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Earlier this month, we explored what happens when you and your guests wear shoes indoors, and, well, it’s gross. So we hunted around the Internet for the best boot scrapers on the market that will, at the very least, keep your floors as clean as possible if removing shoes isn’t an option. We won’t go into the nitty-gritty of the studies and wise words of the University of Colorado at Boulder’s environmental studies professor Jill Litt, who spoke to House Beautiful, but we will say this: On average, 421,000 units of bacteria, including sometimes fatal E. coli, can cling to the outside and bottoms of our shoes. So if you can’t commit to becoming a no-shoes-indoors house, you may as well invest in a boot scraper—especially if you have toddlers who spend a lot of time on the floor and putting things in their mouths. Cedar Boot Trees
The best thing about boot scrapers is that they’re rarely expensive, and you can’t really put a price on your family’s health, right? The most expensive find on our carefully curated list is still only $89, but that’s probably because it’s in the shape of a hedgehog and made of super-durable palm fibers. Otherwise, some of our top picks are as cheap as $18. No matter which one you decide to get, you’ll be able to take a sigh of relief knowing the dirt and feces (yes, from dog poop) will stay where it belongs: outside.
If you didn’t know how dangerous and gross your shoes can be, you’re not alone. Now that you’re in the loop, though, go ahead and protect yourself, your family, and anyone else who spends time in your home.
With no context for scale, this boot scraper looks like it could be the size of a doormat, but it's actually quite small. It's 12 inches wide and 13 inches tall, it's about the size of a hardback book, the perfect proportions for a small nook near the front door. It's made of coir, also called coconut fiber, which is super durable and coarse, so you can rest assured that after a few back-and-forth motions across this boot scraper, your stems will be good as new.
This may not be a traditional boot scraper, but if you're looking for something compact and efficient, this brush may be the perfect find. It's small enough to tuck in a drawer (as long as you don't mind a little dirt) but big enough to get the job done because it boasts three brush heads, all of which vary in thickness, so it can squeeze into the tiniest crannies of your footwear. It's also made of boar bristles, so it won't fall apart anytime soon.
With bristles that aren't quite as coarse as the previous two boot scrapers, this one works to gently brush the bottom and the sides of your boots, ridding them of pesky dirt particles, leaves, or tiny pebbles that got lodged in the cracks. The sturdy wood base and skid-proof rubber feet also ensure the boot scraper won't go anywhere, no matter how vigorously you clean.
At first glance, this boot brush may not look like anything incredibly unique, but the magic is in the manufacturing: It's hand-crafted in Germany using oiled beech wood and natural horsehair bristles on the bottom and sides for universal cleaning.
The Anneelise boot scraper was designed to work both inside and out, but given the nature of what it does, we'd recommend keeping it outside on the front porch. It also comes with an anti-slip backing so that you can scrape your boots as hard as you want without having to worry about the rug quite literally sliding out from under you.
This antique-inspired cast iron boot scraper looks like something we'd find in the mudroom of a centuries-old manor house in the English countryside, but it's actually a quite affordable find from Amazon that can work in just about any home. It may be a bit more decorative than effective, but for clunky, dried mud and anything stuck to the bottom of your shoes, this squirrel boot scraper will work just fine.
How sweet is this hedgehog boot scraper? It also works surprisingly well for how cute it is. The base, including the hedgehog's little head, is made of oiled beech embedded with durable bassine fiber (derived from palmyra palms) bristles, which are super-course and thick, so this little guy can stand years of wear and tear without showing it. Did we mention it's on sale for $30 off?
The best place to keep a boot scraper is right next to the door you use the most, like the front door or side door. Be sure to keep it outside, though, because, as its name implies, boot scrapers can get messy.
A boot scraper cleans your shoes after spending time outside. They may not be able to kill bacteria or make them shine, but they can clear your shoes of particles, mud, and dirt before they come inside.
After chatting with Professor Litt about the dangers of tracking dirty inside the house, we've become even more dedicated to keeping our homes clean. We know that sometimes taking your shoes off isn't always possible. In such cases, be sure to give them a good clean on these boot scrapers.
Jessica Cherner is House Beautiful’s associate shopping editor and knows where to find the best high-low pieces for any room.
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