A Mat at the Door

Dirt comes in from outside

There’s another way dirt gets all over, but we’ll talk about that another time. For now, consider how dirt comes in the house and gets tracked all over.

As Don Aslett, the cleaning guru of yesteryear, would point out, stores have people coming in and out all day and you can’t tell them to take off their shoes, nor do they care what they are dragging in. So what do the stores do?

They put utility mats at the door, and the mats are designed to capture the dirt and wet before it gets tracked.

You need to ditch the small, slippery, trippy “decorative” rugs and get those mats. (Affiliate link, but you can get the same thing at a store near you.) The mats need to be heavy, flat, and big — big enough for several people to stand on (plus the dog) and take steps across. Mine last for about 15 years! They are an investment to save time cleaning and money replacing dumb, ineffective rugs.

Indispensable for the Reasonably Clean House: A mat outside the door and a big mat (or two) inside the door where people usually come in, e.g. your mudroom.

During snow times, you can also throw down an old blanket or quilt beyond the mat, for the time when everyone is standing around, taking off boots, and shedding snow that will melt in a bit. That way you’ll protect your wooden floors from damage and your tile floors from puddles of water to chill the unsuspecting.

We Work & Play by Eleanor Campbell.

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My book on how to live with the Liturgical Year: The Little Oratory

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As with everything here at the SFH, the best thing is for you to take my ideas, coming from my experience of 45 years of marriage and raising seven children, and apply them to your situation with discernment, prudence, and confidence — and a sense of humor!