Mud room? Drop zone? Whatever you wish to call it, once you have created one in your home you will wonder what you ever did without it! It is the solution to the clutter we often find at the entrance to our homes. If you find that this area is scattered with keys, school bags, shoes, wellington boots, umbrellas – in fact anything that gets dumped as you walk in the entrance to your home – you need to create one of these. Not only will it keep your entrance uncluttered, but it will also give you more storage space for these items. Using a self storage unit at Stop & Store Fareham can help you create your drop zone.
Traditionally called mud rooms, because these are the spaces where snow or rain was shaken from jackets, and muddy boots were left, we now realise that these spaces are essential to organising our belongings. Families have a lot of stuff, so instead of dumping it on kitchen counters or on the dining room table when getting home, a drop zone is the place to put your stuff down when you walk in. You can always get to it later when you can sort through your shopping bags, keys, mail, or whatever has been left there, and put it where it should be. Treat your drop zone as a temporary place to put things in the meantime.
Why Do You Need a Drop Zone?
A drop zone is that in-between space between the inside and outside of your home. It is not normally at the prime entrance to your home because it is that space where we dump keys, parcels, school bags, muddy boots, and wet umbrellas and clothing before moving into the house. So, the mud room is that place that we use to store those items that could cause a potential mess if they are brought into the house.
It is a useful space to store those items we need in a hurry when we leave the house. Just collect them on your way out of the door when you leave. You will never have to spend your time hunting for your car keys, handbag, wallet, or umbrella ever again!
They can also serve as an area where you clean off your pet(s) when they come indoors.
How to Organise Your Drop Zone
Which Space to Choose?
You will probably have a good idea because this is the space closest to the entrance where family members tend to drop their stuff as they walk in the entrance that they use most frequently. So it will most likely be:
- the entrance to the house from the garage,
- the back door into the kitchen, or
- the front door/hallway.
It may be difficult to try and change your family’s habits that are already entrenched as to begin to use another entry, so it is better to keep the entrance that is already the most used as the place to put your drop zone.
Clear out any furniture that is already there.
It will be easier for you to start with a blank canvas, so clear away furniture that you will not be using in your mud room. Make space in your entrance by storing any excess furniture in a self storage room at Stop & Store Fareham if you do not want to get rid of it permanently, or you have no other storage space at home for it.
Some of the features to include in a drop zone design:
Some essential features are:
- hooks for backpacks, coats, bags, and hats
- a bench which you can use to take off or put on boots
- compartments or cubby holes to store shoes and boots
- baskets or bins to store keys, wallets, post, beanies, and other loose items
- a container for your umbrellas
- storage units for sporting equipment if relevant
- basket for your pet’s toys, leads, brush
- Good general lighting and task lighting to keep the area bright and cheerful
- If your drop zone is to be used as a laundry area, or if you need a place to clean your muddy dog or boots, you will need a sink. This will keep your laundry and kitchen clean.
Decorate your drop zone and make it a place that is a joy to use.
Paint it and add a mirror for those last-minute touch ups when you are on your way out. Stencil your family members’ names above their hooks or shoe lockers to encourage them to put their belongings away.
By following some of these steps to get your mud room organised you will surely add value to your home if it is functional and well designed. Even if you think you have no space, by moving some items around and placing excess furniture, seasonal clothing or even sporting equipment in a storage unit can ensure you have enough space to create a mud room.
Help Your Family Stay Organised
By having a place to put stuff as they walk into the house your family can keep tabs on where their gear is. And when they need it the next day before leaving the house, there is no time lost searching for a lost library book, a school backpack, or your gym bag.
Stop & Store Self Storage Facility Fareham
When you need to free up space in your home to create a drop zone, pack up any furniture and clutter which you can store in your self storage room at our facility. Make even more space at home by storing your seasonal clothing and sporting equipment in your self storage unit. You can access them when you need to, and they will be safely out of the way.
We offer an easy storage solution when you need to get some of your belongings out of the way. We will keep your belongings safely and securely.
We are open 7 days a week, from 8am to 6pm.
Tel: 01329 556174.