Play

The Surprising Thing This Mom Takes to the Beach to Guarantee a Sand-Free Ride Home

Quinn Fish
Quinn FishLifestyle Editor, The Kitchn & Staff Writer, Apartment Therapy
Five years and counting in the digital lifestyle media space, I cover cleaning, organizing, decorating, renovating, and everything else that helps you live your best life (when you're not cooking!) in the kitchen and your home. I’m also passionate about music, bars and restaurants, travel, and spoiling my bicoastal kitty, Sully.
published Apr 12, 2023
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.
Young couple and their two kids spending the day at the beach
Credit: pixdeluxe/Getty Images

As fun as beach days are in the spring and summer, the mess when you get home isn’t. Sand seems to get into every little nook and cranny of bags, swimsuits, and beach toys, no matter how much you shake them out and rinse them off before the car ride home. Luckily, just in time for spring break and prime summer travel, there’s a brilliantly simple way to reduce sand after a day of beach fun.

Mom of four and avid parenting hack TikToker Shannon Doherty (@athomewithshannon) shared an effortless solution to finding sand in your home and car for weeks following a beach day. All it takes is one item that you may already have: a plastic laundry basket.

Doherty makes sure to always have a basket in tow when heading to the beach because with just a shake, it allows all of the sand to fall off of the towels and toys in the basket, letting it drop to the ground, instead of in your car or living room.

Depending on the size of the basket, it’s also a perfect vessel for carrying towels and toys both to and from the car (an easy job for younger kids who want to help!). Commenters on the video chimed in that it’s also great because it’s easy to clean, and you can spray the toys with a hose directly into the basket, simplifying yet another task.

After the original video went viral, Doherty shared another similar item that does the job, but is a little more versatile and space-saving: a collapsible mesh laundry basket. Because it folds up into a super-compact size, it’s easy to pack into your beach bag or keep in your car to have on-hand for beach trips. Less sand, more fun!