5 Highlights of a Mud-room Drop-off Zone

When you fill your days with work, school, meetings, and activities, it can feel like your home is just a revolving door as you're always on the go. Whether you're coming or going, you most likely have your hands full with mail, groceries, returns, a beverage for the road, bags, umbrellas, you name it. Creating a designated space to rest these items while you put your shoes on or remove your jacket can be the key to a successful and less stressful routine. We have a great solution to lighten the load and keep your space organized: a built-in drop-off zone. Check out these five highlights of a mud-room drop-off zone.

Makes Space 

Drop-off zones fit nicely into mud rooms, laundry rooms, and entryways. It all depends on the size of your home and the space that’s most convenient for you to use. To create space for a drop-off in your laundry/mud room, you can stack your washer and dryer, making them more compact and opening floor space. Adding pull-out storage options for laundry soap, bleach, etc., and your laundry baskets also provides more space in the room. You can create a smaller drop-off zone for entryways with a simple bench and baskets beneath for storage.

A Home For Shoes 

Drop-off zones are a great way to store your family’s often-worn shoes. They can include cubbies or shelves under the bench that make it easy to put your shoes away right after taking them off. It also makes them easily accessible when rushing out the door in the morning. This storage solution is excellent for the inconsistent midwest weather, where you need snow boots in the morning, flip-flops in the afternoon, and rain boots at night. Our favorite part about storing shoes in the drop zone? You'll be able to stop family and guests from tracking mud through the house.

Optimal Storage

When it comes to storage, drop-off zones offer the whole kit-and-caboodle. Overhead cabinets hold off-season clothes like hats, mittens, and scarves. Tall cabinets allow you to store outdoor toys and sports equipment like balls, bats, and rackets. Water bottles and car cleaning supplies can fit into the shelves or baskets under the bench. Hooks above the bench are perfect for placing coats, purses, keys, and dog leashes right when you come in. Our favorite hack for optimal organization is to assign each family member their own basket.

Organization For School 

Drop-off zones work well as the school prep space. The night before, have your kid place their shoes underneath and their backpack on a hook. When they come home, they have a spot to put those items right back for the following day. You can also hang a message board or file folders next to the drop-off zone, allowing them to pin any forms that need to be signed and organize their homework by “to-do” and “completed” assignments. Another great addition is a charging station so right when they get home from school, they can plug in their tablets or laptops.

Combined with Laundry Room

Having a drop-zone in your laundry room makes for a practical spot to sort dirty laundry or fold clean clothes. It’s beneficial in the winter because your family can leave their wet clothes from the snow on the bench. It’s also a convenient place for your kids to drop off their outdoor clothes when they get all muddy. If you’re in a rush and don't want to set up your ironing board, the bench space makes for a great makeshift one. 

If you’re always on the go and need to organize your entryways with a place to empty your hands, contact us today! We’d love to help you create a drop-off zone that fits your family’s needs perfectly.