With a flurry of kids coming in and out of the house all summer long, how do you keep the dirt, the mud, the sand, and yes, even the water out of your home? Sometimes I will settle for just getting the dirt cleaned up enough that it doesn’t permanently damage the carpets or flooring. Beside the damage from spills, carpets can become matted and hard floors can become scratched by dirt and grit.
There has to be a balance between having a relaxed summer home and spending all of your time cleaning up. We want to reduce the clean up time all around, and give you more time for summer fun, while still keeping the house in good shape.
If you don’t already have them, place door mats on all outside doors that you use, both inside and out, including back doors. This will help capture some of the dirt before it gets in your home. Just make sure to clean the mats on a regular basis so they can continue to do their job.
Keep colored liquids out of vulnerable areas. During the summer days, consider serving those colorful drinks outdoors or away from floors that could become permanently stained. Otherwise switch to clear liquids during those times when you have a lot of kids in and out of the house.
Remove some of the toys in your home, or store them away for the summer. Chances are the kids don’t need so many during the summer months, because of all of the great outdoor activities that they can do. Less toys underfoot means less toy clean up. Concentrate on leaving a few favorite and easy to pick up toys and games.
Set up an outdoor snack station near the pool or backyard. This will keep the kids happy while preventing multiple trips back in the house where they can track all of that dirt and mud in several times a day. A simple cooler filled with ice for drinks and snacks works nicely, and your house will be the cool place to be for the neighborhood kids.