Fall is almost behind us and everyone is waiting with baited breath for the first snowfall – or maybe, it has already snowed in your area – but is your front hallway ready for the onslaught of winter? Once your family starts wearing cold weather gear, the front hallway will fill-up with boots, scarves and mitts everywhere. It's important to de-clutter and reorganize now so that it's easier to keep the space clean.
Purge
- Get rid anything that shouldn't be in the front hallway anymore. Package up off-season clothing, footwear, accessories and sports equipment, and store it elsewhere (the garage or basement).
- Be ruthless with items that aren't used often; store them elsewhere too. Remember that winter is when we pull out all stops on clothing and footwear for warmth. Store bike helmets, for example, if you don't intend to ride your bike in the snow.
- Make it a family rule to limit the number of pairs of shoes and boots everyone keeps in the front hall; same goes for coats.
Prepare
- Clean the front hall closet and hallway thoroughly. The residential cleaning experts at MOLLY MAID recommend this process: dust, vacuum or sweep, then wipe surfaces with a damp cloth. Be sure to look for fingerprints and other dirt on doors and walls in the hallway – and wipe them away. Wash the floor.
- Hang up heavy duty hooks so everyone has one for their knapsack, briefcase or purse. If there's no room, send these items to respective bedrooms. Position the peg rails or hooks according to age and height. You can also hang hooks on the back of a closet door.
- Position a surface of some kind by the front door whether it's an armoire, cupboard, table or shelf.
- Set out a handy container for incoming mail.
- Add shelving to the front hall closet if possible.
- Buy a shoe rack that may double the number of shoes and boots you can store.
Organize
- Organize all the items you need in the front hallway so they are convenient to grab when you need them but the hallway itself is tidy.
- Assign wall hooks to each person in the family. Be sure there's a coat rack or peg rail for guests.
- Put mitts, scarves and hats in a designated container whether it's a basket, cubby or plastic bin. Organizing clothing items this way is actually one the most important cleaning tips, according to the house cleaners at MOLLY MAID.
- Organize footwear on the boot or shoe rack set on the floor of the closet or by the door. Be sure there is space for dripping and a plastic or rubber mat underneath to protect the floor.
- Position a chair, bench or stool nearby so people can sit down to put on their footwear.
- Hang keys or place them in a designated bowl. Other items such as gloves and sunglasses can be put there too.
