Detox Your Mudroom
We all have them in some form another - that room at the door that catches dirt, leaves, laundry detergent and dog hair. It's the mudroom, the back door, the catch-all and the laundry room. The truth is we concentrate on other, more highly-seen places and the mudroom gets a closed door and a forgotten interest.
The mudroom is a much-used area of our home. It collects spill-over that doesn't fit in the kitchen. The washer and dryer are there, as are all of the cleaning supplies. It's the dogs' dining hall and their portal to the outside world. In a multi-functional room like that, it is constantly in need of cleaning and organizing.
He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. Proverbs 10:4
To get a handle on this busy area, declutter the entire room. Get down to the bare walls and as much bare floor as you can. Clean from top to bottom, paying special attention to those much-used floors. Get behind the washer and dryer, moving them if you have some help.
Sort out what needs to stay and what's just taking up space. We have storage cabinets above the laundry and they're a terrible collection space. It's easy to tuck things away behind closed doors and forget that they're even there. Make some serious decisions about what to keep and then organize how they'll go back into storage.
When we moved into our new home a couple of years ago, the kitchen was too small for our rolling island. We moved it into the mudroom, which is right off the side of the kitchen, and use it for extra kitchen utensils, disposable dishes and larger items that don't fit in the kitchen cabinets. Utilize all of the storage you can so you can find things easily when you need them.
The mudroom is also a central location for the girls. They have their dog dishes there, many of their accessories are stored there and it's a high-traffic area to the outside world. Keeping dog hair up is a must, as is sloshed water and dog food residue. (Although they're pretty good about taking care of that one themselves.) We keep them healthy by cleaning their bowls frequently and keep the house as clean as possible by wiping muddy and wet feet before they come in.
Whatever uses you have for that extra room, consider it a bonus room! Use it for those out-of-sight purposes that will help keep you organized and efficient in your daily routine.
The mudroom is a much-used area of our home. It collects spill-over that doesn't fit in the kitchen. The washer and dryer are there, as are all of the cleaning supplies. It's the dogs' dining hall and their portal to the outside world. In a multi-functional room like that, it is constantly in need of cleaning and organizing.
He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. Proverbs 10:4
To get a handle on this busy area, declutter the entire room. Get down to the bare walls and as much bare floor as you can. Clean from top to bottom, paying special attention to those much-used floors. Get behind the washer and dryer, moving them if you have some help.
Sort out what needs to stay and what's just taking up space. We have storage cabinets above the laundry and they're a terrible collection space. It's easy to tuck things away behind closed doors and forget that they're even there. Make some serious decisions about what to keep and then organize how they'll go back into storage.
When we moved into our new home a couple of years ago, the kitchen was too small for our rolling island. We moved it into the mudroom, which is right off the side of the kitchen, and use it for extra kitchen utensils, disposable dishes and larger items that don't fit in the kitchen cabinets. Utilize all of the storage you can so you can find things easily when you need them.
The mudroom is also a central location for the girls. They have their dog dishes there, many of their accessories are stored there and it's a high-traffic area to the outside world. Keeping dog hair up is a must, as is sloshed water and dog food residue. (Although they're pretty good about taking care of that one themselves.) We keep them healthy by cleaning their bowls frequently and keep the house as clean as possible by wiping muddy and wet feet before they come in.
Whatever uses you have for that extra room, consider it a bonus room! Use it for those out-of-sight purposes that will help keep you organized and efficient in your daily routine.
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