stopping mud when there is no mud room?

[lorisuewho]

How do I stop all the mud being tracked through my kitchen from the back yard by the dog and the children when I have no mud room and no covered porch coming in?  I have tried outdoor mats, but really, since the porch isn't covered the mats are soaking wet and only add to the problem.  I have considered rugs at the entrance inside, but then I guess they would need to hold up to many times a week washings.  Fall, spring, and winter are all nightmares of mud.  The obvious solution is that our backyard should be fixed for better drainage, but that isn't going to happen.  Any advice for dealing with muddy floors?

 

[regentrude]

shoes come off right outside the door and get hand carried to a suitable spot where they can repose and drip - ideally inside the entrance door, but if needed, in the laundry room or wherever you usually store shoes.

[MercyA]

We always take off our shoes by the door. Our dog's paws were wiped every single time he came in. Totally worth it for clean floors!

[alisoncooks]

We have a muddy yard and no mudroom.

Would something like a shoe mat or boot tray work?  On muddy days, my kids only wear rubber rain boots -- which are easy to place on the tray and then later bang off when dry.  We also keep a boot scraper on the back porch.  

 

On nice days, we use a wicker basket to collect shoes.

 

Our dog has tiny feet and hates the mud, so I don't have that problem so much.  But when he does get muddy paws, we just carry him directly to the kitchen sink and wash his feet...or wipe them down with baby wipes (keep a pack by the back door for easy access).

[J-rap]

We have a very large rug by the door, right inside the kitchen, as soon as we come in.  It's room enough to take off shoes and set them there.  No shoes in the house during the muddy season (except for on that rug).  For the dog, that's a little harder.  But, I used to keep a towel right by the door just for him.  Right before letting him in, I'd quickly swipe each foot with the tool.  (We did it so often that he didn't mind at all.)  We also put gates up in the doorways that led outside the kitchen, so that the dog had to stay awhile in the kitchen and any mud that was left on him would stay on the easy-to-clean kitchen floor.  Once he was dry, we'd let him out.

 

For doorway gates, we used baby/child gates.

[VaKim]

I resorted to using large, heavy towels for "rugs" inside the doors. They are much more easily washed than actual rugs and can be changed out often, as needed. They are also more absorbent.

Edited February 25, 2016 by VaKim

[Laura Corin]

We take our shoes off at the door.  The dog comes in at the kitchen door and is confined to the kitchen until she is dry.  

[fairfarmhand]

Muddy shoes come off at the door.

 

We only use rubber boots for muddy chores. "Going out" shoes don't get muddy and I don't mind them being worn through the house.

[Sun]

Yes, shoes off at the door. If you're going to let people traipse through the house in shoes that went through mud, you're going to have mud on your floors, end of story. There is no way to get kids (or even most husbands) to clean their muddy shoes well enough at the door to not track mud through the house. It's just not possible. Those shoes have to come off.

 

[lorisuewho]

I appreciate all your responses.  I like the idea of having a big towel as a rug by the door.  I should keep rags there to wipe the dog's paws everytime.  I think I just have to do it!  We already require the children to take their shoes off in the house, but I like the suggestion of the dedicated outdoor shoes--like rainboots.  Thank you for the ideas!

[EMS83]

Um...muddy floors.   :lol:   Today actually, I stripped our bed and forgot to close the bedroom door...now I have red clay paw prints on my mattress.   :coolgleamA:

 

We do the towel thing, too.  We have a yard which is on red clay, has it's own mud hole, and forms a river if it rains too hard.  Hubby also has a fairly dirty job, but is very considerate about taking his boots off and keeping the dirt localized.  The kids take their shoes off either on the picnic table, or right inside the door, depending on how caked they are.  We have 2 big dogs, one of whom needs a big towel every time he gets wet or muddy; he's got thick fur and his paws are like sponges.  So the mud stays more or less in one area, but I also can't say our floors are clean.  They just aren't as dirty as they could be.   :D  But, I'm also not the one who mops our floors; the kids do that.

[lllll]

nm

Edited March 7, 2016 by _ oq?"

[happypamama]

You've seen my house.  The best I can manage is shoes off at or very close to the door and a lot of vacuuming/mopping.

[zoobie]

Shoes off and an LL Bean Waterhog mat on both sides of the door. There are some that look more rug like than others, and they all can be hosed off outside. We also keep microfiber towels by the door for dog paws.