Winter in many places across North America is a time of family celebrations and beautiful pristine views. It can also be one of the messiest times of the year, where moisture and cold make it very difficult to keep your home cleaner and free of dirt and slush.
With popular outdoor activities like skiing, snowmobiling and skating going in full swing, it’s likely that your floors and carpets will be put through the wringer during the winter. Wet boots, shoes and socks are constant in the season of cold and snow and it can be a tough job keeping up with the mess.
We have put together some quick and easy tips from the professionals at the Filthy Cleaning company to help you get ready for the winter. Follow these low cost and low-maintenance guidelines to help fight the dirt and snow all winter long.
Tips To Help Keep Your Home Cleaner This Winter
1.Put Out The Boot Trays
If you have a protected area like a mudroom or a garage entrance this is the perfect place to set out a boot tray. Available in many stores and online, boot trays can keep a large amount of dirt, salt and melted snow from ever making it to your floors. Made from a variety of materials like rigid plastics to decorative metals, boot trays allow your footwear to drain while keeping the mess all in one place. If you are in a pinch, you can even use a cookie sheet for a quick solution for those unexpected storms.
2. Double Up On The Doormats
We cannot stress the importance of having plenty of doormats placed at each entrance to your home. The best idea is to have mats on both sides of the door. One on the exterior to allow for the banging and scraping of the larger messes and one on the inside to allow for a spot to remove your footwear.
Doormats don’t have to be expensive, but they are a valuable tools against the slush, sand and snow that can get tracked into your home. Have several mats overlapping in your entryways and along any main entrance hallways to help keep your floors in great shape all winter.
3. No Shoes Rule
The winter months is a great time to instill a “No Shoes” rule throughout your house. This can apply to not only your family but your guests as well. The less contact any footwear has with the interior floors of your home, the better they will be able to hold up during the season. For guests, you can have a basket by your entrance with soft and warm hand knitted slippers to help them keep their feet warm once they are indoors.
4. Daily Mopping & Vacuuming
Daily cleaning may seem like a lot of extra work but it will be worth the effort in the long run. Keep a wet mop or a Swiffer near your entrance for quick cleanups and make sure to give the whole area a wipe down at the end of the day.
For cleaning your doormats, give them all a good shake outdoors a few times a week to get rid of any dirt or salt that may be clinging to the fibres. Taking your vacuum across the extra mats a few times a will help keep them clean and prevent dirt from building up and making it on to your floors.
Thanks for the tips!
My pleasure!
Good to maintain the house by doing small daily maintainence. Tiny cleanings and sweeping adds up and makes a large difference. Winter can be messy months for the floor and such. Good tips
How dare you use such bad language like the big “W” I still like your tips but don’t use that word yet because I’m not willing to give up the warm weather yet. lol
I know…it’s coming way to fast!
Putting a mat on the inside is such a lifesaver!
I don’t actually have a boot tray so I think I should get one. It would help with all the muckiness that gets tracked in.
When I spill something on the floor I try to clean it right away. My partner does not do it so I have to clean after him quite often and a small 14 year old dog that sheds hair. Have to keep up with the floor and dust every day.
Good tips on keeping your house clean this winter although most were common scence.