The more your store in a space, the more you have to keep organized.  Clearing the room every season may seem like a pain but taking a few minutes 2-4 times a year will make all the difference in function and mess.  In the summer we keep sunscreen, towels, and hats easily accessible for little hands. We don’t need them in the winter so they get stored in a closet. I keep one light jacket per family member through the summer and store the rest. Come Autumn, I pull out multiple coats, hats, mittens, and even snow gear for our Midwest life.  We limit ourselves to three pairs of shoes for each family member at a time and rotate accordingly. 

My kids are four and seven and they are responsible for putting away their items when they enter the house.  We have hooks and baskets mounted on the wall at their height so they don’t have to climb on a bench or ask for help.  Placing storage at children’s level encourages them to take control of their items. It took a little coaching at first but now they do it without even being told because it’s easy for them. We use these wall-mounted baskets for hats and mittens in the winter and sunglasses and sunscreen in the summer.

Don’t ignore the space on the back of cabinets and closet doors. Command hooks come in a variety of sizes and weight capacity.  They make it easy to reconfigure as your needs change and can hold jackets, keys, leashes, and anything else that may be cluttering up your counter.

I always seem to have something in my pocket or purse that needs to go in the trash as I walk into the house. And if your kids are like mine, there is always some random crayon or wrapper lurking in the bottom of a backpack and activity bag. Placing a small wastebasket in the room makes it easy to dispose of junk mail and other random items as you walk in (or out) the door. It helps keep your counters and purses clear of clutter too.

I love pegboards for their flexibility! Place hooks at various levels for different sized items or add small baskets to hold pens, mail, or winter items. Ikea and The Container Store have two of my favorite options. Or you can make your own using this tutorial.

Snow. Rain. Mud. Dirt. Grass clippings. Leaves. Everything seems to stick to my kids’ shoes (and mine).  The best way to contain it in the mudroom is by using a boot tray. We keep one in our garage for the extra messy stuff and one under our bench in the mudroom for everyday use.  It protects our floors and makes for easy cleanup.

I know it seems like the solution to a messy mudroom is maximum levels of storage. And what better way to maximize your storage than to add every cubby you can fit? Well, storage cubbies are limiting – literally.  You are forced into a set size and shape and it limits flexibility as your family grows.  Instead, opt for open shelves and contain small items with baskets.  Bonus points if they are adjustable.

When you’re limited on space over the door storage units provide a solution that can serve multiple purposes.  You can stash season items like mittens and hats as well as year-round essentials like leashes and sunglasses.  I prefer options with different pocket sizes that extend to the bottom of the door so little ones can manage their items.

A bench or seat is a great addition especially if you have little ones. Large benches look great but they can be magnets for clutter.  When adding a bench don’t go larger than three seats unless you have a big family. Don’t have space for a built-in bench? Consider a small folding stool that can be tucked away or this wall-mounted option.

It may be tempting to turn your mudroom into the space for outerwear, sports gear, paper storage overflow, shoes, message center, and everything in between. No space can do all things and unless you have a massive mudroom, the space will become impossible to keep organized.  Designate specific zones for each function and try to limit your mudroom to three functions.  Only keep the necessities out for easy access and find other areas of your home for long-term storage.