For Your Health: How To Keep Your Home Dirt-Free
At times, your home can feel more like a train station than the place where you live, with everyone going in and out all day long. This constant movement drags in contaminants, such as dirt, germs, and other microorganisms, that can make food and air unsafe. To keep your family healthy and these hazards outdoors where they belong, follow these tips to keep dirt out of your home.
The Merit Of The Mat
According to Donna Smallin Kuper, author of Cleaning Plain and Simple, doormats on the inside and outside of every door that leads outside will trap a good amount of the dirt being tracked into the house. This double-mat method gives everyone two chances to remember to wipe their feet while passively cleaning shoes two times over for your more forgetful love ones. With doormats on the market that are both aesthetically appealing and funny, you’ll also be adding some nice decoration to your home.
Sweep And Swipe
While it may seem futile to sweep outdoor areas like your porch or stoop because more dirt will inevitably cover it, doing so can make a big difference in your indoor cleanliness. Each time you open a door or nearby window, all of the dirt, dust, and other debris that has collected in those areas blows into your home. Sweeping these areas regularly will limit the amount coming into the house, as well as swiping down your window screens. Use a brush vacuum cleaner, microfiber dustcloth, or rubber dry sponge to clean off the dust and dirt that gathers on screens.
Mini-Mudroom
The best way to encourage everyone in your home to wipe off dirt and take off their shoes is to create a space for them to do so. Place a benchnext to the main door where people enter, so that they have the perfect spot to sit down and remove their shoes. This will minimize the amount of contaminating debris that enters your home while containing the dirt that does enter in a single, easy-to-clean area. Many benches come with baskets underneath to store indoor shoes and mirror and coat hooks above to complete the mudroom necessities.
A clean home not only guarantees that it will have a nice appearance, but it reduces the chances of harmful germs from entering your living space. Taking these smalls steps will make a big difference, especially as cold and flu season approaches.
