When we shell out serious dough for a new pair of football boots, we really should look after them. So when we got wind of a new boot cleaning device that says it will keep our boots in tip top condition, we couldn’t wait to give it a go.
Aptly named The Boot Buddy, this little toy claims to be the new way to clean your muddy football boots, quickly.
So without further ado, we took the oddly shaped contraption out of the well-presented box and got to work…
Cleaning With The Boot Buddy
Normally we’d get an old toothbrush, bucket and hose out in the back garden, scrub away for ten minutes, before wiping down with a cloth. It’s a messy job and is no fun in the winter.
With The Boot Buddy, you don’t need the toothbrush, the bucket of water, or a hose running – this is where this little contraption gets interesting:
How it Works
The scraper on the back of the Boot Buddy unscrews, you then fill the tank up with just 300 ml of water. Rather than having the tap on constantly and unnecessarily wasting plenty of water (pleasing all eco-friendly parents out there), the tank takes 300 ml, the same as a can of coke.
Scrape Off Mud with the Fin
Once all screwed back on tight, the back end, with its shark-like tail, is used to scrape off any clumps of mud stuck to your boots. The brush then turns 90 degrees and unlocks the water flow.
No Tap, Just the Tank
By gently squeezing the main bulbous section of The Boot Buddy you allow just the right amount of water to stream out and rinse, whilst you’re scrubbing away.
The bristles on the brush are very tough and are good at getting the most stubborn pieces of mud from the sole of your boot.
With the dirt gone and rinsed off, we finished up with an old rag to take off the surplus water before stuffing the football boots with paper and leaving to dry naturally.
Clean on the Go
The Boot Buddy is watertight, meaning you can safely pop it into your kit bag full and off you go with no danger of it leaking all over your sportswear. This allows all avid boot cleaners to get their boots gleaming again straight after the big match!
Price
The Boot Buddy is available to buy direct from their website www.thebootbuddy.co.uk, costing £19.99 + £3.99 for postage.
Verdict
The Boot Buddy does a good job of cleaning your football boots.
You can clean your boots with a minimum of fuss and you don’t need to get loads of equipment out.
We were sceptical about cleaning up with so little water, but from our tests, even if your boots were caked in mud, we still think you’d end up using less than a litre of water – which can only be a positive thing, both financially and environmentally.
We also liked the convenience of The Boot Buddy, it isn’t huge and it is very light so you can store it easily in your kit bag.
Pros: Well made, light, cleans well and is environmentally friendly.
Cons: Expensive.
