Being the transition between the interior and exterior of the house, the foyer is often the dirtiest and unorganized space. But you can avoid that. Since the foyer serves as the main entryway of the home, it needs a little bit more attention when it comes to cleaning and organizing. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a dirty, unkempt, and downright unpleasant space.
Luckily, keeping your foyer or mudroom clean is manageable with these pointers:
1. Get a shoe closet
Don’t let guests walk into your home and see shoes scattered everywhere in your mudroom. Many Asian countries such as Singapore use shoe cabinets or closets to store their shoes by the front door. By taking your shoes off and keeping them by the door, you won’t have to track mud and dirt into the house. That means less cleaning for you. And who doesn’t want a shoeless foyer?
2. Invest in good quality mats
Get a good mat to keep much of the dirt from entering your home. Buy an indoor mat and an outside mat. An outdoor mat can be easily cleaned with a garden hose, while an indoor mat can be hand washed or cleaned in the washing machine. Don’t hesitate to splurge; higher-quality mats will last you for a longer time.
3. Install hooks
In rainy or snowy weather, you don’t want to drip water all over your floors. Install plenty of hooks near your doorway where you can hang your coats, scarves, gloves, and everything that can drip mud or snow in the house.
4. Store umbrellas in a stand
Hardwood floors can get easily get damaged by standing water. To prevent that, buy a stand where you can store all of your wet umbrellas. Add extra protection by placing a drip tray underneath, just in case you have a lot of umbrellas.
5. Add an organizer shelf
If you have a lot of people in the household, adding a shelf near the doorway can make mornings easier for everybody. In this foyer shelf, you can hang backpacks, store kids’ coats and scarves, and even place a reminder board so no one will forget anything before leaving the house.
6. Have a pet basket
Place a basket near the door where you can store leashes, dog toys, poop bags, and cloths to wipe your dog’s feet before entering the house.
7. Deodorize the foyer
The foyer is the most frequented place in the house, so it’s not uncommon for unpleasant smells to come from this area. Get rid of odors by placing a natural deodorizer near the door, such as charcoal or coffee grounds that can absorb smells from shoes, dirt, and other smelly things.
8. Declutter
You can only keep things organized if you don’t have too much clutter in your foyer. At least once or twice a year, get rid of things that you don’t need so you can make your mudroom more spacious.
The foyer is the first thing that you see once you enter your house. That said, keeping it clean and organized is definitely more relaxing than the alternative. There are many other ways to maintain a clean foyer, but these tips should help you get started.
