Barn boots

[travlnusa]

Mud room smells as bad as the barn does.

We come into the house, take of our boots, and then put them into milk crates for storage. We have tried just about every boot brush there is. Short of washing them each time out, I need some suggestions.

This must change, but to what? We do not have a covered porch, etc to use as such.

What does everyone else do?

[Jen H]

I do the same thing you're doing now. The shoes come off in the mud room and there they stay.

I have a door from the mud room to the main house, so the smell tends to stay there. Maybe that's an option? Do you have a garage? Maybe you could leave the boots in the garage and keep some slippers that get you into the house?

I also haven't found a boot brush that was worth what I paid for it. They work fine if you just want to knock the dust off, but for actual muck they just don't work.

[MorrisonCorner]

The other day we came home, opened the door, and PFEW! Husband says "smells like s*** in here!" So I search the house for the accident (6 dogs, could happen). No accident. Then I realized that we've been dumping our boots at the door (no mud room) and I turn the boots over.

Yikes!

Boots went out into the garage until I can scrub them, sprayed down the area they were in with lysol (helped, definitely helped) but what do you do if you don't even have a mud room?!?

[margo]

During this last winter, with all the trips I made in and out, it was a struggle to keep the doorway presentable.
Add a couple dogs who had to accompany me because they didn't want to miss a thing.
I kept a 2 gal bucket by the door with room temp water, (I could not live without a large variety of buckets), a tough rubber basin outside the door on the porch. A bunch of washable rugs and old bathtowels.

On the return trip from the coops, I'd dunk my feet in the basin, rinsing the soles and sides of the boots, (this works here, where there is mud, but not above the ankle (usually).) Then I could go indoors and sit down on a spare bucket and remove the boots, set them on towels to dry and slip on slippers, and empty the outdooor basin and replenish the water for the next trip, then--deal with the doggie feet next. fill the washing machine as needed.
It turned into a real production with the extra laundry, the number of trips, carrying water, but, better than smelling up the house and ruining the carpet.

As I told my husband, I would be tired at the end of the day, but, you couldn't point out any particular thing that got accomplished. Not like as if I had painted a room or mowed, or baked all day... just another day in the country....

Now, those who deal with curls of mud and manure that pulls the boots off and adds ten pounds to your weight, I am sure it's a special problem. Only occasionally do we deal with that. It would pay to have a couple pairs of boots so you could change out the boots in the barn or shed. then go to the house.....

[NWSneaky]

1st --- we wear only "Muck" boots, the trade name I think. They are a combination of syntetic, insulation and ventilation --- most muck falls off.

2nd --- why not build a "box" and keep them outside the door. If your tootsies can't stand cold boots, set 'em inside a half-hour before ya head out.

3rd --- for the total comfort lovers, put a heat pad or lamp in the box with an indoor switch!!!

[caberjim]

We have two boot benches outside the door. White plastic things - top comes off and boots go inside to keep them dry if it rains. They have holes in the bottom for drainage and air flow. No muck boots inside the house.

[MorrisonCorner]

LOL... -30 F most of the winter, although I suppose we don't have much of a muck problem then.. but it has been consistently in the high 30's, mid 40's here all May.

BRRRRRR.. cold tootsies!

[steff bugielski]

Chore boots by Muck- by far the best boot for the barn. They resist urine and manure will not rot them. Since they are tottaly waterproof, I simply hose them off when I am done in the barn. They wash off clean as a whistle.
Steff

[Carol K]

My son bought me some boots made by "Muck" this year for Mothers Day, can't wait for bad weather to try them, but they are very comfortable.
Now, don't you have a hose you can wash boots off with when you leave the barn? if not, like someone said a big shallow tub of water outside your door would work, but this time of the year leaving them outside should be ok, throw a bucket over them so they don't get wet.

Carol

[Ravenlost]

We have a box with a hinged lid next to the back door where we keep our barn boots.

[Little Quacker in OR]

I realize that there are places that running water outdoors is a premium. I am with the ones who rely on Muck boots and as we are a mild area I had my "men folk" help me with a covered "planting bench" right outside my back door with it's own faucet and hose . This is where I clean my MB's or in milder but muddy weather I use the LL Bean mudder shoes.

One of my most valuable tools to clean my footgear is my Weeder Tool(Heck I forgot what you call them now! Grrrrr.) LOL and my little garden spade along with my pocket knife.

I also have house dogs(three Cattle Dogs) so I can relate to running out of dog towels and the like. LOL

I think I would have to insist on a covered area of some type just out of the back door for wiping off dog feet and cleaning boots. I am not all that great at mopping and vacuuming.

LQ

[Rick]

Originally Posted by travlnusa

Mud room smells as bad as the barn does................
What does everyone else do?

I saw some good ideas from others.

For short term, why not tie them up in a trash bag (preferably a contractors trash bag), and leave them outside the door?

[travlnusa]

Thanks to all

We will buy a pair of Muck boots for all, and keep them in the barn. Change shoes in the barn, not that house.

Bob

[Matt Black]

I've thought of making a boot box for the porch as well. I didn't do it because I'm always finding Black Widows and Brown Recluses everywhere and boots in a box on an outdoor porch sounds like prime spider habitat. The thought of myself or my wife or kids sticking a foot into a boot full of poisionous spiders gives me the willies.

MB

[Jen H]

I have a pair of Muck shoes I use when we're pressing because they hold up to the apple juice (everything else rots away). The tread isn't agressive enough for winter here, tho. Do the boots have a better tread?

[4nTN]

Hubby and I wear slippers or flip-flops to the barn/shed where we keep our work boots.I keep them in a plastic nursery flat right inside the door and out of the weather.When the works all done we change back into our slippers or flip flops for the walk back to the house.We just have to remember to check inside the boots before putting them on..I don`t like any eight legged surprises :haha:















Shari

[cloverfarm]

Originally Posted by travlnusa

Mud room smells as bad as the barn does.

We come into the house, take of our boots, and then put them into milk crates for storage. We have tried just about every boot brush there is. Short of washing them each time out, I need some suggestions.

This must change, but to what? We do not have a covered porch, etc to use as such.

What does everyone else do?

When we milked cows, we all had gum boots or "slush" boots (the big tall yellow ones) to wear over our leather boots. We often left them in entry way of the cow barn. Well ... tried to. They often wandered off somehow ...

Ann

[Jenn]

Neighboring farmer has bucket of water she sloshes her boots in (whilst on her feet) after she leaves barn. Here in rainy England she has it under rain spout to refill regularly.

[Cyngbaeld]

Lived in scorpion country too long to trust my toes to any footwear left outside. I like to keep a plastic tote by the door inside. I step into it and pull off my boots. I like the tall irrigation boots. Then put the lid on and odors stay in the tote. A sturdy metal grate in front of the door is good to scrape most of the mud off outside and some old carpet around the house keeps mud under control there too.