On a recent caravan holiday to the Great British seaside, it occurred to me the lack of measures in place to protect the caravan floors and carpets from water, mud and sand. We all know that when holidaying in the UK, the one thing we cannot guarantee is the weather! On a rainy day it can become increasingly difficult to keep your caravan floors cleans and protected from the water and mud brought in on the bottom of shoes. Even if you are lucky with the weather and get the opportunity to spend a day at the beach, why is it that no matter how hard you try, you still seem to manage to bring sand back to the caravan with you?
Whether you own a holiday home, or are simply renting one, the last thing you want to do is spend your holiday mopping up muddy footprints or vacuuming half of the beach out of the carpets! So what is the solution?
Use the right matting in the right places – using our 3 mat entry system
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1. Outside the caravan entrance – whether your caravan has a decking area or simply some steps, you should place a rubber outdoor entrance mat outside the entrances. A rubber mat will take heavy dirt, mud and grit from footwear and will not harbour water; unlike a nylon faced mat (pictured right) which was placed outside of the caravan that I recently holidayed in. The nylon faced mat (right) which was placed outside of the caravan was damp even when it hadn’t rained, which meant we were treading wet footprints through the caravan even if they weren’t wet in the first place!
- 2. Inside the caravan entrance – Most caravans tend to have a small area of ribbed carpet in the entranceway (pictured below right), which can end up looking very dirty and become increasingly difficult to clean. The best solution here is a bi-level entrance mat, which scrapes and wipes dirt and moisture from footwear, where it will fall to a lower level so that it cannot be tracked further around the caravan.
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3. Inside the caravan – Instead of walking onto a lino or laminate floor, which may cause slip and fall accidents if the floor is wet, you should use either a nylon or cotton faced finishing mat to remove any finer dirt or dust from footwear. This is particularly useful if you have spent a day at the beach. The mats will help remove any sand or grit which may still be stuck to your shoes. The sand can then be shaken off outside instead of you having to vacuum up the trail of sand you have left around the caravan. Cotton faced mats are also brilliant for taking mud and moisture off muddy paws if you like to take your dog for a holiday too!
Applying this simple 3 mat entrance system to your caravan or holiday home will make your holiday a whole lot more stress free, with much less time being spent cleaning up.
Our 3 mat entrance system can be applied to any property: See our article about our 3 mat entry system here
