Work boots, especially steel toe boots, are one of the most necessary pieces of gear that you need to wear when working in places like construction sites, fields, factories, warehouses, etc. Since they have to be put through a lot of rough use, they can get dirty pretty quickly. This is why it’s important to know how to clean work boots.
If you do not take regular care of your work boots, they can get irreparably damaged, leaving you with the burden of buying a new pair.
In this post, we’re going to look at some ways in which you can clean your work boots to stop them from wearing out quickly.
How to Clean Work Boots: What You’ll Need
Conveniently enough, you don’t have to buy any extra cleaning materials or items for your work boots. The things you’ll need for cleaning your boots will, in all probability, already be present in your home.
Here are the items that you will need for cleaning your steel toe boots:
- Detergent
- Microfiber cloth
- An old toothbrush
- Dryer
- Corn starch
- Baking soda
How Do You Clean Steel Toe Boots?
The actual idea behind cleaning steel toe boots isn’t that difficult. All you need to do is get some soap and water, and then use the microfiber cloth to clean the boot all over.
Although this is the main process, there are some finer steps and details to it. To discuss those, we can split up the cleaning process into two parts, i.e., the outside of the boots and the inside.
How do you clean the Outside of Steel Boots?
The first that you should be very particular about doing is removing the insole before starting the cleaning process. This is something that a lot of people can be unaware of if they don’t know how to clean work boots. (The insoles have to be washed separately in a diluted soap solution.)
After removing the insole, here is what you should do:
- Take the soap water and apply it to the boot using the microfiber cloth. When cleaning the leather parts of the boot, you should be gentle; otherwise, it can get chafed and damaged.
- For the soles, you can use the old toothbrush to rub off any stains or dirt. Remember, don’t use the toothbrush on any leather parts.
- If there are grease stains on your boots, you can use cornstarch to get rid of them. You just need to put the starch over the stains and then let it sit for some time (ideally overnight). After that, you can wipe it off with a cloth. The starch will bring away the grease.
- Once your boots are clean, you should use a dryer to get rid of any remaining dampness or moisture. It’s better not to let the boots sit in the sun because some materials (leather in particular) can get damaged if exposed to the sun rays for long.
How Do You Clean the Inside of Steel Boots?
Washing the insides of the boots involves more or less the same procedure as above.
- First, take the insole and wash it in a mild soap water solution.
- Afterward, take some of the same soap water used for the outside of the boots, and apply it to the insides with the microfiber cloth.
- Once the inside is thoroughly cleaned, pour water into the boots so that all traces of the detergent are washed away.
- Just as with the outside of the boots, you should use a dryer on the insides as well.
By following the steps given above, you will be able to properly clean your work boots. If there is still some odor left in them, you can use baking soda to get rid of it. Simply put some baking soda inside the boots, and let them sit for some time (some hours; ideally overnight).
When you want to wear them, just shake out the powder and go ahead.
Conclusion
If you don’t know how to clean work boots properly, you could end up wearing yours out sooner than you’d like. Follow the steps given in the post, and you should be able to get your boots looking fresh and clean in no time.
