Set the timer to 112 seconds

How to use the online timer

With a child beside you after a walk across the moor, one hundred and twelve seconds gives you a clear boundary for rinsing mud from their boots without turning the job into a lengthy scrub. You can direct them to hold each boot over a drain, rotate it slowly and brush the tread while you control the water and watch the remaining time.

As you supervise the rinsing, a silent phone may finish the countdown without attracting either person’s attention. Vibration can help if the handset is in your hand or pocket, but it may go unnoticed on a worktop beside running water. Keeping the display visible lets you follow the changing numbers and tell the child when to switch boots, even when no sound will play.

While your young walker works through the last patches of moorland mud, a phone is usually easier to position near the back door or outdoor tap than a laptop. Its smaller screen is still sufficient when you only need to glance at the countdown, and moving it away from splashes takes little effort. A laptop can suit a classroom demonstration, where several pupils need to see when rinsing stops, but it needs a dry, stable surface.