If you live, or have ever lived, in a house where there’s a mudroom transitioning the outdoors to the home’s living area, you know how vulnerable this area can be to getting dirty and untidy. It’s hard not to fall into the trap of dropping all of your things once your feet touch the mudroom, leaving the organization for a later time. But, when you do this, you often end up with a big fat mess dumped unceremoniously around the mudroom — shoes, hats, coats, whatever anyone casts aside while walking through the door — as well as mud and dirt spread about.
You want to have a clean and tidy mudroom so that you don’t track dirt and disorganization into the other parts of your home. If you’ve noticed your mudroom is becoming dysfunctional, it’s time to give it a good clean, and to update it to become more organized and functional so that you won’t have to work hard to keep it neat and organized in the future.
Here are some tips for updating your mudroom.
Traditionally, mudrooms were a fixture in rural homes where a transitional space was needed to serve as a changing station before entering the home. After a day spent out working in outside, a person’s boots, pants, and jacket would be covered in mud and grime. The mudroom gave them a place to take off all of their work gear without tracking mud and dirt into the home. However, the idea of a mudroom quickly spread and are now found all types of areas and homes. They’re especially popular here in Minnesota, as our harsh, snow-ridden winters leave us needing a space to take off our wet and dirty clothes before entering the house.
Mudrooms are often used as a secondary entrance or a back entrance to a home. There are lots of different types of mudroom thats vary in size and functionality. Some mudrooms have a sink, a spare toilet or even a shower for cleanup.
Now let’s get to the updating tips.
Before you start making improvements to your mudroom, think about its purpose. What needs to be stored in your mudroom? How many people will use the mudroom? Will the mudroom serve as a primary entrance to your home? The answers to these questions are going to be helpful in determining the types of storage space that your mudroom is going to need to have. For example, if the mudroom is going to be the main entrance for your home, you’ll want to have a small table and mail organizer there for you to place mail when you come into the home.
Mudrooms can store a great deal of stuff if designed functionally. Some of the things people store in mudrooms include:
Using the cubby system is a great mudroom tip for families. By providing a specific cubby for each person in your house, you’re keeping the area organized, and also are keeping each family member accountable for their own stuff.
There are a number of different ways to build a cubby system in your mudroom. You can install wire shelves and use dividers for each person. Underneath the shelves, you can apply a couple hooks so each person can hang a few things beneath their dedicated cubby. Another option is to segment the mudroom horizontally and create a locker-type cubby for each person. This system gives your mudroom a cool sporting feel and gives each family member plenty of space to keep their things organized.
The cubby system will help you keep your mudroom organized, but the other challenge homeowners have with their mudrooms is keeping them clean. It’s a tough task, as part of the role a mudroom plays is to attract the dirt and grime you bring in from the outside. But that doesn’t mean your mudroom can’t be clean.
Two tips for keeping your mudroom clean are to have easy to clean flooring and accessible seating. Your mudroom should have flooring that can be quickly and easily swept and mopped when dirt, mud, and moisture builds up. It’s a good idea to throw down some rubber matting to store wet shoes or some older carpets to catch dirt.
For seating, considering placing down a bench near the door of your. Your mudroom is going to be the place that you take off, and put on, dirty footwear. Having a bench in your mudroom gives your a convenient place to do so, that can also contain the mess that your footwear is going to leave. That way, you’re only cleaning a corner of your mudroom regularly, instead of the entire thing.
Need help on your mudroom update project? Contact us today to learn how we can assist!
