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Organizing the mud room
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Okay, I’m sitting here looking at an empty mud room. I cleared everything out (you wouldn’t believe the stuff I came across…well, maybe you would). This room has a way of taking on a life of its own! Anyway, here are our problems and I’m hoping that some of you are organizers and can give some solutions:
Snow boots – wet ones everywhere (I should add that we’re a family of 10). What solution have you found for puddles of mud/melted snow (oh, that would be water:)), boots scattered?
What do you do with all the coats, wet gloves, snowpants that won’t fit in the closet. We have a line of hooks, but stuff is constantly falling or being knocked off of that.
What is your routine for coming in from the snow, chores, etc.?
Thanks,
Cindy
Hi Cindy,
Well, our family is half the size of yours – only 5 of us here but I will tell yah what we do.
When we come inside from playing in the snow, we go straight to the laundry room where everything is taken off. Snowpants, coats, mittens, hats and scarves are put in the dryer or hung by the wood stove to dry. Boots are put on plastic trays (which we got from Menards for $2 each).
We only have an entry way fauer—how I’d love to have a mud room :). But this is what we do for the entry way –If anyone leaves his coat, shoes or boots in a place other than the shoe rack, boot trays or coat rack, then they get taken away for a week. My middle son doesn’t like the idea of having to wear one of my coats out to the library or something because he left his out. 🙂
Also, my oldest son has the daily chore of making sure everything in the entry way is in its place and is swept up.
I’m sure the circumstances would be different with a family of 10 instead of 5 but you asked what we did. 🙂 I’d love to have your mud room— that’s my dream for our next house. I look forward to hearing what others do–especially those with bigger families.
Hugs!
Heather
Heather, what kind of trays? I’ve not seen those, but I did take your idea and put an outside mat in there with the directive, “Boots go here or else Heather says you have to wear mine all next week.” We’re snowed in at the moment so I’m trying to use what I have on hand.
There is a cabinet in there and I put three plastic bins for gloves, scarfs (which I had to look up in the dictionary to spell :)), and hats. I’m so wanting to police that area more diligently. Is it unrealistic that they would match their gloves and put them away? I suppose I need a spot so they can dry.
I liked you idea about everyone heading into the laundry room. I’m not sure that would work for us because we have people in and out during the day with farm animals, but I’m going to think about it.
Well, I’ll stop procrastinating and get back at it! I’m on the closet, now. We’ve done the sink area, walls, ceiling, cabinet, stuff just ‘hanging around’…I’ve been stopping for too many games of Bananagrams!
Thanks! I am so poorly trained! Once you have children, it’s hard to learn as you go because it’s hard to keep up with them! My mom did all the cleaning, fussed at me for not helping, but never made me do anything.
Blessings,
Cindy
I am right with you Cindy. We have a mudroom with hooks and a bench for the kids to sit on to put on farm boots and shoes…but the bench is constantly covered with coats that the kids haven’t put on the hooks. I started to do the habit training with them (from the book Laying Down the Rails) but it only helps when as a mom I am consistent..which I am not. I fail way to often. I like the idea Heather uses. I will try that. I hope others have ideas too.
Thanks for asking this question.
Shelly
Here’s what our area looks like.. I’ll try and explain.
Our area is our laundry room/hall to it. Right off the garage is a small closet and a 7ft wall. Then right past that closet on the right is the laundry room.
1st- my hubby made this really nice coat hook on a piece of oak with just basic hooks. The little ones (there are 8 of us)get the bottom hooks the older and mom and dad get the higher ones. The reason for this was mainly no matter how you teach them (including my dh) they never get them on the hangers or someone knocks someone elses off. So when they come in it’s as easy as hanging it on a hook which even my 2 yr old can do.
2nd-That front closet has a piece of junk carpet that everyone just puts there boots on.
3rd- if they come in wet it better go into the dryer ASAP. Then when it’s done or if it’s not wet they can put it in the closet which is a walk in inside the laundry room (mind you we designed our home for this). All hats and scarfs go into a laundry basket, gloves are to go inot the arm sleeves of the coats.
4th-Our closets have 2 sets of closet rods one at 44 inches and the next at 83 inches to allow for maximum space.
That’s my mud/laundry room idea’s hope it helps someone, if anything it’s saved my sanity! 🙂
Misty
Well, I finished! It looks pretty nice, and the children like it as well. A coat of paint will wrap it up. I like your ideas, Misty. My laundry room is upstairs which is really nice, but sometimes I would like one downstairs.
Oh, Shelly, did you have to remind me that my children’s habits will only be as good as my own?! 🙂 You are so right and I’m so thankful that God’s mercies are new every morning!
Heather, here is your first tip for your to-be-built-someday mud room: When you put in a closet make it as big as you can and put bi-fold or tri-fold doors on it. That way you can open it wide and see everything instead of having to crawl back into the recesses like I did today! I’m going to shower; I feel like I’m coated in cobwebs!
G’night sweet ladies! I’m sure I’ll be asking you about another project soon!
Cindy
I grabbed hold of an idea that has worked well for us several years ago: buy a hung on the back of the door shoe holder. You know, that cloth thingy. One shoe goes in each slot. All gloves, scarfs, and hats go in there. Each of us (mom and dad, too) gets a row. We are a family of 6 and the average shoe hanger has 6 rows, so you would need more hangers. But, all that to say, it’s worked really well for us. The children know where their things are and you know they have too much if it won’t fit in their row. 😀 I have also used a clothes drying wrack to hang wet snow stuff on. Do you have a garage before you enter your mud room? You could hang a thin rope up in the garage to hang wet things on. We do this, but normally it’s our swim stuff that hangs there. (We swim all year round)
🙂
Cindy
Okay, I am so stealing Heather’s idea about taking items away that are left out! I feel like I’m always asking for gloves, hats, coats, etc. to be put away. I do like the idea that your oldest is in charge of keeping it neat. My little one is too little to hang her own coat up on the hangers in our closet (no mud room, foyer, ANYTHING–you just walk right into my living room!), but if my 8yo is in charge of it, she’ll just have to hang her coat up for her. Maybe it will develop a good servant’s attitude as well!
P.S. I only have 2 DDs. I can’t imagine the chaos that comes with snow gear for a family of 10! That alone qualifies you for sainthood IMHO!!!
Faith 🙂
Cindy,
I’m so impressed that you organized and finished your mud room all in one day! I’ll be sure to take your advice about the closet doors.
What great ideas everyone has! I’ll be sure to consult you all before I dive into a project like that. 😉
Blessings
Heather
Well Heather, that’s all I did. That and play Bananagrams. Have you played that? It’s really fun if you like words. Not so fun if you don’t. I have one son that really does not like word games, but my daughters play it with me – a lot. Oh dear, I’ve just confessed to having a homeschool child that is not enthralled with words…:)
Blessings,
Cindy
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