How To Clean Boot Soles – Step By Step Guide

Boots get muddy, dirty, and salty if you wear them all day long for work. So, at some point, you would want to give them a good, thorough clean. Cleaning leather boots once in a while is actually good for the leather. Also, the part that gets dirty the most is the sole.

So, how do you clean boot soles? Well, there are a couple of options. However, you can’t just hose them down and expect them to clean the next day. There are steps that you need to follow, and I’m going to show you exactly how.

How To Clean The Edges Of A Work Boot Soles?

First, let’s take care of the edges.

Step 1: Light Cleaning

Dust and some dirt can be easily removed with a moderately damp brush or cloth. Also, it will be easier to reach the welt if you use an old toothbrush.

If your boots are truly filthy, however, you’ll need a little bit more cleaning power. It’s for this reason that leather cleaning products are useful.

Step 2: Moderate Cleaning

Before applying a leather cleaning product, use a sponge to remove as much dirt and grime as possible. It will be simpler that way.

Petrol-based cleaning products should never be used on leather, as they can harm the material. The best leather cleaner is a plant oil-based one or, better yet, use saddle soap. And if the boot has crepe soles, you shouldn’t use alcohol or petroleum-based cleaning solution to clean it. See here a detailed guide on cleaning crepe sole boots.

As with any cleaning solution, leather cleaners can be sprayed on. Wipe or brush dirt and grime from the leather, spray cleaner, and repeat until clean. When you have caked-on gunk, you can spray it on and let it sit for a few minutes.

Cleaning Process

In saddle soap, natural compounds like beeswax or lanolin are blended into a mild soap base.

You get it in a tin of shoe polish as a waxy, soft puck. Then, the saddle soap is applied with a lightly damp (and clean!) brush or cloth, and a foamy lather is produced by working it in a circular motion.

Afterward, you apply it in a circular motion using a cloth or brush. Apply additional lather as necessary to the boot surface. A clean cloth should be used to remove the lather. To thoroughly clean your boots, you may need to apply the leather cleaner several times.

Remove any remaining lather or cleaner after they are clean. In addition to cleaning, saddle soap will also nourish and moisturize the leather, making it ideal for boot care. Work boots need to air-dry rather than being heated. This will dehydrate the leather and cause cracks.

Cleansing Boot Soles – Step By Step Guide

The method above is good for quick cleaning purposes only. If you want a more thorough clean, follow this guide. You can clean almost all types of boots including heel or wedge sole boots following the process below. Things you will need:

1. Pure-Castile Liquid Soap
2. Micellar Cleansing Water
3. A Large Bow Full Of Hot Water
4. Some Old Rags To Clean On
5. A Pair Of Dirty Boots
6. Scrubbing Brush
7. Lint Free Towels

Step 1

First things first. Take out the laces of boots. Now, take a large bowl, add hot water, and add a teaspoon of pure Castile liquid soap. Next, soap up your brush and start scrubbing the underside of the boot.

Give the boot a good scrub especially on the part where the leather meets the sole. This is going to be the dirtiest part where you really need to scrub out all that grime and salt and dirt.

Also, keep in mind that this is the first area that your boots come apart. Be sure to concentrate on this bottom portion of your boots.

Step 2

After that, you can scrub the whole boot using the same soap water mixture. Don’t worry; you won’t damage the upper. It’s a mild soap and won’t destroy the leather. It doesn’t matter what kind of material your boots are made out of; you can usually use the same solution for every type of boot.

Step 3

So, once you have scrubbed down the boot got it pretty much cleaned, take a damp cloth and wipe the soap off. This will get all that excess soap off the leather and also pull out some dirt in the process.

Obviously, you would want to use a towel that doesn’t have any lint. At this point, you can dry the boots. For this, I would recommend using a boot dryer. This is because it takes a long time to air dry work boots.

Step 4

Now it’s time to clean the soles. At this point, you can use a magic eraser that is all over the internet. However, that only cleans the sole to a certain extent. I like to do things differently.

I prefer to use micellar cleansing water. Although it’s a facecare product, this stuff can clean dirty boot soles. If you have a wedge sole or crepe sole boots, this is the product to use.

Step 5

Take a small amount onto a towel and start rubbing the sole. You would be surprised at how much this stuff actually brings that white up. I found this cleansing water to be the best if you have salt in your boots that just won’t come out.

BTW, take a look at the video below to get more clear ideas for your upcoming boot sole cleaning process.

Can I Use the Same Cleaning Method for Wedge Sole Boots and Other Boot Soles?

When it comes to cleaning wedge sole boots, it’s essential to consider their unique construction. Unlike other boot soles, wedge soles demand specific cleaning methods to maintain their integrity. Using the appropriate cleaning products and techniques designed for these boots will ensure a thorough clean without any damage.

Final Words

If you want to make your boots last, make sure to clean them often. Cleaning doesn’t take much time either. You are probably going to get the boot dirty the next day, but you will be wearing a cleaner boot.