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Keeping your home fresh and clean with kids and pets around can be a challenge. From the amount of belongings each one has to their short attention span when it comes to cleaning, it can be hard for you to ever feel like your home is in the order you wish it was. And with pets and kids, damage can be done to any number of your surfaces, appliances or pieces of furniture, and especially to your doors. However, there are a few things you can do to minimize the damage and destruction done to your doors by kids and pets by using the three tips below.
Stop Slamming Doors
Once kids get to a certain age, they love playing with doors. This include slamming doors, opening and closing doors, and playing with the springs that are attached to some doors in order to keep them from crashing into the wall when opening too forcefully. With all this action your doors are getting, you might be wondering how they even stay on the hinges!
For kids who have a love for slamming doors, Jess Miller of Parent.Guide recommends for parents to either purchase a product meant to minimize door slamming or simply place a towel on the top of the door frame close to the hinges and secure it with tape so the door can’t close completely. This will keep the door from slamming while also preventing your little ones from getting their fingers pinched.
Keep Off Dirt and Grime
Dirty hands and grimy paws are probably touching your doors all day long. This can cause your doors to look smeared and smudged. It also doesn’t help to keep the rest of your home clean when someone tracks around a mess every time they touch a door in your home. To combat this, Camille Simmons of PGeveryday.com recommends for parents to clean their doors first by dusting them and then to use paper towels to scrub the doors down because they carry less germs. For problems with your front door, you may want to install a kick plate to protect the paint on the door. Also, keep a mat there to rub off any dirt, mud or snow before entering the house.
Eliminate Pet Scratches
Having a pet that scratches is one of the most direct ways to have damage done to your doors. Luckily there is a two-pronged approach to fixing this problem. Denise Stringfellow of Riverdog Canine Coaching explains that you can teach your dog or cat to break this scratching habit by eliminating the cause and changing their behavior. However, if you’ve tried this solution or don’t feel like this would work well for you, ImprovementsCatalog.com shares that you can also get items like a door shield, door screen or a pet door to eliminate the need for your pet to scratch on your actual door.
By protecting your doors from the damage done by pets and kids, you’ll improve the value of your home while also being happier in your environment. Use the tips mentioned above to have cleaner, better looking doors all around your home.