The Best Ways To Keep Snow Out Of Your Home This Winter

The first snowfall of the year is a beautiful and welcome addition to the winter landscape in cold climates. While the snow outside is a stunning site, seeing it on the floors of your home is a different story. Snow often finds its way into your home, and it can cause all sorts of problems once it gets in. So, you must do all you can to keep snow outside where it belongs.

To keep snow out of your home this winter, you should add mats at all entryways, both inside and outside your home. It’s a good idea to start a “no shoes in the house” policy and leave bins by each entrance for boots and shoes. Make sure you are diligent in shoveling, and removing excess snow from your roof as needed. 

When snow gets in your home, it melts and can cause problems. There’s always a mess, which can damage your floors if you don’t clean it up quickly. Worst of all, melted snow is a safety hazard when it goes unnoticed on your floors. To ensure you don’t face any unwanted problems, check out the top ways listed below to prevent snow from entering the home.

8 Ways To Prevent Snow From Entering Your Home This Winter

1. Add Extra Floor Mats To All Entryways

Most snow is tracked into the home from your shoes. Therefore, the best way to prevent it from reaching far into your home is to stop it where it enters. Most homes have doormats outside. In the winter, it’s wise to have mats on the inside of your home as well.

You can only get so much snow off your shoes before entering the home. Most people also only take their shoes off after they get inside, especially in the winter months. Having a floor mat at each entry door will significantly decrease the quantity of snow in your home.

2. Have A No Shoes Policy In The Home

Since snow primarily enters the home on shoes, it makes sense to remove them from the equation. If you don’t want your floors to get ruined by snow entering your home this winter, then it’s wise to have a no-shoes policy.

You can make a little sign and place bins or a large basket next to each entrance to store shoes and remind guests. This will help keep your home snow-free, and it will also keep your floors much cleaner during the winter months.

3. Shovel Diligently

Shoveling is another great way to reduce the amount of snow that enters your home. If you don’t shovel quickly after it snows, it’s easy to track tons of snow into your home. Ensure you shovel as soon as it is safe after it stops snowing.

Shoveling diligently will keep your floors dry, and it will also keep your sidewalks clear and safe. Pay particular attention to the walkways near any entrance.

4. Remove Snow From The Roof

Snow can fall even after a storm has passed, especially if it is piled high on your roof. You must remove snow from the roof when it accumulates. For one, this takes the pressure off your roof and gutters. 

Furthermore, removing snow from your roof also reduces the likelihood of you tracking it into the house, as it reduces the number of times fresh snow falls on your walkways.

5. Place Rugs Or Mats Outside Your Doors

In addition to placing more rugs on the floors inside your home, it’s a smart idea to have rugs or mats outside your home. You can place long runner rugs on your walkways leading to your front door to make your sidewalks less slippery and this will also help keep snow out of your home.

Alternatively, you can place simple easy-to-clean outdoor rugs. This will act as a first place for people to wipe their feet and remove as much snow as possible from their shoes before entering the threshold of your home.

6. Wet Vacuum Rugs And Mats Regularly

In addition to keeping snow out of your home, you should try to keep all the salt, dirt, and chemicals outside as well. Outside rugs are great at keeping snow outside, but they can also quickly collect unwanted filth and salt.

Make a habit of using a wet vacuum to regularly clean your outdoor and indoor mats, in addition to shaking them out. This will keep them clean and effective throughout the winter.

7. Use Front Porch Or Patio As Shoe Changing Areas

If you aren’t a big fan of walking around barefoot or in socks, then consider having “house shoes” and “outdoor shoes.” House shoes are slippers or shoes that are only worn in the house. This means they will never have snow on them.

You can place your house shoes on your front porch or patio, and use this area as a shoe changing station. You can leave your boots in a separate bin next to your house shoes. This will ensure you never bring outside snow and dirt into the home.

8. Mop More Frequently

Even if you are diligent about removing shoes and adding additional mats, there’s still a chance that snow will find its way into your home. One way to prevent it from damaging your floors and causing problems is to mop more frequently. 

Try to double the number of times you mop in the snowiest times of the year. This should reduce the snow residue on your floors.

Four Reasons It’s Important To Keep Snow Off Your Floors

1. Standing Water Can Destroy Floors

Snow quickly turns to water once it gets into your home. While white snow is easy to identify, it’s much easier to overlook puddles of water. Puddles of water can cause damage and leave spots, especially on wood and linoleum flooring. This is one reason you must do your best to keep all snow outside of your home this winter.

2. Snow Usually Contains Salt And Dirt 

Snow that makes it into your home is rarely the white pristine snow you see outside. It’s often loaded with sand, dirt, and salt from your walkways and shoes. This means when it melts on the floor, it leaves the dirt, salt, and chemicals behind. These remnants not only make a mess, but they can damage your floor.

3. It Makes Your Floors Dirty

Snow in the home can quickly become a messy and muddy situation. It can stain your carpets and rugs, and make cleaning your floors more challenging than normal. If you don’t want to spend a lot of time this winter scrubbing stains out of carpets, then follow the steps above to ensure snow stays outside where it belongs.

4. It’s A Safety Hazard

Lastly, and arguably most importantly, when snow makes its way into the home it’s also a safety hazard. Snow melts and forms hard-to-see puddles. It’s very easy to slip and fall on puddles, especially if you aren’t wearing proper footwear and don’t notice the puddles.

Summing Up How To Keep Snow Out Of Your Home This Winter

Snow might be fun to look at and enjoy when it’s outside, but no one wants snow in their home. It can damage wood and linoleum floors, make your home messy and muddy, and even raise safety concerns. Luckily, there are many simple ways to keep snow out of your home.

Since snow is usually tracked in by shoes, consider instituting a no-shoes policy, and wearing house shoes only in the home. You should also add additional mats and rugs both inside and outside the home, and ensure you clean these mats regularly. Ensure you always shovel promptly after a snowstorm and remove excess snow from your roof as needed.

Related Guides:

• How To Melt Snow Around Your Home Fast
• 13 Ways To Make Walkways Less Slippery This Winter
• How Much Snow Can A Roof Hold? (Find Out Now!)