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How to Keep Dirt Out of the House Year Round

November 22, 2020 By Morgan Last Updated: December 7, 2020

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Looking to learn how to keep dirt out of the house? Moms know how quickly ick can pile up. If you feel like your family trackit in all day every day, you need these tips for keeping dirt out of your home ASAP!

before and after photo showing dirt in the home
First Published: April 6, 2016 Last Updated: November 22, 2020

We live in what is essentially the woods of New Jersey at the bottom of a hill. With two boys running in and out of the backyard, a pup coming in an out all day, and a diesel mechanic husband, it’s a constant battle with dirt.

Thankfully, I’ve found a few different ways to keep the dirt from taking over my home!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #allfreeclear #CollectiveBias

How to Keep Dirt Out of Your House

If you’re like me and not lucky enough to have a mudroom where you can contain ick, chances are you’re struggling to keep dirt contained. Never fear! I have some great tips.

Choose your “landing space.”

Where in your home will all of the dirt go? You need a ground zero to go to after getting dirty!

We have a back room with a door leading to our backyard that houses our washer and dryer. It makes a great langing zone!

It’s where we let the dog out as well and has hard flooring.

If you have a mud room then that’s the perfect landing space for you! But if you have a small house like we do, just allocate a small area.

shoes on a folded towed to keep dirt out fo the house

Make a space for dirty shoes.

Choose a dirty shoe spot and make it known. Shoes come off when kids come inside and go in that spot.

This way, if it’s muddy you can let them dry out and clap the shoes outside to get dirt off. It’s super important to stop the spread in order to keep dirt out of the house.

We use a folded up towel for this purpose. It’s not pretty, but it gets the job done and we cna wash it regularly.

I also have my eye on boot trays like this one. It’s narrow with a lip to contain drippy boots as well.

Take off any dirty clothes and throw them into the wash ASAP.

Have you ever watched a toddler play outside? If there is a dirt patch, my boys will find it. A pile of icky leaves? They’ll make a beeline for it.

I’ve come to accept this and have adopted a “boys will be boys!” attitude about it. But that doesn’t mean I’m okay will all of that ick coming inside.

Right when we come inside, I have my boys strip off dirty clothes and toss them into a small laundry basket we have. Then I toss straight into the wash.

Keep wipes for hands close by. 

In our backroom, I keep a container of wipes so that we can wipe off dirty little hands before they start touching all of my nice, clean walls.

I’ve also been known to time messy outside time with tub day. So they go out, get muddly, then come right in for a tub.

photo of a super dirty floor

Keep dirt out with a way to clean up before it spreads

No matter how hard I try, on rainy days, our back room ends up looking like this from out dog Cooper coming in and out.

I love a spray mop that I can use to quickly wipe up all of the dirty paw (and shoe!) prints so that the dirt doesn’t get tracked elsewhere into our home.

If it’s dry dirt, when I let everyone in and take shoes off, I do a quick vaccum of the back room. We store our mops/brooms/vaccuum back there so it’s super convenient.

dog towel lining to keep dirt out of the house

Wipe the dog!

My last tip is to wipe the dog’s paw when he comes in on a messy day. Cooper won’t let you wipe his paws without a lot of work and struggle, so doing it multiple times a day is kind of out of the question.

Instead, I came up with this simple trick – line the doorway with a towel. As he walks through with wet and muddy paws, the towel will sop up the ick so the majority doesn’t get tracked through the house. You’re welcome.

So tell me – how do you keep dirt out of your home this time of year? Does your toddler make a beeline all things ick like mine does? Let me know in the comments!

If you enjoyed this post, you may like these!

How to Make Your Own Cleaning Schedule

The One Rule You Need To Maintain a Tidy Home.

Why We Still Shop at Bulk Stores 

Filed Under: Cleaning

Comments

  1. Gretchen | Gretchruns says

    April 6, 2016 at 8:27 am

    Great tips! I’m definitely going to work on keeping my new house clean 🙂

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 9:40 am

      Thanks Gretchen! And yes, I feel like that’s the best part abut a new place – clean slate!

  2. Debbie W. says

    April 6, 2016 at 10:02 am

    Great tips. I’ve never tried All and I’m married to a mechanic or rather and engine builder. Your neighbor today at Women With Intention.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 9:44 am

      Thanks, Debbie!!

  3. Robin Masshole Mommy says

    April 6, 2016 at 10:05 am

    We take our shoes off as soon as we come in the house. It definitely helps.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 9:41 am

      It really does! I have to constantly remind my husband to do it, but it’s worth it!

