Set up your shopping list for a mudroom
Avoid tracking in all the slush, snow and mud from a messy winter season
Homegrown Tales subscribers,
I made my vote very clear on One Black Woman’s Vote, and the amount of stunts that have happened since the results were called are about as disturbing and stupid as I suspected. It is extremely important to me to support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) products, black-owned products, woman-owned products, veteran-owned products and other marginalized groups that are being dismissed for simply existing. Although I have no desire to step foot in a Target for the rest of my life, I do agree that boycotting a store may also mean boycotting black-owned products and other small businesses. So I will continue on with being an Amazon affiliate. There are a massive amount of products on Amazon that support groups I believe in and will continue promoting on my Substack channel.
I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. I 100% respect that. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I want to continue promoting cool products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. As of the first date of Black History Month, each post will ALWAYS include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site even after seeing the small business/Black-owned logo.)
Original publication date: December 22, 2024
Even in a no-shoes household — with or without a dog room — maintaining clean floors can be a task in itself when snow, ice and mud have a meetup.
Creating a dedicated space to remove winter clothes helps with all of the above. Whether you have a full room that you can dedicate to a mudroom or a small corner of a closet, living room or kitchen, here are eight suggested purchases to create one.
Mudroom Shopping List
As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I want to continue promoting cool products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. As of the first date of Black History Month 2025, each new post will ALWAYS include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site to verify that Amazon Black-owned logo.) I am (slowly) doing this with older, popular posts too. If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
1. Ceiling fan with winter air circulation
Why? In the winter months, reversing the blade direction invites cold air toward the ceiling. Then, cold air mixes with the warm air to make walls toasty. Additionally, in multi-units with baseboard heating where some rooms are hotter than others, winter air circulation helps balance the temperature overall.
2. Emergency blanket
Why? It is never a bad idea to have flame-resistant supplies. Regardless of whether you live in a city prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, floods or earthquakes, keeping accessible supplies near an exit or entrance door makes it that much easier to find. You clearly won’t need them on an everyday basis, but just like having pet insurance, auto insurance or homeowners insurance, the goal is to have it before an emergency can happen.
3. Sunscreen and Soap Dispensers
Why? For brown-skinned and dark-skinned people (read: me), it’s incredibly easy to just dismiss the idea of wearing sunscreen lotion when going outside. But if it’s right in your face, it’s a reminder to protect yourself from UV rays and skin cancer risks. Keeping lotion and antibacterial ointment in a soap dispenser doesn’t hurt either. Disinfect and protect.
4. Rubber doormat
Why? Choose a doormat that can properly catch dirt and moisture on the bottom of shoes so when you wipe your feet, you’re not leaving footprints inside. Even in a no-shoe household, having a dry place for rainy, snowy or muddy shoes to dry is still just as important.
Recommended Read: “Rental walk-throughs: Pet-owning renters should inspect the floors ~ From pet-friendly rentals to homeowners, dodge pet floor damage early”
Keep outside shoes as far away from carpet as possible too, and make sure to keep your winter boots away from laminate floors. If laminate wood gets wet, the material can bubble and it never goes back to its usual appearance.
And if you need something for a mudroom that can get a bit more intense or muddy, such as a housemate who works on cars and needs a place to store work clothes, a garage mat is another option.
5. Coat racks
Why? In addition to making your mudroom neat and not flinging coats onto benches or chairs, a coat rack also gives your coat the chance to dry completely instead of patchy, wet spots. Some coat racks also include hooks for hats and scarves, and drawers for gloves. Keep one drawer for house shoes and footies, so you can step out of wet shoes and immediately step into dry ones before moving through the home.
6. Storage bin
Why? For bigger mudrooms, a storage bin would be useful for winter apparel, winter shoes and other supplies during the other three seasons that aren’t always needed but should be accessible when needed. (Avoid stuffing this full of Christmas and other holiday decorations. Once you start, you may be tempted to buy even more decorations you barely hang or light solely because the bin is big enough to do it.)
7. Clean microfiber rags
Why? From wiping hands to wiping shoes and everything else, there are a number of reasons to have clean rags nearby. If the mudroom is near a sink, microfiber rags also come in handy for drying hands.
8. Umbrella holder
Why? While opening an umbrella will help it dry faster, there needs to be a designated place for them to say once they are dry. A holder with hooks for small umbrellas, as well as an opening for large umbrellas, helps to easily organize them to grab or return as needed.
9. Incense
Why? You may dust, mop and wipe down the area, but it never hurts to have a little extra help with some kind of air freshener. Try candles, plug-ins or incense. There’s something therapeutic about walking into a home that smells good as soon as your feet hit the door.
10. LED Lights or Lamp
Why? If you’re that person in your home who turns on all the lights, here’s a hint that you don’t have to. If you’re that person in your home who never turns on any lights, here’s a reason not to stub your toe. Try a motion detector light that gives you enough light to see your way from the mudroom to the rest of the house without boosting your light bill.
While a mudroom doesn’t need a laundry list of things, these eight should help you set up this corner space (or full room) for the winter and any other wet-weather season.
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the monthly posts on the third Friday.
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