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Winter will be here soon again, and that means coats, hats, gloves, scarves, boots, mittens, earmuffs, and other winter gear are back in our daily outfit. Wearing layers of clothes and accessories also means that your mudroom will be working overtime to stow these items!
If left unorganized, all these can quickly pile up and before you know it, it will take you a long time to find the things that you need. Plus, it can really clutter up your entryway making your home look more chaotic than usual.
Worse, without a designated area for all these winter gear, you will find them all over the house, which could make clearing things out every night a living nightmare.
Hence, to help you out, here are helpful tips to organize the mudroom for the winter season. Whether your home has an actual mudroom, or you have to make do with a corner space by the door, these tips will prove itself handy.
Let’s do this!
1. Get rid of out-of-season items.
The Winter season requires winter gear and there are lots so it is best to make space for them by clearing out any item that will not be relevant for the season. These include sunglasses, summer hats, thin shawls, beach bags, thin coverups, and the likes.
It’s time to put them in storage in the meantime to give space for the things that you will be using for winter.
2. Have a separate place for smaller items.
Winter gear can be big and bulky, so smaller items can easily get covered or lost around them. It helps to have a separate place for smaller items that are important like keys and mail.
Here is an example of a mail and key holder that also comes with a chalkboard for important notes.
Check this page for similar choices.
3. Have a double-duty bench.
A bench is one of the simplest pieces of furniture you can get to organize your mudroom for winter. But to make the most of your space, it is better to go for a double-duty bench. You can use the space beneath the bench for storage.
4. Make use of hooks.
Hooks are such small things, but these have a major impact when you organize the mudroom for winter. Use coat hooks to hang items that you can use multiple times before washing like scarves, hats, coats, and bags. You can also use them to hang your keys.
A mudroom is definitely not complete without coat hooks. Most also come with shelving for more storage! Here’s one of our favorites – cubby shelf with hooks for the entryway.
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5. Opt for open storage.
When it comes to winter, good air circulation is very important, especially for damp items. Open cubbies will not only keep the air flowing and moving through the items, but it would also be easier for things to grab and go.
6. Use baskets to coral items.
To avoid clutter in the mudroom, it helps to coral items inside baskets. This will help things look neater and you do not have to rush and clean up whenever a guest drops by.
Get uniformed baskets for a more cohesive and orderly look.
7. Assign every family member his/her own cubby.
If you have room for it, try to have one cubby for each family member. This makes everyone have his/her own personal storage, so items do not get mixed up.
If you do not have the space for individual cubbies, you can also assign personal hooks for each member.
8. Install floating shelves.
Another way to maximize mudroom storage is to install floating shelves on the wall. You can hang hooks underneath them and use the shelves to store items like scarves, keys, watches, glasses, and more.
You can also use it to store bigger items if you have bigger and thicker shelves.
9. Keep a laundry hamper by the door.
Damp socks and clothes are very common during wintertime. And the thing about wet items is that dirt sticks on them.
To reduce the amount of outdoor dirt tracking into the house, keep a laundry hamper by the door where everyone can discard his/her damp belongings. It will also keep them from mixing in with dry clothes in the mudroom causing the dry ones to smell and be dirty too.
Here’s a rustic laundry hamper that you’ll definitely love!
10. Make a boot draining tray.
Not keen on leaving your wet shoes outdoors? You can create your own boot drainage station! It’s a very easy DIY project. If you have a large tray and a bag of rocks, you’re good to go!
This allows you to dry up your wet shoes indoors without messing up your floors.
11. Use an over-the-door shoe organizer.
The versatility of the over-the-door shoe organizer is endless. It can store a lot of different things. And as it turns out, it’s perfect for organizing winter gear like scarves, mittens, and bonnets.
You can easily hang one of these things on your mudroom wall so everyone can easily find what he/she needs.
For more ideas on how to use over-the-door shoe organizer for keeping your stuff in order, check out our related article – 20 Surprising Uses of an Over the Door Shoe Organizer (Other than Shoe Storage)
12. Invest in a ready-made modern coat rack.
What if you live in a tiny space and do not have much room in the hallway to set up a mudroom?
You can get yourself a ready-made one that you can simply assemble! Modern coat racks often come with their own shelves and hooks that you can use for a lot of things.
This coat rack here is specially made for corners, so it does not take up a lot of space. It’s a one-stop solution that you’ll definitely benefit from!
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13. Cubbies and coat lockers
You can also make life a little easier with ready-made cubbies or coat lockers – especially when you have kids in the house.
This will allow them to have their own individual space for their winter clothing and bags. This means less fighting in the morning when everyone has to leave the house.
Try this coat locker!
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14. Make do with the space you have.
You do not need an entire wall for a mudroom. Sometimes, you just have to make do with the space that you already have. And just because you have a small space available does not mean it will not be able to do much.
Take a look at this customized mudroom fixture in the corner. It’s a small space but it is definitely functional!
15. Maximize vertical space.
This advice is very important especially when you are dealing with a small and limited space. It helps to maximize the space you have by using up the vertical space.
Floor-to-ceiling mudroom lockers are not a bad idea. They can give you space to store seasonal items on the top shelves too. Just make sure you have a stool or a mini ladder around to help get to the top shelves.
16. Place mats on both sides of the door.
You should stop the mess before it can get into your house. One way to do so is to invest in quality doormats for the winter season. Buy them in pairs because you will need one for both sides of the door – one you wipe your feet on before you enter the front door and another after you enter the door.
This will trap as much dirt and grime as possible and will keep your floors clean.
Try our favorite 2-pack doormat!
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17. Keep cleaning supplies nearby.
Since the mudroom is the area where all outdoor winter items are dropped, it also has the potential to be one of the dirtiest areas in the house. Hence, have some cleaning supplies nearby, like a mop or a broom so that it’s easier to clean up right away when there’s a mess.
Let’s organize your mudroom for winter!
Winter is indeed a magical season, and the snow just makes everything look so pretty. But all that snow does not look pretty when you bring them indoors. This is why a mudroom area is very important come wintertime.
No matter what size your mudroom is, keep in mind that it needs to have an efficient organizing system to make it work effectively. A mudroom limits the amount of dirt you track into your home. So, it is important that you make the most out of it by keeping it organized.
Again, your mudroom does not have to be elaborate. You just need a designated spot where people know where to put their stuff so that there will be less clutter in the entryway. Once an organized system is implemented, you will be surprised how much everything easily fits in!
Need more organizing tips for the winter season, or for the mudroom? Check these out!
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