6 Simple Tips to Keep Your Entryway Tidy

Want your home to have a welcoming vibe, as soon as you walk in the door?

I certainly do. 

Keeping your entryway tidy is one way to accomplish this.

As little as a few years ago, when I walked inside, this is what I would often see:

• Shoes, boots, slippers on the floor, which I often referred to as “tripping hazards”
• Bent wire hangers inside the coat closet, because of the weight of the coats; this led to some coats falling off the hangers and other coats hanging partially on the hangers
• Hats, scarves, gloves tossed to the top of the closet shelf, in no particular order
• Mail and flyers cluttered on the console table, in addition to the occasional electronic gadget (courtesy of my husband)

I would feel annoyed and frustrated at the thought of cleaning up, when I was already tired from a long day at work.  And there were plenty of times that I left the mess, which felt worse.

Something had to be done.

So, I put a system in place, to keep the entryway clutter-free. The key is to maintain the system.  It’s not always perfect, but, having a system makes it easier to get things back on track.

Now that things are more in order, I feel relaxed and comfortable, when I step in the door. 

Here are the 6 simple tips I use to keep my entryway tidy:  

1.   Shoe-Free Zone

The rule for our family is no shoes in the entryway.

When we come inside, we leave our footwear on the indoor mat to dry and put them inside the closet, afterward.

There are shoe racks inside the closet, for our footwear. I like the shoes to face in the same direction, for an overall neat appearance.

I can appreciate that if you have a lot of shoes, your entryway closet may not be big enough. I make use of shoe boxes and hanging shoe organizers in other closets in the house, for extra shoes. 

In addition, sandals and shoes are put away in the winter and, boots are put away in the summer.

2.   Organize Inside 

Our seasonal coats and outerwear are hung facing the same direction inside the closet, on matching wooden hangers.  Here’s the thing about wooden hangers – they don’t change their shape when heavy coats are hung on them!

Extra hangers are placed together on one side, for guests.

Hats, scarves and, gloves are in baskets, on the top shelves. And hooks were installed inside, for backpacks, earmuffs and, umbrellas.

3. Clean Mirrors

A homemade mixture containing 2 cups of water and 1/4 cup of white vinegar, works well as a glass cleaner. Lightly spritz your mirror with your cleaner and use a diagonal wiping motion, like a zig-zag pattern to evenly clean the surface. 

For a more detailed guide, see Best Way to Clean Mirrors.

 

4.   Clean Floors

An indoor mat is useful for keeping the entryway free from the outside elements.

We keep our indoor mat and tiled area in the entryway, as clean as possible by running the iRobot every few days.

Sweeping and/or vacuuming also works.

For the tiles, weekly mopping is a good practice, with spot cleaning in between.

5.   Bench/accent chair

A small bench or accent chair is helpful for sitting down to put on or take off footwear; also, it lends a bit of style to the area. It’s nice to have a shoehorn handy, to assist (we keep ours on a hook inside the closet).

6.   Clutter-Free Console Table

Keep the surface of the console table free of clutter. Our mail used to pile up on the table, creating clutter. We now make an effort to recycle flyers as soon as possible and have a separate station in the house to manage mail, later. Are we the only ones who still get physical mail? 

Welcome Home!

In summary, these 6 simple tips to keep your entryway tidy, will improve the overall look. They don’t require a lot of effort to set up and maintain. And they will have a big impact when you, or, your guests enter your home. Now, you’re entering a home that feels relaxed, inviting, and comfortable.