this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2023
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What is this thing?

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submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by andyli to c/whatisthisthing
 

I moved to England from Hong Kong recently. I found that it is common to see these holes (tiny doorway arch looking thing) in front of houses. What are they?

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[–] [email protected] 45 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It’s for scraping the mud off the bottoms of your shoes!

[–] andyli 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Oh, interesting. Is there a name for this?

I've heard there are tiny sculptures made for scraping mud off shoes. Didn't know it can be built into the entrance.

[–] mykl 20 points 1 year ago

Yep, "boot-scraper" 😀

[–] mykl 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hi OP, if you’re happy with the answers you’ve got here, could you edit your post to add [SOLVED] to the end of the title? Many thanks!

[–] andyli 4 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yeah it's for when you didn't have room for a mud room. Scrape that shit right off!

[–] svncake 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What happens when it gets full of mud

[–] Fantomas 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You clean it. Or wait for the rain to clean it.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Or have your boy Geoffrey scrub it out good and proper.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Are we still talking about boot scrapers?

[–] andyli 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I didn't know that area is called mud room, though I understand it's the first place into indoor where you leave shoes.

Learned one more thing! Thanks!

[–] homebrew_ 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

“Mud room” is an American thing. It’s a whole friggin room with tile floor, probably the washer/dryer, etc., usually the first room off the garage entrance in my experience. It might not translate to other countries.

[–] KairuByte 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They exist in Canada as well. They’re actually a great idea. You happen to be dirty? Don’t want to traipse that dirt through a clean house? Just take off your dirty clothes right there and throw them directly into the washing machine.

Also means you have a dedicated laundry room, instead of the insanity I see sometimes where it’s in the kitchen, or a bathroom, or the basement, or just hanging out in the hallway behind a door.

[–] ZyQo 2 points 1 year ago

Absolutely disgusting to have laundry in the kitchen like in England but the bathroom is totally normal here. Like 90% of all houses here have the washer and dryer in the bathroom.

Dirt in the house isn’t a problem. I’m confident 100% of the population here don’t wear shoes inside the house

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I love in Scotland and people in rural areas often have mud rooms.