Smart Ways to Keep Sand at the Beach (and Out of Your House!)

Written by

Tess Wilson
Tess Wilson
After many happy years living in tiny apartments in big cities, Tess has found herself in a little house on the prairie. For real.
published Jul 28, 2016
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Markevich Maria)

Despite all the love we have for beach hair, beachy cocktails, and creating a beach house vibe at home—even in the middle of Denver—the beach needs to stay at the beach. Frolic on the sand all you want, but then try these nine tips for keeping sand out of your home and at the beach where it belongs.

(Image credit: Quentin Bacon)

Powder Puff Power

The number one thing I came across whilst Googling “how to get sand off feet” was “baby powder.” It’s a tip that’s been circulating for years—I can’t tell who first shared it, and Apartment Therapy called it a “magical sand remover” in 2013. And now you can even make your own!

Foot Shower

Keep a full watering can on a wooden bath mat outside for a rinse-off station that’s as charming as it is practical. This little tip from Martha Stewart is perfect for people who don’t have a hose in a convenient location—or one at all.

Full Shower

If you’ve got the space and the means, go a thousand steps further with a gorgeous outdoor shower, like this one from Sunset. Sand won’t stand a chance.

(Image credit: Bridget Pizzo)

Dog Shower

Chasing Dog Tales has some great tips for getting the beach off your dog: “leave a bottle of water in the shade for rinsing off their face. You don’t want your dog trying to remove sand from their face or eyes with their sand-covered paws. I like to use a thin, microfiber hiking towel moistened with clean water to carefully wipe the sand away from the eyes and muzzle area.”

(Image credit: Budimir Jevtic)

Vacuum It Off

When I was little a friend dumped a huge bucket of sand directly on my head and my mom had to wash my hair for hours. When a simple rinse won’t do, here’s an idea: For sand in natural hair, braids, twists and locs, Sporty Afros recommends you “use a small vacuum a few inches away from hair to suck it out.” Has anyone tried vacuuming sand out of their hair?

Hose It Off

Martha Stewart recommends building yourself a little rack from which you can hang beach gear. Hose everything down and let it all drip dry before bringing it into the house.

Brush It Off

A very popular beach wedding favor is a standard paintbrush with a ribbon tied around it and perhaps a sticker featuring the wedding date—or just jauntily painted brushes like in this wedding featured on Iowa’s Corridor Wedding Guide. Skip all the crafting and keep a cheap paintbrush in your beach bag, car, or entryway.

(Image credit: Amazon)

Rinse Em’ Off

Put all your beach accessories—toys, shovels, flip flops, etc.—in a mesh bag and rinse off the whole shebang before bringing it in the house. If you don’t have any outdoor space, carry the beach bag indoors in a plastic bag and then rinse out the mesh bag in the shower.

(Image credit: Sand-Off)

Just Pat the Mitt!

I have no idea if this product works, but it does have 4.7 stars on Amazon. The negative reviews generally seem to be in the vein of “Buy some baby powder, cover a microfiber… and keep in a baggy.” But as one reviewer noted, “I get the whole ‘just put some baby powder in a mitt instead of paying for this’ but here’s the thing: I barely have time to brush my teeth, much less make a DIY powder mitt for the beach.” If any of you have used something like this, please share your experience!