Springtime in the Twin Ports often means wet and muddy yards, and that of course leads to mud getting tracked into the house.

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It's not quite as much the people coming in at our place because we remove our shoes or boots, the problem is the dogs.

We generally keep a towel at the door to wipe off each of their paws, but when the mud is really bad it only helps to a point.  The mud will get caked in between their pads and toes and unless you use a product like a dog paw washer, or scrub them in the bathtub, it's tough to get all of it.

In an effort to reduce the mud coming into the home, and reduce the effort with cleaning dog paws, we started buying straw.  Depending on the distance your dog roams in your yard, you might not need that much, and one bale of straw goes a long way.

It's also not that expensive and with our dog leashed going out, one bale is more than enough to get us through a muddy spring.  Straw can be purchased at many places around the Twin Ports.

Dan's Feed Bin is my go-to place as it's in Superior and that's where I live.  You can also find it at Kerrick Sod Company in Duluth, sometimes at Home Depot, and at other landscaping stores or greenhouses.  Just remember to get straw, and not hay.

Hay is different and is made from grasses and isn't produced to be a bedding material like straw.  Hay also might cause your allergies to kick up too.  If you haven't tried straw in a muddy yard to reduce what pets bring into your home, give it a whirl, it makes a huge difference.

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