Today we bring you a quick, but what we believe very important post, that will help you simplify the tedious task of organizing the mudroom. Here we will talk about our preferred method of cleaning and our go-to system on how to keep things tidy.
Now if you don’t have a mudroom in your house take a look at these mudroom transformations that we have done in our homes and get inspired. And if your space, budget, or skillset won’t allow you check out this easy mudroom/entryway conversion.
As you may know, the winter months can be brutal and messy, especially if you have kids, you learn to appreciate the luxury of having a drop zone or at least a spot where you can unload. But let’s be realistic even our mudrooms deserve some TLC from time to time, and this is how we do it.
Cleaning and Frequency
We deep clean twice a year:
- End of winter/beginning of spring
- End of summer/start of the school year
The cleaning process
Tip: start by playing some of your favorite music to get you pumped!
- We empty everything / take everything out
- Dust the cubbies and hardware
- Wash bench cushion (if applicable) and throw pillows
- Tighten hooks
- Wipe everything down (cubbies, hardware, walls, baseboard)
Pro Tip (from dos Latina moms): To keep it clean, or somewhat tidy throughout the year we have certain rules in our casitas:
- 3 pair of shoes allowed at a time in the cubby
- 1 jacket and one sweater for each person (cuts down on clutter, and depends on the season)
- Backpacks go on hooks, or under coats on the lower rod section or another designated area.
Our Process of Organization
(AKA put your sh*t where it goes, AKA mise en place- I knew Erica’s Culinary Arts degree would come in useful someday!)
We start with 2 bins; one clear and one canvas per person.
Canvas bin: contains seasonal items (in summer, bathing suits, and in winter, snow gear), a water bottle, and one pair of socks.
Clear bin: up to 3 pairs of shoes and 1 pair of flip-flops.
We usually keep some empty baskets for overflow or seasonal items like pool towels (for now).
If you have space you can also add a sanitation station (queue Marian’s experience as a doctor in the medical field). This will provide an efficient way to get in and out of the house with today’s new living standards.
Guidelines for the station
- You must be able to grab a clean mask if you’re using one. Label containers to store clean masks per member of the family.
- Have hand sanitizer readily available. Make it cute, find a pretty soap dispenser!
- Have a container to place dirty masks until laundry time. Try using a decorative toilet paper holder or cute small storage box.
- Must be located in entryway or whereever you enter and exit your home.
We hope these ideas on how to organize your mudroom will help you keep your sanity by staying somewhat organized and maybe, just maybe your kids or significant other won’t scream out “Have you seen my shoes?!” Because indeed the shoes will be “right there”. How do you stay organized? Share as we’re always looking for tips!