Buying guide for Best boot scrubbers
Anyone who has ever worked outside — hunters, farmers, soldiers — knows that boots can easily get caked with dirt and mud. Sometimes it happens in a matter of seconds after you step out the door.
Unless you want to track mud, dirt, leaves, and other debris into your house and all over your floor, you need some way to clean off your boots before you come inside. This includes the depths of your boot tread, where debris tends to really stick. A boot scrubber is a simple, low-tech solution to an ancient problem.
Basically, a boot scrubber is a U-shaped device with hard bristles on the bottom and both sides that will clean the sides of your boots and the tread when you pull or push your boot through it. They're wide, low, and heavy, but because you’re passing your boots through them, they tend to move around. Therefore, most have flanges on them so they can be bolted to the floor or a large piece of wood.
Because boot scrubbers are a low-tech item, there aren’t a lot of considerations to ponder when you’re getting them, but there are a few.
Key considerations
Mounting holes
Unless a boot scrubber is bolted down to something, it will move all over the place when you’re using it. Trying to step on one side of it with one foot while cleaning the boot on your other foot is awkward at best. It’s easy to take a tumble trying to do it that way. Most boot scrubbers include flanges somewhere on them so they can be bolted down to the floor or to a large piece of plywood, either through pre-existing holes in the flanges or via a separate mounting bracket.
Weather resistance
Boot scrubbers are an outdoor tool for cleaning your boots. Putting the scrubber inside just means you’re bringing the mud inside, too.
Because your boot scrubber will be staying outside, you need to make sure it is weather resistant. Depending on where you live, it may need to be able to stand up to rain and snow, sub-zero temperatures, and/or blistering days over 100°F. Most folks will agree it’s better to spend a little extra for a good scrubber that will last than to spend less money several different times because you have to replace a product that keeps breaking down.
A good boot scrubber should be resistant to mold, rust, and mildew, too. Any wood in the construction needs to be treated to prevent rotting, drying, splitting, and splintering.
Expert Tip
While boot scrubbers can withstand a variety of weather, you will want to mount or store your scraper somewhere where the sun won’t be shining directly on it.
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Features
Size
Boot scrubbers are pretty much one-size-fits-all products. Different manufacturers will construct their scrubbers to different widths, but they are all close to the same size. If your foot is unusually large or small, keep the receipt, and test the scrubber with your boots as soon as you get it.
Brush angle
Angled brushes will reach into all the cracks and crevices on your boots. Bristles that all come straight out from the sides or the bottom will do the job, but bristles that come out from the scrubber at multiple angles will do an even better job.
Side brush height
The side brush bristles should reach at least the top of the boot sole where it meets the leather. That crease is easily filled with dirt and mud that can be hard to remove. The side brushes should reach above and below that crease to clean everything in it. Then, the bristles should reach another inch or two above that, for a total of three inches from the bottom of the boot. Mud and dirt above that point will be on the top of the boot and can be cleaned off with a handheld boot brush.
Bottom brush reach
The bristles that clean the bottom of the boot should be able to reach into the tread on your boots. They must be stiff enough to scrub away the dirt and muck jammed in there. Your weight while walking around will have compressed the mud firmly into the depths of the tread. The bottom bristles have to be stiff and strong enough to overcome that compression. Cheap plastic won’t be enough.
Expert Tip
After rinsing your boot brush clean, stand it up and allow it to dry.
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Scrapers
The bristles that clean the bottom of the boot should be able to reach into the tread on your boots. They must be stiff enough to scrub away the dirt and muck jammed in there. Your weight while walking around will have compressed the mud firmly into the depths of the tread. The bottom bristles have to be stiff and strong enough to overcome that compression. Cheap plastic won’t be enough.
Materials
Boot scrubbers need to be tough and durable. Most are built from metals such as chrome-plated steel, treated hardwoods, polypropylene or brass wire bristles, powder-coated iron, and high-density plastic. In turn, this makes them heavy. Even if they’re not bolted down, their sheer weight still poses a danger to bare feet and toes. Keep them out of the way of foot traffic when they’re not being used.
Color
Boot scrubbers aren’t known for having a wide variety of colors available to choose from. Black, tan, and dark brown are the main color choices. The bristles are usually black but may occasionally be a dark or royal blue.
Did you know?
Washing leather boots with a hose isn’t good for them. Leather boots that are repeatedly soaked with water will begin to crack and fray.
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Boot scrubber prices
Inexpensive
Low-priced boot scrubbers start around $10 and go up to about $17. These boot scrubbers are either injection molded with rubberized plastic bristles or are mats made of coiled wire with coconut fiber bristles.
Mid-range
The mid-range prices run from $18 to just under $30. These boot scrubbers are made from hardwood with metal plates on the outside. Metal flanges for bolting the scrubber to the floor or a sheet of wood are common.
Expensive
Prices at the high-end jump from $30 to $80 or more. Boot scrubbers at the top of this price range tend to be chrome-plated or powder-coated tempered steel with rugged bristles. The flanges have pre-existing holes. Bolts for securing them are often included in the package. These scrubbers will have a useful lifespan measured in years or decades.
Expert Tip
When cleaning out the dirt, you can rinse your boot scrubber with lukewarm water. No cleaning solution is needed.
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Tips
Bolt your boot scrubber to the floor so it won’t move around when you’re pushing and pulling your boots through it. The ideal location is in the garage or by the back door. Put it off to the side where people won’t trip over it when it’s not in use.
A good scrubber should be tight around your boot to maximize the action of the bristles in removing mud and dirt. If your boots move too easily through the bristles, they won’t be doing a good job of cleaning.
The side bristles should reach two or three inches up the sides of your boots in order to clean them correctly. Bristles that are only an inch or so high will result in partial cleaning.
Clean one boot at a time, pushing and pulling it lengthwise back and forth through the bristles until the mud and debris are gone. Then, do the same thing with the other boot.
Boot scrubbers will create a pile of mud and dirt around them as they clean your boots. Be sure to sweep it up on a regular basis, or a mountain of dirt will build up around them.
FAQ
Q. Could a boot scrubber harm my footwear?
A. Anything strong enough to get mud and dirt off your boots has the potential to scratch them. It doesn’t mean that it will, but it has happened from time to time. It’s just the nature of the beast.
Q. Can boot scrubbers be used without bolting them to the floor?
A. Yes. Bolt them to a wide piece of plywood, which you can stand on to hold the scrubber in place.
Q. How often should a boot scrubber be cleaned?
A. Clean your boot scrubber at least once a week during the winter months. During the dry summer months, you may not need to do this as often. Simply wash it off with a hose in the yard. You could use soap, but it isn’t necessary.
