Mudroom Lockers

A mudroom is an easily cleanable room that you (or your children) can leave wet, muddy, or otherwise messy clothing and outdoor items in. Due to this function, having mudroom lockers installed can be a great way to keep these outdoor clothes organized and ready to use.

You may be concerned whether or not a locker would even look good being placed next to the back entrance of your home, though as you can see in the examples here, with the different ranges of woods and varnishes used, you should be able to find one that matches any color palette your house has.  If not, it's usually a simple task to just repaint it anyway.

Mudroom lockers are usually, but not always, built without doors.  They're more like something you'd expect in a kindergarten classroom, a series of pegs for jackets and cubby holes for shoes, boots, etc.  The lockers are typically built with wood, and are carefully sealed to protection them from the mud, water, and snow they will likely be covered with sooner or later.

In addition to the mudroom lockers, you could also install mudroom storage lockers for long term storage, perhaps if you intend to leave the winter jackets hanging for the winter.  These lockers can be built with doors if you need them to close, or you can get a trunk that will keep things safe too.  (In case you haven't read, my Hub on wicker storage trunks explains why wicker is great for keeping coats and blankets over those summer months).

These storage lockers can also be used to keep toys or pets supplies kept neatly, if you any of those to worry about.  But like before, remember that mudrooms get muddy (duh) and that you'll want the locker to be made out of material that is easily cleanable, or at least something with a solid coat of water-resistant paint that will do the job for you.

So how exactly should you go about laying out the mudroom?

Well, clearly this is a question that only you can answer.  But I can provide some general guidance.

-Make sure your kids have a very clear place to take off their muddy clothes and shoes.  If you install lockers, perhaps put an old rug down to emphasize that this is the place to leave your dirty things, or even put a door in between the mudroom and the rest of the home.

-You could even go locker room style and put a bench in front of the lockers.

-A hamper to throw the clothes in would help remind the children not to leave their clothes on the floor.  The hamper will likely get dirty though, so make it easily cleanable.

-Actually, remember that the goal of a mudroom is a room that is, in fact, easily cleanable.  So anything you add should work towards that goal.

Keep these rules of thumb in mind while deciding how to lay things out!

When everything is all said and done, this room will do wonders towards keeping your home clean.  There will be a place to store everything, a place to put the dirty things, and it's all easy to wipe down, sweep, and mop.  It beats footprints in the kitchen, absolutely!