphor smoke lingers in the air.

No bottles of sanitiser by the door, no chemical sprays under the sink — just the quiet presence of things trusted for generations to keep the space clean and pure.

Long before modern disinfectants found their way into homes, Indian households followed their own thoughtful practices. Neem leaves, cow urine, ash, copper, camphor — simple, everyday substances — were woven into routines and rituals, keeping spaces clean in ways that balanced practicality with belief.

Some of these methods were rooted in observation, others in deep-seated traditions. Together, they remind us that the need to live in clean, healthy spaces isn’t new — and neither is the creativity with which we’ve tried to achieve it.

Here’s a glimpse at five substances once used in ancient India to fight germs — and why they still leave behind a story worth remembering.

1. Neem leaves

Walk through any old Indian village, and neem trees were never far away. Known as sarva roga nivarini — “the curer of all ailments” — neem leaves found their way into every corner of daily life. They were scattered at doorways, tucked into bedding, and even boiled to mop floors.

It wasn’t........

© The Better India