Keep It Outside

Ah, spring…fresh air, pretty flowers, and dirt tracked in to our homes by the truckload! If your home is anything like mine, then you know that half the battle is figuring out how to keep the dirt outside where it belongs. And when you have twelve little (and big) feet tromping in and out all day, you have to get pretty creative in your devices. So, establish some guidelines, get sneaky in your home design, and be on the ready with a broom and a dustpan.

No Shoes Allowed!
I finally had to establish a “no shoes inside” rule with the kids. It was either that, or wrap Mama up in a strait jacket and get her committed! The kids don’t wear their shoes inside. Instead, we have a big washtub beside the door to collect shoes as they walk inside. This is definitely one of the best ways to keep the dirt (and other disgusting stuff that I won’t mention) outside where it belongs. Now, as far as Mom goes, I do wear my shoes inside – and for a good reason. I work all day long and wearing shoes keeps me in the working mindset. I’m ready at a moment’s notice to run outside and throw away a stinky diaper or pretend that I’m Darth Vader in a lightsaber fight (why can’t I ever be Padme?). I’ve told the kids that when they work as hard as I do, they get to wear their shoes all day long, too. Currently, it doesn’t seem to be much incentive.

Mats, Mats, Mats
There are good mats and there are bad mats, and never the twain shall meet. If your goal is to keep dirt outside, then pass by those wimpy little welcome mats with cute sayings on them. Cute, Shmoot! I want a big, bad, mother of a mat that will actually earn its keep. My favorite, hands down, are the fake grass mats or Astroturf. Yeah, I know it looks cheesy, but just opt out on the fake daisies in the corner. They come in all colors now (even black, which I think looks the classiest), and the little fake blades scrape every bit of dirt off of the bottom of shoes. Use them for about a week and for morbid interest, pick it up and look at all of the dirt and sand underneath. One glance, and fake grass will be your new BFF. Oh, sorry, that was my adolescent daughter talking (Best Friend Forever).

Hey, It Blends!
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. The area by the doors in your home are going to get dirty no matter many mats you set out, shoes you take off, or hydro-pressure power washes you make your kids walk through. Your best bet is to get a rug by the door that is a neutral color or a print that can camoflage the dirt (something that looks like a mix between your garden soil and play sand). That way you can go a few days and ignore the dirty truth.