How to wash work boots. Steel toe boots are a must for all workplaces such as construction, warehouse, etc. The steel toe caps protect your toes from any serious injury from falling heavy loads, sharp objects, and tripping injuries.
But steel-toed boots require special care and maintenance. There are different ways to treat different types of steel toe boots depending on the material of the boots and also the types of stains and dirt on the boots.
In general, you can simply wash your steel-toed boots with soap and water and a clean microfiber cloth. To remove grease stains from boots, you can use talcum powder, for water-based stains, use lime juice or tartar, and to clean suede boots, use baking soda.
Today, in this article, I'm going to tell you in detail about all the possible ways to wash your steel-toe boots. I will also tell you about the different ways to clean your leather, nubuck, and suede steel toe boots.
Let’s get started:
1.) Washing the whole (inside and outside) of the leather boots with a steel toe cap
Things Required:
- Good quality mild detergent
- Any mild shampoo
- Baking soda
- Lint-free cloth
- Socks
- A plastic bag of large size with a zip
Steps to follow:
1.) Firstly, never forget to remove the insoles from the boots, as they must be washed very carefully separately.
2.) Cleaning the insoles with a mild detergent kills germs and removes odors because the odor-causing bacteria usually remain on the insoles.
3.) Now make a soap and water solution with mild shampoo and warm water.
4.) Take the soft, lint-free cloth and use the soap and water solution to thoroughly clean the inside of the boots.
5.) Fill the inside of the boots with water to remove the soap and water solution.
6.) Now use the cloth and the soap and water solution; clean the outside of the boots. Move your fingers in gentle circular motions as you clean the leather fibers.
7.) Dry the inside and outside of the boots thoroughly with a hairdryer. If the boots are dry in the dryer, leave them outside to catch the sun's rays.
8.) To remove the odor, add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to each sock and place them separately in each sock. Keep them overnight.
9.) The baking soda will take all the odor out of your boots and freshen them up completely.
2.) Cleaning pickled steel boots
If your boots are stained with grease or stained with water-based dirt, there are several ways to treat them:
a.) Cleaning grease stains with talcum powder:
Steps to follow:
1.) Dab the oil on the boots with a microfibre cloth. Try to remove as many stains as possible; using the microfiber cloth. DO NOT go too hard or you will tear the fibers out of the boot material.
2.) Take some talcum powder and sprinkle the powder over the grease-stained area.
3.) Let the wettable powder stay on the boot overnight.
4.) Take the microfibre cloth again and rub the dust off the boots. During the process, remove any remaining stains from the boots.
b.) Water-based stain remover with lime juice or tartar:
Steps to follow:
1.) You will need lime juice or tartar for this process
2.) Take the lemon juice or tartar and spread it on the stained area.
3.) Now rub the stain with the soft, lint-free cloth in gentle circular motions.
4.) Take another lint-free cloth and wipe off the lemon juice or tartar.
5.) Air dry the boots completely and you are good to go.
3.) Wash Steel Toe Suede Boots
Things required:
- Special shoe scrub brush
- Sodium bicarbonate
- Rag
Steps to follow:
1.) Scrub the stained areas of the boots very gently with the special shoe brush.
2.) Pour a few drops of baking soda on the stained areas and let it sit overnight.
3.) Use the cloth to remove the baking soda, and in the process, the stains will be gone too!
4.) Dry the boots in the sun.
5.) Condition them.
4.) Boot wash with nubuck steel toe cap
Things Required:
- Soapy water solution
- Toothbrush
- lint-free cloth
Steps to follow:
1.) Use the toothbrush to scrub the dirt off the nubuck shoes.
2.) Take the container with the soap solution and dip the cloth in it.
3.) Use the cloth to clean the outside of the shoes.
4.) Remove the insoles and wash them separately with mild soap.
5.) Clean the inside of the boots again with the soap solution and the cloth.
6.) Air-dry boots and let
7.) Apply a good conditioner to give them the necessary nourishment and shine.
8.) Don't forget to spray your boots for a waterproof coating.
