How do you keep your entryway clean and muck free throughout the winter?
Our main entrance is our side door, we enter through the garage straight into the kitchen and breakfast area. There is no mud room. There is only one small space.
Therefore, our back packs, shoes, laptop bags, purses, coats, etc get dumped right in the walkway of the kitchen. Ugggh! It's maddening. Add in a little slushy, mushy melty snow on the hard wood and WOW! What a disaster!
You may be fortunate to have a mud room, or an entry way with a coat closet right beside the door. For those instances, my advice to you is:
1) Clean up the area and clear it of all unnecessary clutter. Store away all of those summer activities you have lurking in corners and bins. You won't need them for a while yet. This will free up space to put away your things right as you get in the door.
2) Make it a habit. Having the space and not utilizing it properly is like buying an treadmill and hoping to lose weight without ever stepping foot on the machine. You have to make it a habit to use your space efficiently.
3) Add a rug beside the door. Rugs come in many shapes, sizes and styles. Pick one that fits your family's needs and the decor of your home. One word of advice: for winter, make sure it's a darker color so all that mucky, slushy dirt doesn't show as badly.
For those of us who do not have a specific mudroom, nearby coat closet or other storage area, allow me to tweak my thoughts just a bit.
1) Begin by designating a loading and unloading zone. If you use your garage or side entry, as we do, consider hanging a storage shelf and a set of hooks in the garage. Bookbags, muddy boots, jackets can all be stored near the entryway, but still stay out of eyesight and out of the walkway.
2) Hang an over-the door hook system directly on the entryway door. Coats can be hung up immediately, and back packs stored up off the floor. Be sure to buy sturdy hooks that can stand up under the weight. These range in price from $10 to $30.
3) Place a nice basket or cedar chest near the entry way for backpacks and bags. If you feel yours are too heavy for hooks, try another storage solution. Having a place for these items may be all you need to keep them from your getting in your footpath.
4) Add a rug beside the door. Again, purchase a rug that suits your decor and your needs. Even though we enter through the garage, we still track in dirty from our boots and shoes, slushy muck from the garage floor, etc. Save your floors! You'll be glad you did!
I hope these tips get your organizational juices flowing. Evaluate your entry way. Determine what your needs are, then plan accordingly and get started.
Only By His Grace,
Billie
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