If there’s one place that always seems to collect grit, grime, and dust, it’s the entryway floor. It sees tons of traffic every day, making it a place where everything from mud to soot congregates. Did you ever wonder how some people seem to keep their entryway floor clean regardless of the season? We’ve researched several handy methods for you to minimize dirt gathering in your entryway.
Using the right storage is the smartest way to keep your entryway floor clean. By installing hooks for jackets, having a boot drop-off rack, placing a doormat inside, and hosting “open storage” boxes, you can immediately reduce dirt accumulation. From there, regular vacuuming and sweeping should take care of the rest.
The problem with entryway floors is that there are moments where things may seem difficult to mitigate, particularly when it comes to smaller entryways. This guide will help you find new ways to cut down on clutter and reduce the amount of cleaning that you need to do.
How To Avoid Getting Your Entryway Floor Dirty: Smart Habits
The best way to keep your entryway floor clean is to prevent it from getting dirty right from the start. Let’s start by talking about how you can use your entryway smartly with these tips below:
- Get into the routine of taking your shoes off while standing on a doormat. Every entryway floor needs to have a decently large mat area where you can remove your shoes. The sooner you remove your shoes, the less likely it is that you’ll accumulate dirt. If you can, incorporate a small stool to sit on so you can remove shoes quickly.
- Stomp out your shoes outside, if at all possible. Many homes have brushes with shoe bristles outside specifically because it’ll reduce tracking dirt from the front lawn. If that doesn’t work, just stomp on your outdoor welcome mat.
- Don’t walk across your lawn if you don’t have to; a classic (and commonsense) trick to employ.
- Keep the walkway to your front door as clean as possible. Shoveling away snow and having an elevated pathway can reduce the chances of stepping in mud.
- Pick up after your pets to reduces the chances of having to deal with stinky shoes as a result of stepping in Fido’s doo-doo.
How To Avoid Getting Your Entryway Floor Dirty: Smart Items
Along with smart habits, there are other ways to get your entryway to remain super clean. The inability to keep an entrance clean typically comes from allowing it to get too gross. The following items are proven to help immensely:
Get Shoe Storage
Shoe storage that prevents dirt from falling on the ground is a must if you want to keep your entryway manageable. We suggest getting a multi-tier shoe shelf that makes it easy to keep grit off the ground and even easier to stack shoes. To get the best use of this, put it close by the door, so you don’t track too much dirt.
Click here to get this storage shelf on Amazon.
What Is The Best Dirt Trapper Mat For Shoes?
A floor mat is an absolute must when it comes to keeping your floor clean. Ideally, you will get a floor mat that is long and easy to clean, yet capable of catching dirt. Sometimes, it’s even a good idea to double up on mats, simply because it’s an easy way to cut down on your cleaning schedule. Rubber or coir doormats can be good picks here.
Click here to get these floor mats on Amazon.
Another good option to consider is the Gorilla Grip doormat, which comes with specialty no-slip rubber. It comes in a wide range of different colors and textures so you can match it to your interior decor.
Click here to get this product from Amazon.
If you are a fan of more traditional doormats, you should get something that suits your needs. A straw-based dirt trapper is ideal for this type of ambiance.
Click here to get this mat on Amazon.
If you have pets, then a regular doormat might not be enough to prevent all the stains and stuff that comes with Fido’s recent romp in the yard. You might want to get a doggie mat instead, like the one below.
Click here to get this dog mat on Amazon.
Get A Door Hanger
Hanging your coats and other belongings also can help reduce the clutter that contributes to dust and grime in an entryway. After all, mud doesn’t just get on shoes, does it? Hangers keep stuff off the floor, easily within reach, and away from dust. Hanging up your clothes in the open air even helps your clothes dry faster.
Click here to get this door hanger on Amazon.
Add Storage Boxes Or An Entryway Table
Along with hooks for coats and a rack for shoes, you’re also going to want to have a box or two that can hold other knickknacks that usually find themselves near your door. These items might include things like umbrellas, lunch boxes, or if you have kids, favorite outdoor toys like baseball bats. A large chest-like box can double as a stool and hold tons of stuff.
Click here to buy this storage box on Amazon.
Of course, not every home will need a large storage box for all the goods, nor will they have enough space for a chest trunk.
Reducing Your Entryway Floor Cleaning Time
Once you have a layout equipped for heavy traffic and reduced cleaning necessity, it’s time to have a minimal cleaning routine. Thankfully, this is a breeze. These tips below will help you keep your entryway looking clean as a whistle:
- To clean your flooring fast, pick up the mats at the entrance and take them outside. Give them a good shake and put them back into place. Most dirt and debris will fly off after a couple of good shakes.
- Stick to open storage for wet items. Keeping your jackets in a closet makes it difficult for them to dry off and can even increase the chances of mold. Even if you don’t use door hangers in your entryway, try to avoid putting wet coats in the closet. Even using a hat rack can help to dry your goods off significantly.
- When picking out mats for your entryway, make a point of picking dark colors. The color selection might be more of a cheat than a cleaning tip, but it’s true. Dark colors don’t stain as quickly and won’t show grime as easily.
- Reduce the clutter in and around your entryway. The less clutter you have, the less stuff you’ll have to pick up. Even if it’s something as simple as moving your winter shoes into storage once May hits, the amount of cleaning you’ll do will decrease significantly.
- During the winter months, add a small plastic bin near your shoe rack. Use this as a “drying” bin when stuff gets snowy, wet, or muddy. By relegating all the moisture and dirt to a bin, you keep your floor safe from excess debris.
- During wetter months, use a microfiber damp mop to wipe up the floor once or twice a week. Microfiber is soft enough to be easy on wood, but will still help reduce dust and buff away any water stains. It is best to vacuum first since mopping up road salt won’t really do much good to your floors!
- Try to vacuum your floor once every two weeks at a bare minimum. Even if you have mats and other gear protecting your floor, you will still need to vacuum your floor. If you’re not a fan of vacuuming, consider getting a Roomba to help. Roombas and other automated vacuums can be scheduled to do the cleaning for you and are able to go over mats in most cases. All you have to do is clean out the tray once the vacuuming session is done.
Click here to get a Roomba from Amazon.
Should I Keep A Broom In My Entryway?
Tempting as it may be, a broom doesn’t always belong in an entryway. In many cases, it can just add additional clutter when compared to an automated vacuum like a Roomba. As a result, we don’t suggest keeping it there. If you need one close by, make sure that you keep it in the closet nearby.
How Should I Keep My Entryway Smelling Good?
The best way to keep your entryway smelling fresh is to incorporate a deodorizer like a scented candle or a fragrance lamp. With both of these options, you get to enjoy a fresh scent that covers up any foul odors that your stuff may have acquired.
We suggest getting a fragrance lamp since it has a more elegant look. With a fragrance lamp, you get to pick your favored scents, let them burn, and also get bacteria-killing powers through the alcohols in the lamp oil. It’s a little more thorough than a typical
Get a fragrance lamp on Amazon.
Another option would be to get a fragrant candle that you can light when things get a little stinky. Usually, spicy scents tend to work better in entryways, simply because they’re strong enough to tackle some of the fouler scents that you might experience like sweaty shoes or rained-out clothing.
Click here to get this Yankee Candle from Amazon.
To Conclude
Keeping a clean entryway is a simple as incorporating simple storage and routine cleaning habits. With these tips, you’ll soon find your entryway stays fresh and welcoming.