One thing’s for sure when you live in the Bay Area. Whether our winter is affected by El Niño or La Niña this year, you know it’s going to rain. And that means muddy paws. For that matter, the “joys” of muddy paws aren’t confined to one season, because it rains here in spring and fall, too. We can even have mud in summer, any time you water your natural grass lawn.
Most lawns develop depressions over time, making it easy for water to puddle up. And anyone whose lawn actually gets used by kids or pets is sure to have dead or bare spots. Add water and what do you get? Yep, mud and debris just waiting to head indoors on someone’s feet.
What to do?
You can try any number of techniques to keep muddy paw prints off your floors. Unfortunately, they are all time-consuming and frustrating, and the cost of those extra commercial cleaning products adds up fast.
And let’s not put all the blame on your pets. Sure, they have four paws, where the humans in your family have just two. But that doesn’t necessarily mean pets create twice the problem. You and your kids track in the same seasonal mud on your shoes. Even if you’re lucky enough to have a “mud room” off your garage or back door, your family uses other entry points as well. Do you really want to set up a foot-cleaning station at every door?
You can make a new rule that everyone has to remove their shoes before entering the house. That’s a great idea to help protect pretty hardwood floors, rugs, and carpeting from damage as well as dirt. But you have to have someplace by the door – every door – to store those grubby shoes.
And this rule won’t work well for your pets. Some dogs will accept rain and snow booties, though getting them on and off your pooch can be something of a chore – ultimately taking more time and effort than simply wiping their paws off. And the chances that your cat will buy into this plan are nil.
There is one simple solution: switch to artificial grass
Many people don’t realize that top quality artificial turf actually drains better than natural grass. That’s why we offer only superior products here at Heavenly Greens, including specialized MaxxFlow turf for dog owners. And it’s why our professional installation crews carefully manage every detail below the surface before they add the final layer – your beautiful emerald grass.
And speaking of drainage, pets do more than play on your lawn. Once you switch to artificial grass, you’ll never have to scold them about that, because you’ll never have to deal with yellow spots and dog-dug holes. A quick pick-up and rinse, and your artificial turf is perfect once more. No mud (and no dog “debris”) that can be tracked in on paws and shoes.
You never have to mow artificial grass, so you never have to deal with those pesky clippings. Faux grass arrives toxin-free and stays that way, because you never have to add chemicals to make it grow or rid it of pests. Fake grass doesn’t die back, or wear away to create bare spots. And neither your pets nor those hateful gophers and moles can dig holes in it. In other words, there’s no mud or crud to track in.
With artificial turf, you don’t have to gear up for muddy paw season, because muddy paws (and feet) are virtually a thing of the past.
