During the winter months, your family and pets will be tracking mud and slush into your home. This muck makes a big mess of your floors and carpets. Here are a few tips to help keep the mess outside where it belongs:

Add Entry Mats

Having an entry mat will provide a small surface to collect the dirt and help stop it from being tracked throughout the home. You can have a heavy-duty mat outside the door so people can get rid of most of the slush and mud before they step inside. A mat inside will give them somewhere to stand while they take off their dirty boots.

Proper Materials

Make sure you select the right material for your mat. The best fibres are acrylic tops with rubber or vinyl backs. These will collect the dirt and stop the wet from leaking through to the floor below. With many style options to choose from, you can get the exact look to suit your home decor.

Mat Sizing

Make sure you have a fairly large mat. A tiny little welcome mat is not going to do the job. You want something that is at least the width of the door and at least two strides deep into the home. This will allow people to step into the home, wipe their feet, and get their boots off without having to step onto the floor. If you have kids, you might want to double the size, if you have the space, as they tend to travel in groups!

Boot Tray

Place a boot tray with a lip, tight beside the door. These trays are designed to keep all the slush and snow contained as it melts away from your boots and shoes. Without a boot tray, not only can the melted snow cause a real headache, it can actually damage your flooring.

Cleaning Mats

It is not enough to have mats at the door. You have to keep them clean. Mats tend to collect a lot of dirt, including clumps of road salt. This can be dangerous for your pets. Make sure you are either giving your mats a good shaking outside or running a vacuum over them when they are dry to stop people from tracking in all that accumulated dirt. Use a good carpet cleaner to do a thorough cleaning of really wet, dirty mats. A carpet cleaner will get all of the dirt out to stop people from getting their socks dirty and tracking it through the home.

These tips will keep mud and slush contained to a small area, keeping your floors and carpets their cleanest.