Mud season in the upcountry can be a bit of a slog if you are faced with continuously mopping boot prints from your interior floors. There are fabulous tools for helping family and visitors alike remove debris from their boots and shoes before entering and they can be equally pleasing to the eye as they are utilitarian.
First a bit of history on boot scrapers. Dating back to the 17th century, scrapers first appeared in Paris, London, and New York where street conditions made them a necessity. By the 1700s, these tools became widely popular throughout colonial America as well. They were initially designed as simple wrought iron blades attached between two anchors and driven into the ground next to a house. By the 1800s, the process of casting iron allowed for more intricate designs that were decoratively incorporated into a home’s front entrance plans. They are still available for purchase in some garden and home stores today and are an even more fun treasure to hunt in local antique stores. While you may have never considered one before? Your upland home is the perfect spot to put these faboulously useful and decorative tools to use.
The wrought iron duck scraper above is available for purchase through Right Proper Home and is the same early 20th century design my parents have (and I covet) at their upland home. Not only is it charming, but its weight is supstantial enough to make this charming design functional. (You don’t want your boot scraper scooting about whilst trying to remove dirt from the soles of your shoes.) We’ve used it all of our lives and it would look smashing on at any entrance.
Another option is a boot scrape you stake into the grass. The benefit of this is that you’re not tracking clumps of mud onto a stone walk or patio. You’ll need to find one that has substantial prongs so that the scrape doesn’t wobble back and forth while you’re sliding your shoe overtop. This model from Van Dyke’e Restorers is historically appropriate and is reasonably priced. Further, the notched prong design appears as though it would maintain fairly good purchase in the soft spring soil.
Cozy Winters Original Scrusher
This work-horse of a boot brush from Cozy Winters is one we’ve used for years. Different than a scraper, it is designed to remove loose dirt and sand. Our upland home is located in an area where crushed sandstone is the base for most trails and logging road we frequent on treks through the woods. It clings to your shoes especially when damp and this brush is a godsend for removing it from not only the bottom of your shoes, but from the sides. Although not decorative? It is practical and the fact you can stand on it with one foot while you scrape with the opposite means it needen’t be bolted to your walk or patio to function properly. You’ll appreciate the ability to move it while sweeping the area and even tucking it away at times when you prefer a more uncluttered look. Ideal for lake or beach homes as well.
