Keep mud out of your house

Make sure you use a rug that can trap dirt. PHOTO/unsplash.com/Marissa Daeger

What you need to know:

At many doorsteps, there will be a rug for visitors to clean their shoes. Some homes have a no-shoe policy indoors. Which of these is the most effective way to keep dirt out of the house?

In the rainy season we cannot avoid getting muddy but there are ways to keep the dirt out there and maintain your house in order;

There are several strategies to ensure that home occupants and their pets do not bring in mud from outside, especially when it has rained;

Use doormats or rugs

Justine Mulima,  an interior designer, says having doormats and rugs at every entrance and selecting the right ones will keep mud out of your house. This is made easier with the use of rubber materials.

“It is not that every mat will keep mud from entering your house, you have to make sure that the rug you have placed can trap mud at the entrance when  people walk on it,” she says

Mulima adds that using a wide mat is of additional advantage because it does not move because of the weight, it remains in one place all along but you can also use several if you cannot  afford the big one.

“It is also advisable to have a washable rug so that you can re-use it whenever it gets dirty that is why people recommend plastic or rubber  mats which is easier for cleaning  ,”she says

Create your mud room

Mulima says to avoid mud in your house, you can create a room or space where you put your dirty shoes and sandals in case you have space.

“It is not advisable to put your dirty shoes anywhere in the house. A mud room makes it easier to keep the house clean,” she says 

Mulima adds that the main purpose of this space in your house is to provide an area where mud can be controlled without spreading everywhere especially when there is too much dust. This will also do more to keep dirt and mud out of your home than any other alternative.

“Some people clean all their shoes at once so if you have a mud room you can keep them until the weekend without messing up your house with mud, especially when it has rained,” she says.

Cover your front entrance

Mulima says since the front entrance is the main  gatekeeper of the mud,  you have to make sure that it is always covered,  especially the ventilators and under the door, we normally leave a small space for the door to move smoothly but it also allows mud to enter your house.

“The front entrance is one of the  spots where people can remove their muddy shoes and clothing before entering the house and if it is not covered, people are going to enter freely with their dirty shoes ,” she says .

Use platter

 She adds that you can also provide a boot platter where people can place their shoes before entering your house   and when you are cleaning your house, all you need is to move the platters outside.

“This also works as a shoe rack but sometimes shoe racks do not hold mud for long when it is dry, it gets on the floor. The shoe rack works better during the dry season when there is dust only,” she says. 

No shoes in the house

Mulima explains that that is why some people make their house a no-shoe zone to avoid such issues  as whoever enters leaves their shoes outside regardless of the weather

“If you leave shoes outside the house, it helps to keep mud outside when it is raining, but even when the sun is out, this helps keep dirt, pesticides and other unsavoury elements from being brought into your home,” she says .

Inside shoes

She adds that where people cannot walk barefooted, you can have a basket of sandals they can put on indoors to avoid outside mud in the house.

Teach your pet and children to use rugs

For those who have children and pets at home, you have to train them so that whenever they are coming from outside they use the rugs before entering.

“For the pets you have to teach them to stay on the rugs whenever they are in the house, pets have a tendency ofcleaning themselves inside the house and when they are not on the rug it means they are going to put dust or mud in your house,” she says 

Mulima says that once you have a mat-and-rug system in place, the next step is to teach your children and pets to stay on the rug and stay there until they remove the dirt or wipe.

“Some toys also contain dust and children who are untrained on the use of rugs can mess up the house with their dirty toys,” she says.