  4. Lawrence Hamilton says

    April 6, 2016 at 1:48 pm

    Not an easy task at my house. My son has his crew and they do God knows what. There’s me with the Basketball. My wife has actually burned my sneakers. Working on this now with mixed results.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 9:45 am

      Oh man! Sounds like these tips are much needed!

  5. Trish Delgado says

    April 6, 2016 at 2:43 pm

    That folded towel tip is such a good idea. I live in a small apartment too and I have some clumsy children (they take after their mom) so a floor mat is not an option for us, but the towel would work wonderfully.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 9:47 am

      The folded towel is my favorite – keeps mud off my couch and floors and God knows where else!

  6. Carolyn West says

    April 6, 2016 at 5:08 pm

    We always have to wipe our dog’s paws when he comes inside or else we get dirty paw prints all over the house. I do like the idea about a folded towel at the entry door. Plus, my kids are always losing their shoes so if they have one place to put them, it’s a win-win. #client

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 9:48 am

      Gosh, I WISH my dog would let us wipe his paws! Occasionally I’ll do it, but he hates it so much I usually end up scraped and bruised, ha!

  7. Michelle Gwynn Jones says

    April 6, 2016 at 6:41 pm

    First rule, don’t let anyone into your house – wouldn’t it be nice if it were that simple?

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 10:02 am

      ha, if only!!

  8. Cindy Ingalls says

    April 6, 2016 at 7:35 pm

    We have a carpet by the back door so the dog won’t track dirty paw prints in the house. We also keep a towel handy incase it’s rainy to wipe him off. Of course he doesn’t like to get his delicate feet wet, so getting him to go outside at all is a challenge.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 10:06 am

      Too funny! I wish my dog didn’t want to get his feet wet – he runs circles through our muddy lawn!

  9. Ana De- Jesus says

    April 6, 2016 at 7:39 pm

    It is not easy to keep our home clean either but it is important to keep the home clean and I like your idea od grouping dirty clothing/shoes.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 10:08 am

      It’s definitely so importatn! I live with a bunch of boys, so dirt doesn’t bother them as much, but it drives me nuts!

  10. Liz Mays says

    April 6, 2016 at 9:32 pm

    This is great advice. Our space by the back door seems to accumulate dirt. We need to make some changes!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 10:17 am

      It always shocks me how much can come into my house in such a small amount of time! Hope these tips can help you!

  11. Elizabeth O. says

    April 6, 2016 at 9:35 pm

    These are awesome ideas for keeping the house clean. It’s good to have a landing space so that the rest of the house is much easier to maintain. Thanks for all of these tips!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 10:28 am

      Yes! That’s my theory. I’d rather have one place that needs a lot of cleaning than an entire house that needs a moderate amount!

  12. Amy Jones says

    April 6, 2016 at 10:59 pm

    Great tips, personally i dont allow shoes in my house, it really DOES help a lot, it is something that Asian people are used to, sometimes my guests raise their eyebrows whenever i tell them to take their shoes off, but eventually we all laugh and appreciate the Cleanness in my house! 😉

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 10:29 am

      I think it’s so worth it! Sometimes my husband gives me a hard time about it, but I remind him that I’M the one cleaning – if he wants to clean, he can leave his shoes on 😉

  13. Kristy @ Southern In Law says

    April 7, 2016 at 3:21 am

    LOVE this! I am a neat freak so I am always finding ways to ensure our house stays clean!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 10:30 am

      I was NEVER a neat freak by any means until I got my own house. Now it drives me insane to see messes!

  14. Emma white says

    April 7, 2016 at 7:10 am

    Brilliant tips, I have two Young boys and as you can imagine they love playing in dirt! I have a small section at the bottom of my kitchen near the patio door that I use to clean them up before they take a step further! Brilliant tips here! I love the towel idea, gonna use that myself 🙂

    Reply
  15. Melissa Bernardo says

    April 7, 2016 at 9:52 am

    A lot of great tips here. It’s so hard to keep my house clean with two boys running around 🙂

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 10:33 am

      I only have one boy mobile right now, but he’s enough work! I can’t imagine when both of my boys are running around!

  16. Esti Berkowitz says

    April 7, 2016 at 10:17 am

    Love how you make cleaning so fun and meaningful. Also, we use this type of All in the home since my hubby has allergies! Thanks for sharing:)

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 10, 2016 at 10:34 am

      Oh, thank you so much, Esti! We really do love all – it’s such a great product!

