Mudroom Make-Over

The mudroom in your home is most likely where everyone comes in and out regularly. Things that you bring in get heaped up, wet coats and shoes get thrown around and everything seems to get dirty and disorganized very quickly. This high-traffic area of your house can most likely use a make-over and you may not know where to begin. If your mudroom doubles as a dumping ground, try providing spaces for everything to go using the tips discussed here. You’ll cut down on stress and family arguments, cleaning time and the constant disarray of not knowing where to find the things that you need when you need them.

Start with the basics. Put heavy mats inside and outside of the door to catch debris as people come in. When you notice them getting dirty, simply shake them out the door. Place a boot scraper or shoe scrubber outside the door where people can easily knock large amounts of mud or snow off of their shoes before they attempt to come in. Put a bench by the door where people can sit to remove their shoes and boots before they come any further into the house. You can keep an old towel or blanket underneath for snowy or wet boots to drain on. Putting a small energy efficient fan under the bench is a good way to keep the area ventilated and help dry shoes more quickly. Shoe racks and grates also help shoes dry quickly.

Place a lot of hooks on the walls near the door. Wet coats can be hung away from dry ones in your coat closet. This will help people remember to hang their coats instead of tossing them over a chair or on a pile of mail. When you come into the house, think about what you might be carrying and make a spot for it. Slotted shelves are great places for mail to be stashed until you are ready to go through it. Keep a small trash can for empty cups or junk mail that you may be bringing in from the car. A small shelf is useful for things like wallets, keys and change that you may want to grab on your next trip out the door. If possible, keep cell phone chargers on this shelf and you’ll always be ready to go when it’s time.

Small plastic drawers are great places to store gloves, hats and scarves in the winter months. A small strip of Velcro on the wall works great for hanging wet gloves to dry. Hooks down low are inviting to children and will help them stay organized. Keeping a broom and dust pan hanging on the wall makes clean-up a snap. Dark colored flooring looks cleaner longer than lighter colors. Make this area inviting with warm or bright colored paint. Hanging a couple of pictures or decorations will help your family remember to stop and put away their things before coming all the way into the house.
Utilize high-quality wooden clothes hangers for hanging dry coats. Where things look organized and uniform, organization and uniformity will follow.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the owner of The Hanger Depot, a leading provider of high quality hangers,including wooden hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.thehangerdepot.com