Whether or not you realize it, outdoor grime and muck is being tracked into your clean home on a daily basis. This is especially true in the winter with more mud and dirty water and snow, not to mention the sand, salt and other chemicals on street and sidewalk surfaces. Oftentimes, hats and gloves are thrown on the floor as well with children racing for that hot cup of cocoa waiting for them after school, adding to that already stacked pile of laundry.
Winter can be tough on your floors. One of the easiest ways to improve your floor’s appearance this season is to tidy up your entryway. Here are some suggestions.
An ounce of prevention…
- Use a small fan to dry off your interior doormat or towel before it gets too wet from outside feet coming in.
- Place a stool or chair near the doormat to encourage people to take off their wet footgear.
- A boot tray or even a low-profile plastic storage bin will provide a clean way to collect dirty, melting snow and ice and it will ensure boots stay matched and easily found when needed.
- A laundry basket near the entryway is a great way to collect the wet and dirty outwear shed by children as soon as they come inside. To avoid drips, don’t wait long to move the laundry basket to the laundry room and get those items in the wash.
It’s too late for prevention. Time to clean up.
- Clean microfiber towels are the best way to blot up any melted ice or buffing out any salt residue on tile or hardwood floors.
- Sand, salt and snow can sink into carpet fibers causing lasting damage if not cleaned up right away. As soon as you see a dirty puddle on the carpet, blot it up with a clean white cloth. Take care not to rub the soil into the carpet fibers. Simply blotting up the liquid should take the dirt with it if you catch it early.
