With wet shoes bringing in dirt from puddles, paths and sports pitches, it feels like a constant battle to keep things clean.
7
But despair not.
Start the fightback with these easy steps that will quickly show muddy footprints the back door . . .
FIND YOUR PERFECT MAT: Laying mats inside by your doors is an essential defence against dirt and mud.
Choose ones that are hard-wearing, moisture-absorbing and also machine-washable.
READ MORE MONEY SAVING TIPS
Dunelm has a decent range of washable doormats, from £12.
SHOE SENSE: Instead of flinging wet, mucky shoes on to the floor, have a washable tray by the door for them to stand on.
Lakeland has a dedicated boot-and-shoe tray, down from £13 to £9.99, which holds three pairs.
For an even cheaper option, Ikea has a Bagg-muck mat for dirty footwear, priced £3, which you can use alone or place under a shoe rack.
Even an offcut of a PVC tablecloth would keep mud off the floor and can be easily wiped clean.
TOP OF THE MOPS: To keep on top of hard floors, a mop is a must-have.
For speedy clean-ups on small areas, like a hallway, a bucketless spray mop is your friend.
The Vileda 1-2 spray mop, from around £18, is easy to use and you can just chuck the dirty mop pad straight in the washing machine.
SOFTLY DOES IT: If mud finds its way on to carpet, don’t swoop in with a cloth straight away.
Instead, wait until it dries before brushing or vacuuming, then tackle the leftovers with water and a clean cloth.
Avoid rubbing the dirt, which can damage carpet fibres, and instead rinse and blot until the marks have gone.
CLEAN DREAM: Teaching children to clean up their own dirty trainers is every parent’s dream.
But wait until the mud is fully dry, then use a brush, like the Pepprig two-in-one shoe brush from Ikea — currently £1, down from £1.50 — to get the worst of the dried muck off.
Make a paste with three parts bicarbonate of soda to one part water then use the brush to apply this to the soles of the shoes.
Wipe clean and leave to dry.
- All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
Deal of the day
7
HIDE all your bathroom items in a French cane storage box, down from £25 to £17.50 at Dunelm.
SAVE: £7.50
Cheap treat
7
LIGHT up your interiors with a pretty country floral lampshade from Argos, down from £6 to £3.60.
SAVE: £2.40
What’s new?
BUY one and get another free, saving around £8, on Burger King’s Gourmet Kings Peppercorn Angus Burger or Peppercorn Crispy Chicken from tomorrow to Thursday on the BK app.
Top swap
7
7
STIR up a sweet treat with Hotel Chocolat’s grated hot chocolate, above, £8.95 for 250g.
Or try Tesco’s 200g Belgian hot chocolate flakes for £2.65.
SAVE: £6.30
Little helper
ENJOY a two-pack of Co-op British beef ranch steaks, and skinny fries, for £5, saving £3.30.
Or save an extra 50p if you are a Co-op member.
Shop & save
7
KIDS can brush up on their teeth skills with the Play-Doh Drill ’n’ Fill set from Asda, down from £19 to £14.50.
SAVE: £4.50
Hot right now
TAKE a break from shopping and pick up a tea or hot chocolate and slice of Victoria sponge for £3 in the Morrisons cafe.
PLAY NOW TO WIN £200
7
JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.
Every month we’re giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers – whether you’re saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered.
Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket.
The more codes you enter, the more tickets you’ll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!