Mud Daddy 8-litre portable washing device
The Mud Daddy is a cleaning system designed for dogs and general cleaning that has since been developed to suit a variety of other cleaning solutions.
Available in a range of sizes, I tested the 8-litre version. A wide range of colours is available to suit your requirements. Sizes available include 5 litres, 8 litres, and a much larger wheeled version at 12 litres. The 8-litre size was a good choice for keeping in the van, as it gave me the option to clean down my boards quickly after use. Why? Because invasive species are on the rise, it is increasingly important to clean your board and gear between paddling sessions or waterways.
The main container is tough and durable, well-designed, and it feels like it will last forever. Features a decent-sized carry handle located at the top for easy carrying and keeps the centre of gravity for comfortable filling. The wide opening makes it easy to refill with a hose or tap. The container has a valve at the base (underneath) to add the hose attachment. It’s great that this is on the base, as it ensures you use all the water and can empty it. There is a slight indentation for you to insert your fingers to remove the hose, which is easily accessible.
The hose attachment features a quick-release, spring-loaded mechanism which is easy to grab and robust. The standard system comes with a 2-metre hose, which is more than ample for moving the cleaner around a couple of SUP boards.
On the other side of the hose is the Mud Daddy brush and shower head. This is the same head, which resembles a showerhead but features cleaning bristles. The water sprays out of the head on 4/5 jets and is surprisingly powerful, and provides a lot of spray. The standard brush is fine for small cleaning applications, but we also tested the extra-large head, available separately, which has a 10cm diameter, allowing for more coverage. Both are suitable for cleaning SUPs, and the add-on accessories are very reasonably priced. You can also buy a standalone shower head if you plan to use it for washing down (more about this later).
The handle of the brush is very well built, a good strong well designed handle makes it easy to manoeuvre and has a simple to use trigger that you can press easily with wet hands and even lock the spray on if required however this will use a lot of water quickly I found myself using the jet and then brushing for a bit and then rinsing again with the key before moving to another area of the board. The bristles are stiff enough to agitate dirt and remove dirt whilst posing no risk of causing damage to the board, especially the softer EVA deck pads.
The brush heads quickly detach, allowing for new attachments to be changed quickly and easily. The pump is built into the container lid, and it feels solid and sturdy, not flimsy. It features an easy-to-grip ergonomic handle, making pumping and pressing the container simple. It is this pump system that allows the water pressure to activate the spray jets. It’s child’s play; my three and 6-year-olds were the first to test the product and managed to clean two boards with ease after our paddle.
All in all, I found this to be a great product and one to keep in the van for cleaning the boards. With the 8-litre Mud Daddy, I was able to thoroughly clean three boards. If it’s young kids, prepare for less, as they had more fun spraying each other!
What I especially appreciate about this product is the value for money. It is a well-built product, and at £44.99 for the 5-litre version, the price is reasonable, considering you get everything to go. They are even throwing in a microfibre towel with packages at the moment.
Mud Daddy has also since released a power brush, which is USB-C chargeable and eliminates the need to pump if you’re too busy to pump. Shower adapters and a suction cup system are available to fasten to a van or other surface.
