Perhaps when the designers of layouts for homes created mudrooms, they assumed that it should be located before the front entrance of the home. This is red flag number one. The mudrooms located at the rear entrance are red flag number two. It may have been more conventional to locate the mudroom at the front of the house. It just isn't as warming a welcome to guests. At the rear of the home, the mudroom represents the opportunity to trip over muddy shoes, become entangled in a vicious web of clothing hanging from hooks or possibly being clunked on the head by a pile of rain hats and helmets.
Is there really a way to organize this? Absolutely! Retraining the troops who regularly deposit their rain gear in the mudroom takes too long. Better to bite the bullet and redesign the room so it's more effective.
Plan "A" - Redesign the Mudroom to Organize It
Create a plan to organize the mudroom by redesigning its ergonomics. Make a quick inspection to judge how ergonomic the present design isn't and redesign it so that it doesn't appear to be the only room struck by a cyclone.
The first thing is to organize how the footwear is stored. The clue here is where the shoes are at present. If they are scattered all over the floor, perhaps a large, rubber mat with a quarter inch rim might encourage the wearers to be more organized. For those who prefer to just toss their muddy shoes, consider a large box 18" x 18" x 18". Muddy shoes can be tossed into this box where mud and residue will dry and fall into the bottom. For boots, purchase a shoe rack wide enough to store muddy boots.
Plan "B" - More Clothes Hooks, Less Bulk
The habit of most people in mudrooms is to just quickly shed wet rain gear and clothing. This usually results in apparel piled atop other apparel. Make sure there are enough hooks or hangers for everyone's wet clothes. Ideally, the mudroom would be better served with a closet with louver doors. That would avoid having to see clothes piled atop each other. This presumes the mudroom is large enough to accommodate creating closet space. Most mudrooms are not quite large enough for this type of remodeling. In that case, add more clothing hooks to the existing space.
Gadgets to Organize a Mudroom
Another tip to better organize the mudroom is to consider using the new hangers that expand vertically and allow for up to six articles of clothing to be hung from them. These are quite handy. They only require pulling downward to create new hanging space.
For a really cost-effective way to acquire more hooks and less bulk, purchase inexpensive expandable clothing racks with pegs. Install them vertically instead of in the usual horizontal position. These are available in wood, metal or plastic. The beauty of these is that the pegs are ideal for families with children. They can reach the lowest peg while taller family members can make use of the pegs at the top of the rack.
Rain Hats - The Last Part of Organizing the Mudroom
The unsightly pile of rain hats and other headgear can be better organized with storage bins and shelving. Made of metal, wood or plastic, shelves make great headgear organizers in the mudroom. Purchase one or two shelves to match the length of an existing shelf, then fill the shelves with either plastic or wicker bins.
Catch Dirt with a Robot
Another quick idea to keep pace with mounds of dirt and dried mud in a mudroom is to purchase a robot vacuum. It will keep floors neat and clean..
