A well-maintained foyer or entryway to your home creates a great first impression. It’s where you welcome relatives and guests and set the stage for the rest of their visit.
You can demarcate such a space in front of your door even if you don’t have a specific foyer area. This is where you can place helpful items such as coat racks, a mail or key table, and a shoe stand. Sometimes, people add a mirror and a small seating arrangement, too.
Naturally, this space needs to be well-maintained and kept clean. That is simple enough in normal circumstances. But it can become a challenge during the rainy season. Those who enter the house during this time can bring in moisture and dirt which can accumulate and create quite a mess.
If you don’t make provisions to tackle this, your entire house could face the consequences. Here, then, are seven simple ways to keep your foyer clean, dry and well-maintained during the monsoons.
Proper Organisation and Demarcation
At all times, proper arrangement and definition of a foyer space are important. This is even more essential during the monsoons. To begin with, there should be a clear and open space for visitors to walk into. There should not be any unnecessary furniture and accessories in their way.
If space is at a premium, you can demarcate the area with other house furniture. Some examples are the backs of bookshelves, cabinets, and tables.
Doing this means that the rainwater and dirt that visitors may bring in will remain confined to the foyer and not easily spread throughout the house. It will also make the foyer easier to clean.
Space for Rain Gear
Chances are that many people entering the house during the monsoons will be wearing raincoats or carrying umbrellas. To stop the foyer from getting messy, you can make provisions for people to store these at the entrance itself.
A large umbrella stand and a shoe rack will go a long way in keeping the foyer clean. When choosing these pieces of equipment, look for those with a closed base and open sides. This prevents water from dripping on the floor and keeps umbrellas and raingear aired. A storage cupboard or wall hooks for raincoats are other ways to minimize mess.
Proper Flooring
You should make sure that your foyer’s flooring can withstand moisture. Otherwise, the foyer can start to look dirty and badly maintained during the rains. Some materials that do the job are ceramic and porcelain tiles. These are durable and easy to clean and care for. Vinyl and laminate flooring are also popular options.
If the rest of your house has wooden flooring and you want a foyer to match, you can consider engineered hardwood. This is a layered wood construction that can withstand moisture from mopping and spills.
Dehumidifiers and Fresheners
Even the best-maintained foyers can attract mould and musty aromas in wet weather. Installing a dehumidifier can speed up the drying process. Having an air freshener handy will ensure that the space smells clean.
Keep in mind that these are not solutions to the problems of dampness. Instead, they are ways to make your foyer appear fresh and inviting, and are to be used along with other methods of keeping it dry and clean.
Think Outside the Foyer
When it’s raining, it makes sense to try and stop rainwater and grime from entering the house in the first place. To do this, you can make use of different types of doormats. For instance, you could have an entrance zone where there is a scraper doormat, followed by a doormat just inside the foyer that is meant to absorb moisture.
Some materials to keep in mind are vinyl, rubber and carpet fibre. The mats should be large enough to be used properly. They should also be easy to maintain. Remember to wash them at regular intervals.
Keep Cleaning Supplies Handy
During the rainy season, a foyer becomes easier to clean when cleaning and drying material is close by. For a start, you can store a stack of fresh towels in a foyer cabinet for visitors who have been caught in the rain.
Another closed space in the foyer can be stacked with mops, brooms and scrapers. In this way, you can get rid of excess moisture and dirt more than once a day. Of course, such material should be regularly cleaned and replaced.
Pre-monsoon Preparation
It’s always best not to wait for the rains to start but to take steps before they arrive. For example, you can varnish wooden surfaces in your foyer to create a protective layer that will prevent them from absorbing moisture.
After that, you can check if the floor needs a waterproof coating. The doorway, frames and walls should be in good condition, without cracks and leaks. These preventive actions will go a long way in ensuring that your foyer stays fresh and clean during the monsoons.
The design experts at HomeLane have many more such ideas for your interiors. For all the seasons of the year. Whether you’re moving into a new home or upgrading your old one, do call for a free design session right away.
