If you’ve ever tried to tan at the beach, you’re probably all too familiar with the experience of laying out a towel and hoping to relax in the sun, only to find sand all over your setup. To make matters worse, the edges of your towel keep blowing in the wind, covering you in sand. Then, when you try to brush all the sand off your towel, you can’t seem to get it out of the nooks and crannies.

Nothing ruins a trip to the beach quite like sand getting in all the places it shouldn’t be, no matter how hard you try to keep it out.

We’re here to help.

This article will give you a few helpful tips on how to keep sand off your blanket at the beach.

Why Is Wet Sand Sticky?

To learn how to prevent sand from sticking to unwanted surfaces, we need to understand why wet sand is sticky.

Natural sand is hydrophilic, meaning it is attracted to water. Unlike atoms in oil, which are hydrophobic and push water away, the atoms in sand particles are positively and negatively charged. Those charges are then attracted to the positively and negatively charged ends of water molecules.

Sand’s attraction to water is what makes sandcastles possible, but it’s also why sand easily sticks to wet skin, sandals, and towels. Here are a few ways you can prevent that from happening.

1. Be Careful Where You Set Up

If you are with a group, be mindful of where you set your blanket. If you lay down in an area where people are constantly sitting down, standing up, and running around, there is a much higher likelihood of sand being kicked up onto your blanket.

Also, keep in mind that it is much better to relax upwind from everyone else instead of downwind. If you are downwind from where others are shaking sand off blankets or brushing it off their legs and arms, the sand will blow directly onto you and your blanket. To know which direction the wind is blowing, wet your finger and stick it into the air. Your finger will feel noticeably cooler on the upwind side.

2. Apply Sunscreen Early

To avoid transferring sand from your body to your blanket, apply sunscreen or tanning lotion well before arriving at the beach. Giving your sunscreen enough time to dry will keep sand from sticking to you and your blanket and will make it easier to brush off any stray particles that cling to your towel.

If you’ve already been in the water, dry off before laying down on your blanket. As a general rule, the drier you are, the easier it is to keep sand from sticking.

3. Weigh Down the Corners of Your Blanket

Especially on windy beaches, the edges of your blanket may flutter and toss up sand. Using coolers or other heavy objects to hold down the corners and prevent them from moving in the wind is an easy fix.

Bringing a fitted sheet to the beach is another common hack. Turn the sheet upside down and put coolers in the elastic corners, creating a small barrier that will prevent sand from getting inside.

The downside to this is that you may waste a good fitted sheet and limit yourself to the space of a single sheet. The next tip is an easier fix and is perhaps the most convenient way to keep the sand off your blanket at the beach.

4. Use the Sand Escape Beach Blanket

We know how frustrating it can be to try to shake the sand off of a blanket or towel. That’s why we created the perfect solution: the Sand Escape Beach Blanket.

The Sand Escape is a large outdoor blanket made from strong, breathable nylon that helps sand glide off the blanket instead of sticking. At the corners are four anchor pockets, which can be filled with sand to keep the blanket from moving in the wind. These pockets can also double as extra-safe storage for personal items such as phones and wallets.

The Sand Escape has a 9’ x 7’ spread, making it large enough to fit the entire family. It includes an integrated stuff sack with compression straps to make it compact and portable. It’s resistant to both water and sand and has been featured by USA Today and Men’s Journal. Sand Escape is the perfect blanket for your next beach getaway.

Find Inspiration with Seaview

At Seaview, we aim to make your experiences at the ocean as meaningful and inspiring as possible. That’s why we make our high-quality products affordable and invest a portion of our revenue in conserving and preserving oceans for future generations.