5.) Use a soap and water solution to clean your steel-toed boots:
You can also clean your steel-toed boots with a simple soap and water solution and a microfiber cloth.
Steps to follow:
1.) Take a container and mix a few drops of dish soap or mild shampoo in water.
2.) Now take the microfibre cloth and dip it into the bowl.
3.) Use the microfiber cloth to rub the dirt off the boots and work in small circular motions until the entire boot is done.
4.) Now take another clean, damp microfibre cloth and wipe all soap residue off the boots.
5.) Use the hairdryer to dry your boots or you can just dry them under the fan.
6.) Air-dry the boots and let them dry completely.
This is a moot point whether it is safe to wash work boots in the washing machine or not. We'll tell you everything in the next section.
Can steel-toed boots go in the washing machine?
You can definitely tumble dry your steel-toed boots if you want to skip all the hard work that comes with wearing steel-toed boots. Of course, you have to be careful with the fabric of your boots, if they are suede you should never wash them in the washing machine.
But if your boots are made of leather or other machine-washable materials, you can machine wash your steel-toed boots.
Make sure you have disabled the automatic streaming option. This is because wet steel-toed boots would be even heavier and running the machine dry would wreak havoc due to severe vibrations in the machine and permanently damage your washing machine.
How to clean the inside of boots?
Cleaning the inside of boots is not an easy job. You have to be very careful especially with the amount of water you use.
Too much water can damage the material in your boots! Let's start with our cleaning process:
1.) First remove the laces from the boots.
2.) Then delete the templates and keep them separately.
3.) Prepare a bucket of warm water and mix a mild detergent into it.
4.) Tighten the laces and insoles and rub well with your hands.
5.) Transfer them to a bucket of clean water and take them out
6.) Dry them in the sun
7.) Now make a solution of suds with a mild shampoo
8.) Take a lint-free cloth and soak it in the water and soap solution.
9.) Use the cloth to rub the inside of the boots against dirt. Don't forget to clean the back of your tongue.
10.) Now take another cloth and dip it in clean water.
11.) Wipe the inside of the boots with a clean cloth to remove any soap residue.
12.) Don't forget to tilt the top the same way.
13.) Hold the boots under the fan by turning the tab back. This allows the inside of the boots to dry completely and quickly.
How to wash steel-toed boots in the washing machine?
I know that using the washing machine to wash your steel-toed boots seems much easier than any other way.
So let's learn about the correct procedure to wash your steel-toe boots in the washing machine:
1.) Read the instructions on the boots care label first:
On each boot, you will see a care instructions label stating whether the material of the boot is machine washable.
If the label says no, follow one of the other ways to wash your boots listed above. But if the tag says machine washable, continue with the steps below.
2.) Prepare the boots for washing in the washing machine:
Preparing the boots means removing the insoles and laces to wash them separately and to remove surface dirt from the boots.
To do this, take a clean cloth and rub it over the boots to remove surface dirt. You can also use a soft-bristled toothbrush to do the same.
3.) Take the necessary precautions:
This step is very important and crucial for both the boots and the washer and will protect both from damage.
Take a pillowcase or soft cotton cloth and use it as a bag to store the steel-toed boots. This prevents the boots from spreading inside the machine and hitting hard against the machine walls.
4.) Preparing the machine for washing:
To prepare the washing machine for washing, you need to change the settings on the machine.
5.) Drying Steel Toe Boots:
Remove the wet boots from the machine and allow all the water to soak into the boots by turning them upside down. Now use a dry towel to wrap the boots.
This will pull all the water out of the boots. Then place the boots under the fan or use a hairdryer to dry the boots.
Before we say Good-Bye:
Remember to only use the specific form for a particular stain or material.
A leather boot and a suede boot cannot be treated with the same product or process or you will end up ruining your entire boot.
For example, if you try to use too much water to clean your suede boots, they're going to say goodbye forever!
Professional tips:
Always remember to dry your boots completely after you have finished washing them.
Always condition your boots after washing to give them nourishment and shine.