8 Reasons You Need A Mudroom

Have you ever felt annoyed when your kids go through your front door after playing outdoors and leave those dirty shoe prints on the floor you spent hours cleaning? Not just kids but some guests as well who come in with wet or dirty shoes, but you can't turn them away. The solution? A mud room.

What is a mudroom?
During the 1800's, the mudroom was originally designed as a place for the farmer or farm hand to clean up before entering the home but they were eliminated in the later years to make room for indoor plumbing and electricity. Recently, the mudroom has made a comeback as home owners realize the significance of having one. But what exactly is a mudroom?

The mudroom is that area that serves as a barrier between your indoors and the outdoors. It's usually the room or the area near the entrance where people remove wet, dirty or muddy clothing or shoes. Your mudroom should have assigned space for everything you need in a drop-off and pickup spot. You can usually find everything and anything in the mudroom - shoes, slippers, leash, mails, keys, boots, gloves, coat, helmet, roller blades, backpacks or umbrellas.

Not all houses come with a mudroom. Some, because of the necessity, just randomly assign an area that serves as the mudroom. And most of the times these locations are not optimized or designed because homeowners think it's a waste of time and resources. But why should you have a mudroom?

1. It helps to keep the house clean. This is the main purpose of the mudroom. No dirty clothing or items should be brought in the house. Everything should be deposited in the mudroom. That's why you have to make sure that your mudroom  has enough cabinets, drawers and hooks to keep things. 

2. It organizes your things. Everything you need when you go out are found in the mudroom. The shoes, umbrella or coat are all there. If you're going out and you can't find your keys, it's probably in the mudroom.
3. The mudroom is very handy for families with animals. If your pets are allowed inside the house, the mudroom is a good place to rinse their paws before they can go in. You can also remove dirty clothing so that the smell doesn't spread to the inside of the house.
4. The mudroom is useful in inclement weather. Especially now that winter is here, you need a place to store snow-covered boots, coats and mittens. You can't bring them inside the house because the one who cleans it will probably scream at you.
5. It is convenient and practical. You can consider the mudroom as a transition zone between the outside of your house and your main house. It provides a level of organization and functionality that houses with no mudroom lack.
6. It saves you money. A mudroom with a door that separates it from the house creates an energy-saving buffer because outdoor air won't enter your main house. Save on your bills because the mudroom keeps the cold air out during winter and the warm air out during summer.
7. Your mudroom also serves as storage space. Here you can keep dog food, soil, seasonal items, garden tools, laundry detergent, etc. A good mudroom design should have a lot of shelves and cabinet for storage areas.
8. A mudroom increases your home value. Though the term is not familiar to everyone, every home buyer would prefer a house with a designated mudroom over one which doesn't because it would mean that the house is always clean and well taken care of.

Mudrooms come in different designs and styles these days. But what are the characteristics of a good mudroom? First, it should be easy to clean. Most mudrooms have tiled floor that are easily cleaned by mopping or washing with water. It is also practical to design your mudroom with lots of shelves, cabinets and storage spaces. You can even add a bench or some chairs where people can sit down to remove their shoes or dirty clothing.