Mudrooms get messy in the winter since they’re right off the garage. Get your mudroom organized before the first snowfall and enjoy it all season.
Once you have a mudroom, you can’t imagine how you ever lived without one. The extra space is great for tossing backpacks after school, storing hats and gloves, and giving dirty shoes a safe place to land so they don’t enter the living area of the house. The one downside is that since the mudroom has these messy jobs, the room can easily become disorganized and dirty, especially in the winter when everyone tracks in snow, slush, and mud from outside.
My mudroom is also my laundry room, and I did a mudroom makeover a while back . . . and then I did it again, focusing on our coat closet. Truth be told, I’m ready to REALLY overhaul it, but that’s for a later post.
The reason I still work on my contantly is simple: life changes! My first go, I had one 4yo and a new baby. Now those munchkins have grown up (wailing sob) to 13 and 9 and there is SO MUCH MORE STUFF. Hockey gear, baseball cleats, bags and backpacks aplenty – not to mention the fact that it is STILL the laundry room, so factor in all the clothes to clean. Yikes.
I’m constantly working to keep it up – Keep yours functional and stylish with our tips for organizing your mudroom for the winter.
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Clear Out the Space
The easiest way to get started with organizing your mudroom is to clear everything out of it. This way, you can give it a thorough cleaning. Use these steps to clean out the room:
- Remove everything except the shelving and the washer and dryer (if they’re in there).
- Wash the walls, floor, shelves, and anything else. This is a good time to pull out the washer and dryer and clean underneath and behind them.
- Pack away the summer items and keep only what you need for winter.
You’ll need to keep the garage clean, too. Most mudrooms are right off the garage, so if the garage floor is gross, your family will track that into the mudroom.
Sweep out the garage and keep your vehicle’s tires and wheels clean throughout the winter. Also, place a large rug near the mudroom door to remind everyone to wipe their feet before entering the house.
Use a Boot Tray
Boot trays are plastic trays with a lip to catch melting snow and other gross stuff. A boot tray in the mudroom is essential for winter.
Lay Down a Rug
The garage rug is great, but you need one or two in the mudroom. The more options everyone has for wiping their feet off and placing their shoes somewhere other than the living area, the better.
Look for inexpensive rugs you can throw in the washer and dryer to make life easier.
Create Storage
Storage is one of the best ways to organize your mudroom for the winter. Hats, gloves, scarves, and whatever else your family needs run wild if they don’t have their own place. Here are some ideas for storage in your mudroom:
One helpful thing is labels. Consider labeling a bin or shelf for each family member for their winter gear.
Hang a Sign
You don’t need a cute sign to keep the mudroom clean and organized for winter, but a little decor is always fun. Plus, signs are a great way to enjoy DIY projects at home and breathe a little life into the mudroom. Place cute signs over the boot tray saying “Boots here, please” or “Welcome to the mudroom.” Anything that perks it up will keep everyone aware that although it’s just a mudroom, it has an important purpose and needs to stay clean and organized for the winter.
Before I made over our mudroom, I made a small update to my mom’s itty bitty mudroom/laundry space, including this fun sign, so you can check that out!