  17. Laura Starner says

    April 7, 2016 at 10:57 am

    Great post. I also buy that same detergent in bulk.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 11, 2016 at 11:19 am

      Nothing I hate more than going to to a load and having no more detergent- buying in bulk really helps with that!

  18. Christine says

    April 7, 2016 at 11:35 am

    This is awesome! I have that problem in my entry way. I’ll have to try this!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 11, 2016 at 11:19 am

      It’s such a pain to keep all the ick out, but so worth it!

  19. Dana says

    April 7, 2016 at 12:04 pm

    Great tips! With two boys and a huge dog I’ll take all the tips I can get to keep my home clean! Baseball cleats, football cleats, muddy backyard – it’s so frustrating!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 11, 2016 at 11:24 am

      Oh man, I’m not looking forward to when my boys get older – bigger boys = more dirt!

  20. Katy-ashadeofteal says

    April 7, 2016 at 12:21 pm

    My dogs are always the problem with keeping my floors clean. Great tips!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 11, 2016 at 11:25 am

      Dogs are so fun but man are they dirty! Even when there’s no mud out, my dog still tracks it in!

  21. Ana Fernandez says

    April 7, 2016 at 1:58 pm

    Awesome tips! Hate when my hubby just bring all the dirt back in his shoes after I have clean all the house

    Reply
  22. Jessica Harlow says

    April 7, 2016 at 5:16 pm

    I love the idea of having a “ground zero” for dirty clothes/shoes. Tracking in mud and dirt especially during the spring months is a nightmare at our house!

    Reply
  23. Nikki says

    April 7, 2016 at 6:39 pm

    Such a clever tips, were also need to schedule our general cleaning at home. So glad you shared it and it gives me idea.

    Reply
  24. [email protected] says

    April 8, 2016 at 5:35 am

    Amazing tips you have here. They can surely keep dirt outside of my home. Could be really useful for the apartment too!

    Reply
  25. Rosey says

    April 8, 2016 at 7:51 am

    My biggest housekeeping challenge is neighborhood children, lol and that is year-round, but April showers don’t help…lol

    Reply
  26. aziel says

    April 8, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    These are a really great tips, now I am going to clean our home.

    Reply
  27. Kendra says

    April 8, 2016 at 12:18 pm

    With two boys and a huge dog, these tips sure will come in handy! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  28. Claudia Krusch says

    April 8, 2016 at 8:44 pm

    Love your tips! So important to keep it out of the home! I have a tray by the front door for shoes and school/dirty clothes are always in the hamper!

    Reply
  29. Colette S says

    April 8, 2016 at 11:28 pm

    I definitely do not like dirt inside. I try to keep it as clean as I can, with mops and sweeping.

    These are very good tips! Thank you.

    Reply
  30. Mardene Carr says

    April 9, 2016 at 9:19 am

    Well no dogs here to worry about. I have wipes all over my house. It is my go to for everything dirty

    Reply
  31. Lisa @ Fun Money Mom says

    April 11, 2016 at 8:23 pm

    Great tips! I’m always looking for new hacks to keep the dirt out, though with two kids it can be kind of hard!!!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 12, 2016 at 8:55 am

      I only have one mobile kid and a dog, but I can sure see how it’s only going to get worse when they’re both running around!

  32. sherry says

    April 11, 2016 at 8:43 pm

    I love these tips. I have a boy and a boxer dog, and I need all the tips I can get!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 12, 2016 at 8:56 am

      Oh, I understand you! I’m a boy mom with a lab! There’s no hiding from dirt here!

  33. Ashleigh says

    April 11, 2016 at 10:56 pm

    Awesome post! These tips are really thought out and helpful!

    I would love it if you would share this on my weekly link party : )

    http://www.twentysomethinginthe2010s.com/peace-love-linkup-002/

    Reply
  34. Sandra Garth says

    April 12, 2016 at 7:10 pm

    Even with just the Mr and I dirt still comes in. I have a shoe tray in the hallway that leads to the outside, and the mud closet is there with the broom, mop etc. You just have to stay on top of things and do your best to keep the ick at bay. We go through lots of handy wipes, mop cloths and static dust towels.

    Reply
  35. Hannah Adkins says

    April 13, 2016 at 9:55 pm

    I definitely always have to wipe my dogs paws whenever we come inside after its all rainy and muddy. Otherwise theres mud and dirt everywhere.

    Reply

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