Review: Mud Daddy – Dog Washer
Quick Review: The Mud Daddy is the best device I’ve found in the UK for cleaning a dog quickly and effectively after a walk. It’s not perfect, taking considerable manual effort to pump, and it’s a bit pricey.
I have a Cocker Spaniel who loves nothing more than going in mud and water when I take her on a walk. I usually wash her with a hose in the summer months. But, during the winter, the water coming out of the hose is too cold. After looking online, I found the Mud Daddy, which appeared to be the answer to washing my dog in the winter months. Read on for my full review of the Mud Daddy for washing dogs.
How Does The Mud Daddy Work
The Mud Daddy is a fairly simple idea. You fill the container with water, and then you pressurise the container using the manual pump. Attached to the container is a hose with a brush from which water is dispensed. It operates without the need for any batteries or power.
What Size Mud Daddy Do I Need
The primary purpose of the Mud Daddy is to clean a dog after a walk. So the size of your dog or the number of dogs you have will determine which Mud Daddy is the best option
In my experience, the 5-litre Mud Daddy is suitable for rinsing down one Cocker Spaniel sized dog. If you have a larger dog like a Labrador, you’re probably going to need the 8 Litre model.
The 12-litre Mud Daddy is quite a bit larger than the other models, so it’s not as portable. If you have several dogs or a horse to wash down, go for the 12-litre model.
Pros: Mud Daddy
- Well constructed – The container is made from very thick plastic. The hand pumps seems sturdy enough, although I expect this will probably be the first thing to break.
The hose is quite thin but good enough. The handle and brush are both made from strong plastic.
I’ve had my Mud Daddy for 18 months, using it nearly every day in the winter months and it is working as well as when I first purchased it. - Effectively cleans the dog – I use the Mud Daddy to rinse my dog down after a walk, which it is perfect for.
- Very portable – The Mud Daddy doesn’t take up much space at all. It can easily be dumped in the car boot. Using the Mud Daddy is manual, so there is no need to be near a power source.
It keeps water warm for quite a while ( 2 or 3 hours), as long as you fill it with very hot water (not boiling) to start with. The instructions say not to fill it with hot water, but if you don’t, the water will soon cool.
Cons: Mud Daddy
- Fairly Expensive – I think the price is a little on the high side for what you’re getting. As far as I’m aware, there are no low-cost alternatives to the Mud Daddy, so if you want a quick & easy way to clean your dog, then you’ll have to pay up.
- Lots Of Pumping – To get a good amount of pressure that’s going to be enough to rinse a dog in one go fully, it is going to take about 50 pumps (on the 5-litre model). For me, it takes about one minute to achieve the 50 pumps. However, for an older person or someone in poor physical shape, getting the Mud Daddy fully pressurised will take quite a bit of effort. The pumping can be broken down into stages while cleaning the dog to make things easier.
UPDATE: Mud Daddy are now selling a power brush which means no more pumping 🙂 - Rinse Not Wash – The Mud Daddy is ideal for cleaning off fresh mud and dirt, but not really suitable for properly washing your dog
- Low Pressure – The pressure generated by the hand pump is quite low; however, it is perfectly sufficient for cleaning a dog, wellies, etc.
Tips For Using the Mud Daddy
- Don’t fully grasp the pump handle. Try to keep your hand flat over the handle, see pics below. Doing this makes pumping far more efficient
- The Mud Daddy comes with a firm brush, which I don’t think is suitable for cleaning dogs. Get the soft brush, which does a much better job of cleaning dogs.
- Fill the water container about two-thirds full. I’ve found at this level, you get the best pressure with the least effort
- If the pump isn’t building up pressure, make sure that the pump sections are tightly screwed together. See picture below
- Don’t leave the Mud Daddy outside when the temperature is freezing. I did this on one occasion, causing the handle attached to the hose to crack. Fortunately, it was easy to fix with some super glue.
Conclusion: Mud Daddy Review
The Mud Daddy is a good idea and generally works well for rinsing down muddy dogs. I use mine just about every day during the winter months. It’s convenient and easy to use.
The Mud Daddy’s main drawback is the significant amount of manual pumping required to build up adequate pressure. This is necessary to avoid the need to pump again midway through washing your dog.
BEST SELLING MUD DADDY
