The Dirt on Country Life

Having lived in the country for almost 10 years now, a few things have been learned. After roaming through a variety of homestead type blogs, I realized that with so many people working so diligently to achieve their rural dream, some of my own lessons learned might be of help. So here goes. We're going to get down and dirty, about dirt.

Wondrous, peaceful, personal are words used to describe country life. All are accurate, some of the time. Every way of life, no matter how ideal, has a few bits that aren't so wonderfully peacefully - even a personal homestead in the country. Knowing this enables one dreaming of leaving urbania far behind to prepare even more completely. The more we know, the more we are equipped to tackle with minimal stress.    

Dirt is one potential stress that might slide under the preparation radar. There is dirt, and a lot of it,in the country. Paved roads, parking lots, and concrete sidewalks may not have that nostalgic rural dream feel, but they do keep the dust and dirt down. When preparing to relocate to a less urban area with dirt roads and driveways it might be beneficial to mentally prepare by leaving any obsessively clean requirements behind. Please don't misunderstand, it is possible to live cleanly in the country. It just requires more effort and larger door mats.

Larger door mats along with boot trays at the family entrance will stop a tremendous amount of dirt from entering the home. Mud rooms are a country home's "bestus best friend"; they truly are. If your home has a garage entrance, all the better. Faithfully removing footwear before or immediately after entering the home is also a practice that will eliminate unneccessary mess and save excessive wear and tear on the home's flooring. If the home is new construction consider establishing a lawn of some sort as soon as possible. This will also cut down on dust entering the home.

Within the country home dust may accumulate more and faster than it did when residing in a town or city. This will happen at an even greater rate during dry years. A dust filtration system is something to consider budgeting in, if at all possible. If not, microfiber cleaning cloths work beautifully as do the disposable dusters such as the Swiffer brand products.

There is no way around it, country living means more mess. Planning for the mess beforehand however, turns this potential mountain into a very managable molehill. The saying still holds true "A bad day in the country is worth a month in town." Being prepared both mentally and physically makes it even better.