Tuesday, May 28, 2013

How to Keep Sand Out of Your Beach House This Summer

Path Through the Corn at Pourville, c.1882


Our water was turned back on last Thursday, so thank you to all who wrote in out of concern.  It's nice to have running water again!  
I don't have a beach house but you may, so I wanted to share this article that might be helpful to some of you:

Two things you want to keep out of your beach house this summer besides unwanted guests are bugs and sand. You may not be able completely eliminate every single bug or every grain of sand, but there are things you can do to at least keep most of the sand out of your beach house.
  • Build a Sand Room – This may sound extravagant, but if you have the resources to add a little entryway room with a shower, drain and changing area, this will go far in preventing sand from overtaking your house. People can use this area to shower, get the sand off their bodies and out of their hair, change clothes and leave their sandy belongings in the room so that it doesn’t get tracked in the house. You’ll want to provide hooks for towels and swimsuits and a shallow tub to hold sandy footwear. Be sure to ask everyone to clean their shoes and sandals before coming in to help lessen the mess. You can make it comfortable with easy-to-clean plastic chairs, or you can build storage that doubles as seating space.
  • Leave a Hose By the Door – Keep a garden hose handy so that everyone can rinse off before coming into the house. Make sure you have a spray nozzle attached. An alternative to the hose is to get a portable camping shower for outdoor use. If you set this up near the door, people can rise off quickly without having to deal with cold water. You can make a little enclosed area with sheets and clothesline for privacy if needed, or you can purchase a portable cabana-style tent for under $100. These small tents give you just enough room for changing and showering while still providing privacy. They also have a nice beach look, and you can take one with you to the beach to use as a sun shelter since they are portable.
  • Take Your Shoes Off Before Going Inside – Most of the sand that gets tracked in comes from shoes and sandals. If everyone takes their shoes off before coming in the house, a considerable amount of sand will be left behind. You can provide flip flops or footie socks for people who don’t want to walk around the house barefoot. If you have a bristly door mat outside, such as a coconut fiber mat, it will help trap sand at the door. Also, having a runner along the floor will catch additional sand attached to feet after the shoes come off. Shake the runner out often so that sand doesn’t get a chance to build up.
  • Make Cornstarch Pouches – This little item seems to work well for getting sand off the body, and can be kept by the door for use before entering the house. Put some cornstarch in a flannel pouch and rub the pouch over the sandy parts of your body. The pouch removes the sand easily, and they can be made from the pockets of old flannel shirts or flannel remnants. A drawstring top will allow for simple refilling.
  • Skip the Carpeting – Keep floors smooth and carpet free, even if only in the entryway, unless you have a runner specifically for catching sand. Carpet fibers will trap falling sand, and you will have a very hard time cleaning it all out. With smooth floors, you can simply sweep the sand away.
  • Make the Switch to Mesh Beach Bags – Rather than using solid bags to transport belongings to the beach, make the switch to mesh bags. This will allow excess sand to fall through the bag off items that you are carrying. You can shake it to lose even more sand. But, just to be on the safe side, empty the bag and shake out items again before bringing anything into the home.
  • Use Beach Chairs – Adults can use beach chairs to sit on rather than towels. Not only do they provide some support for your back, they are also easier to de-sand than towels. Just hose them off and the sand is gone. Beach chairs also free up your towels so that they can be used just for drying off.
  • Wear Flip-Flops or Sandals – Wearing flip-flops or waterproof sandals on the beach means you won’t end up with shoes full of sand. Flip-flops can be very cheap and are perfect for beachwear. You can knock the sand off of them, and they can easily be rinsed.
Keeping your beach home sand-free can be an uphill battle, especially if you have pets. Regular vacuuming with a HEPA filter vacuum will help, along with regular dusting and damp mopping. Make it a family project, and get everyone involved in creating a “low sand” zone in the house.

Original article posted here.  Reposted with permission.

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4 comments:

  1. Great ideas!! Although we don't have a beach house either, we do have a LOT of sand in our back yard!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, all these tips will help you to keep your house clean in the case if your house is near the beach. Most of the sand enters in our house with our footwear, so it is better to leave it outside. If any cleaning company is working for you to clean your home, then also you have to follow these steps. Otherwise your house will not look clean.

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  3. Great read, here you can also find commercial cleaninf services in the UK https://www.futurecleaningservices.co.uk/services/cleaning/daily-cleaning

    ReplyDelete

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