I feel like I could keep adding posts about my laundry / mudroom for another month or two! Writing so many posts about just one room in my house has made me realize just how hard this space works for us. Maybe not aesthetically or emotionally, but practically speaking I think it may be my favorite room in our whole house!
Today I want to share a few random things that make my life easier on a regular basis in this space. They’re very simple really – but with big impact!
This was how we used our lockers last summer. I was pretty happy with them, but as our kids have gotten bigger (thus their feet and shoe collection) I was feeling like we were outgrowing our space for shoes. I tried using a canvas bin to hold more shoes in the middle cubby, but wasn’t feeling like that was a long term solution.
The basket in bottom right cubby of this photo was super important to me though – it is a laundry basket. I throw dish towels, rags, miscellaneous dirty socks…and anything else I don’t want to take upstairs in this basket. I was not willing to give up that little place to stash laundry, but I also felt like it was utilizing prime real estate for shoe storage.
Then, I happened upon this awesome little over-the-door laundry bag. Since we have a door into the house from the laundry room, it tucks away neatly out of site. I also love that it is mesh, so if a dish towel is still slightly wet it has air flow. Also nice for those dirty socks!
Extra bonus, it was only $3.96 from Walmart. I think these are a great solution for many problem areas in a home:
-Laundry in a kid’s room that doesn’t have floor space for a hamper.
-Laundry in a young child’s room – it keeps laundry out of reach so toddlers can’t
pull dirty stuff out or put clean stuff in the hamper.
-You could also use one in a child’s closet for clothes they have outgrown. When you put something on your child and find it no longer fits, simply toss it in the bag. You could hang it on the inside of a closet door or even from their clothes rod. When it gets full you can move it to a younger siblings closet, pack it away, or take it all to a friend, consignment shop or charity.
For me, this awesome bag has given me an entirely free cubby for my oldest son’s shoes. They have gotten big! and really need a space of their own. This has helped my lockers function so much better.
1. Each family member has their own designated space for shoes. I’d like to
improve the shoe storage more, but that’s an upcoming project!
2. I still have one cubby left for miscellaneous items. The little flower pot (painted for me by Addison) is for small random items that I find in the laundry room. I also use this space for items that I need to take to the car, return to a friend, return to a store… I set stuff here at night that I need to remember the next morning. This is the spot I check to see it there is something I am supposed to be taking with me as I am rushing out the door.
Each locker also has 2 hangers with 2 hooks each, which we added shortly after moving in. I love the 2 hooks per hanger because it allows for many items in a small space. They work great for hanging a backpack on the bottom and then a coat on top.
1. The first cubby is for my husband and I. I usually have one jacket and my purse in this cubby. I also hang my returns here in shopping bags so they don’t get lost, and I can remember to grab them when heading out the door.
2. This cubby is for kid’s coats and snow pants in the winter, and bags with
baseball and soccer gear in the spring.
3. The last cubby also has 2 hangers, with 2 hooks each. Carter & Addison each have one hanger – one hook for a backpack and one hook for a jacket or coat.
I know it seems like our lockers are pretty empty right now, and that fluctuates. Of course I did tidy them up a bit before taking photos! Also Carter had his fleece & backpack at school. However, getting the lockers cleaned out and tidy like this is a regular task for me. These lockers are good for storage, but they are also a good boundary – have I said I love boundaries?!? With 6 hangers, which equals 12 hooks – we can hang a lot of stuff in those lockers. If we can’t get anything else to fit neatly, that means we need to clear some things out and put them where they REALLY belong!
This step-stool is another favorite of mine. I have several of them throughout the house, and we use them all the time! The step-stool is 13″, which is about perfect for me to be able to reach the high baskets on our lockers, and access all of the storage in our cabinets above the washer and dryer. I also use it in the kitchen on a regular basis to utilize the high shelves in my kitchen cupboards, clean the microwave…
But! probably my favorite feature of this little step-stool, is how neatly it folds up and tucks away!
Seriously, if you didn’t know it was there you probably wouldn’t have even noticed it! I also use these stools in my kid’s closets. My kids are still too short to reach the high hanging rods, but I like being able to use those rods and know someday they will reach them with no problem. So, for now my oldest 2 have one in each of their closets. My youngest also has one because he’s still a little short to get in his big boy bed by himself. : ) ahh! love that! He has a gray one (matches his decor) next to his bed.
Another favorite about these stools is that they are only $12.99 for the 13″ inch at TJMaxx. And if you’re loving this little step-stool for a space in your house, I have seen them at TJMaxx in several fun colors lately!
As I’ve said before, there is a lot to fit in this little multi-functional room of our home. The step-stool, hangers and over-the-door laundry bag have all been great little additions that didn’t cost much but have made a big impact!