30-second takeaway: Keep the sand under your toes—not in your car. These are the simple, do-actually tips our family uses (cornstarch, soft brush, mesh bag, rinse bottle, cooler-lid platform), plus the sand-repellent Handy Beach Blanket and our deep-setting Handy Beach Umbrella and Anchor that keeps shade steady on breezy holiday weekends.
The beach is where we celebrate.
The big things—like the Fourth of July. The little things—like everyone finally remembering their own towel. And all the in-between moments: grilled corn that tastes like summer, wet feet dancing on a warm blanket, watermelon juice running down kids’ chins.
That’s how it was last weekend. Our version of a beach holiday: family, food, a cooler that somehow fit everything, and shade that stayed put—our Handy Beach Umbrella and Anchor (deep-setting, hammer-in, no digging) did its job while we passed around chips and pineapple skewers.
But if I’m honest… I used to dread what came after.
The sand.
Everywhere. In the car. In the kids’ hair. In the folds of our bags and snacks. It didn’t matter how carefully we packed—it always came home with us.
So we started collecting the small things that make a big difference—no Pinterest overkill, just practical moves that work when your hands are already full.
The hacks we actually use
Cornstarch is magic.
Rub it on feet, ankles, or wherever sand sticks, then brush off. It acts like baby powder—minus talc—and saves car seats and patience.
Pack a soft brush.
An old makeup brush sweeps sand from between toes, chair hinges, zippers—any tight spot where wipes just smear grit around.
End-of-day mesh bag.
Toss wet towels, water shoes, or your blanket into a mesh laundry bag and give it a shake before you leave. The sand stays; you don’t.
Stash a rinse bottle in the trunk.
A spare bottle = quick wash for hands and feet before buckling up. Tiny move, big sanity.
Use your cooler lid as a clean foot platform.
Rinse, step up, dry, shoes on—without sinking back into sand. It’s oddly delightful.
Bonus: the car brush.
Keep a small paintbrush in the glove box to flick sand from dashboard vents and cup holders after the drive.
Between these, the last 10% comes from choosing gear that doesn’t fight you—our Handy Beach Blanket repels sand with a quick shake and stays soft after a season of salt and sunscreen, and the Handy Beach Umbrella and Anchor seats fast and deep so you’re not re-setting between snacks and swim breaks.
Keep your setup steady in holiday breezes
Traditions are better when your umbrella doesn’t topple. Our Handy Beach Umbrella and Anchor replaces twist-in guesses with a deep, hammer-in set that bites into real sand quickly, so the pole stays where you put it. For the engineering side, our umbrella system was independently tested to ASTM F3681-24 for a safer hold in real coastal wind.
