If you have a cape...

And your front door opens to the living room (stairs in front of you) how do you keep that area clean? Like, in the rain and snow, you just walk into the living room leaving the floors a mess. Nowhere to take off a snowsuit or jacket...etc. it's driving me nuts. Not only does it make a wet mess, now I have ice melt pellets all over since they get stuck in our shoes.

We don't even have a coat closet in that front room, so now jackets are everywhere until someone (me) takes them and hangs them in the closet under the stairs.


We don't have a front porch, so we can't leave boots outside.

If you have a cape...

I totally understand your frustration! I hate my cape for so many reasons and this is definitely one of them! I have a little rug and I do have a closet but it still drives me nuts! Sorry I dont know how to help you but you're not the only one!

If you have a cape...

I'm no help either. We just come in the back door so the mess ends up in our dining room.

Re: If you have a cape...

What about a waterhog mat where the water/ice will stay put? Do you have a wall to put one of those benches with hooks above and baskets underneath? I have a big waterhog mat and a boot tray near my door and an entry table with baskets underneath to collect gloves, hats, etc.

If you have a cape...

It's funny you ask this, when DH came in from shoveling yesterday he was cursing that we should have bought a house with a mudroom!

We have a closet so coats go right in the closet. Boots/shoes sit in front of the closet till they're dry. We sit on the steps to take shoes off that way the mess stays contained to 1 area.

Re: If you have a cape...

Snow is messy regardless of house. We have a mat to put the boots on by the door and if they are very snow covered we place them in the downstairs bath tub. Coats and snowpants get hung up immediately in either the closet or the bathroom if they are really wet.

Re: If you have a cape...

I just put towels down and have everyone get undone on the towels then I clean up the mess. I'd rather have it contained in that small space then all over the kitchen (if we use the back door).
ETA: the wet clothes and coats get taken to the laundry room for drying and the boots stay on the towel until dried.

Message edited 1/28/2015 11:30:54 AM.

If you have a cape...

I have a rug at the front door, boots come off and go right on to the plastic boot tray I have. Coats stay on the stair railings until dry, or if really wet, I'll bring down into the basement to dry. I usually don't find it to be too bad.

Re: If you have a cape...

I think it happens to every home entry this time of year unless you enter through a garage and even then you can have issues.

As for us, I have an entry rug. I also have a mat outside too. We have what amounts to a half door sized coat closet, so we only store current season coats downstairs and all other coats are kept in bedroom closets. If I did not have a coat closet I would put up hooks or get a coat tree for daily use. We have an entry way bench and under that is a metal boot pan from target.

Re: If you have a cape...

I guess I'm not alone. I did just but a boot tray, so that'll hopefully help with the shoe clutter. I guess I just have to suck it up through the winter.

Re: If you have a cape...

Re: If you have a cape...

My parent's house is like that. They used to put a runner type rug out over the carpet that led from the front door to the stairs so we had room to come in & take out shoes off & then they would carry them to the back door & leave them on a mat there (or we would come in the back door.)

They have since tiled from the front door to the stairs to make sort of an un-walled hallway, and then continued the tile into the hallway to the right that leads to the bathroom & backroom. It also makes it feel less like you are walking straight into the living room.

If you have a cape...

We come in via the garage, and take off boots/wet coats and snow pants in there.

If you have a cape...

DH just bought a rug from Lowes this week for the front and we have a whickered basket I picked up at target to throw shoes in. we are trying to have no shoes when you walk in the house since DS started crawling all over the floors. as for coats I just go and hang it in the coat closet (after picking them up from wherever they are thrown)

Re: If you have a cape...

Re: If you have a cape...