The springtime season is all about fresh air, warm sunshine and the occasional springtime rain shower. Between rain boots, rain coats and wet bags there are multiple opportunities for messes on a rainy day. You may not be able to avoid a passing shower or a day of downpours, but there are a few things you can do to prevent rainy day messes in your home. Here are five tips you can take to avoid rainy day messes that find their way inside.
#1: Limit wet shoes to the entryway
By keeping the rain and dirt to one specific area of your home, you can ultimately contain the muddy mess. Whether you choose the front entryway, the back door or the mudroom, choose one area so you can limit the space rainy messes can affect. By doing this, you can keep the rest of your house clean while also keeping your sanity!
#2: Designate drop off areas
Have you ever wiped down your kitchen counter or dining room table only to have dirty, wet backpacks or lunch boxes placed on them? Give your family a designated drop zone to store their backpacks, lunch boxes and gym bags so wet rainy day messes (and every day messes) have a specific spot in the home. Be sure family members adhere to the rules even when it’s not a rainy day.
#3: Double Up
Common household items like a coat rack or laundry drying rack can double as a drying rack on a rainy day or any time of year! Tell family members and friends to place coats and bags on the coat rack for air drying as they enter your home to maintain rainy day messes.
#4: Watch out for wet pets
Limit the areas wet pets have access to within your home, preferably where shoes, coats and muddy rain boots are stored. Be sure to keep clean towels near the entryway so you can easily wipe down any cats or dogs that may sneak outside during a rainstorm. You can also keep their favorite toy near the door as a distraction while you dry them off before they run inside.
#5: Wait until the end of the day to clean
It never fails. Just as you finish mopping or dusting, someone will run through the door leaving a rainy day mess in their path. Avoid frustration and wait until the end of the day to clean up the rainy day mess in the entryway.
No matter what, rainy day messes will somehow find a way to sneak inside, so always be prepared.
