Keeping Clean and Dry While Gardening

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-801 -- More Projects »

Staying clean and dry is next to impossible when the garden is wet. Master gardener Paul James discusses a few ways gardeners can eliminate muddy messes.

"When it rains or dew is heavy, it's next to impossible to do anything in the garden without getting your hands and feet muddy," he says.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

James has found a few ways to keep clean. For example, he wears rubber gloves when gardening in wet weather (figure A). And James says the bright color makes them easier to find. When the gloves do get dirty, they rinse clean in no time with a hose (figure B), and the mess stays outside.

Keeping your hands clean is pretty simple, but what about your feet? "When you have to go into the house, it's a hassle to remove your muddy shoes each time. I've solved that dilemma, too, in a number of ways," says James. "One is by wearing these garden clogs (figure C), which I never thought I'd wear, but the truth is that these are awesome for working in wet weather once you get over how goofy they look." For one thing, garden clogs are easy to get on and off, they rinse clean with a blast from the hose, and they also come with a foam insert that can be removed for cleaning.

But if you're working in tall, wet grass, standing water or a really muddy garden bed, you need even more protection, so James recommends waterproof boots. "These babies are easy to get in and out of, too, and they're reinforced to keep your feet warm." Look for waterproof gardening boots that have a shank to protect your foot while shoveling. These boots are also easy to clean with a hose.

Figure D

What if you don't want to go through the trouble of taking off your muddy boots when you go in the house? "I slip into these cute slippers (figure D), which are considerably over-sized to accommodate even my big feet," James says. "They allow me to walk in the house without tracking mud all over the place." These washable slippers are made from industrial felt, but the cleverest thing about them is that they are equipped with a little non-skid strip along the bottoms, which allows you to slip them on easily without using your hands.

In the reverse situation, if you need to go from the house to the garden during wet weather and don't want to remove your street shoes to put on boots, he suggests donning waterproof galoshes. They're easy to get on and off, and they're extra wide to fit over most shoes or boots.

Figure E

Figure F

Figure G

Figure H

Even if you don't own a pair of garden clogs, big rubber boots, or galoshes, there are still ways to avoid tracking mud in the house--like, for instance, wiping your feet. That's why he keeps rugged mats at every door (figure E), and does his best to remember to use them. He also keeps boot scrapers near the doors he uses most often (figure F) to clean the soles, especially along the edges of the shoe.

It's also not a bad idea to have a handy boot "puller-offer" (figure G). This odd-looking tool allows you to take off your muddy boots without getting your hands dirty. "And finally, since I'm not the only messy one in the family," James adds, "I keep this large boot tray near the busiest door of the house so my kids and I can store our muddy shoes if we don't have time to clean them" (figure H).

Some homes these days have what's called a mudroom. "I don't have one in my house, but thanks to all the ways I've learned to not track mud in the house," says James, "I don't need one!"

Also in this Episode

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-801
•	Paul James Solves Your Garden Drainage Problems
•	Keeping Clean and Dry While Gardening
•	Super-Sized Veggies

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