Use An Old Egg Tray To Keep Dirty Shoes Off Your Clean Floor

If you work hard to keep your floors clean, the last thing you want is someone tracking puddles, mud, and grime onto them on the soles of their shoes. To avoid this, you could invest in a doorway rug or mat, but those can get soggy and require regular cleaning. Instead, there's a surprisingly simple solution hiding in your recycling bin: an old egg tray. YouTube creator Home Tips says an egg tray can catch some of the moisture and dirt from footwear before it reaches the floor, while also giving wet shoes a place to sit and dry. It isn't a replacement for a proper boot tray in heavy-duty conditions, but it's an inexpensive option for everyday use.

There are a few reasons we like this hack. For one, assuming your family eats eggs, it's completely free — and in today's economy, who doesn't appreciate that? In fact, you could even argue that it saves money (and time), since you won't have to wash and dry the carton regularly as you would with a rug or mat. Once the tray gets too dirty or soggy, you can simply replace it with another clean one. 

There's very little prep required when upcycling old egg trays to hold your shoes and protect your floors. However, it is important to clean and sanitize egg cartons before using them in DIY projects (since they used to contain raw eggs). To do this, open the carton and flatten it into a single layer. (You can skip this step if you have a larger egg tray, like this pack of five dozen from Costco.) Then remove any leftover eggshell pieces, spray the carton with white vinegar, and let it dry.

When you're done preparing the tray, place it on your floor near your entry doors. Then, when you come inside, you can simply put your shoes on top of the carton. After a few uses, it might get dirty or start falling apart — at which point, you can retire it. Depending on the material (for example, plastic or styrofoam), the condition of the tray after reuse, and your local restrictions, you may still be able to recycle it. Otherwise, you can throw it away with your regular trash and swap it out for a new carton.

Don't love the thought of putting an old egg tray directly on your floor? We get it. In that case, you might want to conceal it a little better. One option: Placing it on a metal shoe rack. It's more discreet, but it still prevents water and dirt from getting onto your clean floors. Plus, it just looks tidier.

Speaking of moisture, if you live in a particularly wet area, you may need some added absorbency in your tray. To make this happen, you could stuff the empty egg slots with material like paper towels or, if you have them, rip up other used cartons and tuck the pieces into the empty spaces.