Whether you’re in a branch of the military, a correctional officer, ranger school or wildland firefighter, you likely have a pair of duty boots, and it’s essential to keep them clean.
Having clean boots allows them to last longer in the best condition possible. Today we’ll cover a few of the most popular material duty boots are made out of and ways to keep them clean so you get the most out of them.
Cleaning Old Stains
If you have a stain on your boots, it’s essential to get it out as soon as you can. Whether the stain is from dirt, oil, coffee or any other substance, you’re more likely to get it out when you apply a paste made out of cornstarch and water.
Mix those two items and put it anywhere there’s a stain on the boot. Allow it to dry and brush it off, and you should have a stain-free boot.
Stinky Boots
If you have leather boots, you’ll be able to throw them in the wash on a cold water cycle, and that’ll help get rid of any stench, but if you have any other material boots, it may not be that easy.
You can make a mixture of vinegar and water and soak a towel and hand clean the inside of the boots. If this isn’t your cup of tea, you can try putting baking soda satchels inside your boot for a couple of days which will soak up the stench.
Lastly, the easiest way is to put a scented dryer sheet in your boot to mask the smell with a more pleasant fragrance.
Cleaning Suede Duty Boots
One of the worst things about wearing suede boots is how easily they take on stains. To avoid having to use the stain removal method above, make sure you’re cleaning your boots as often as they get dirty.
One of the most important things about cleaning suede is being patient. It can be time-consuming but again, will make your boots last a long time if you keep up with it.
Dirt or Mud Stains
When it comes to mud or dirt stains, you don’t want to clean them while the mud is still… mud. Wait until it’s dried into the dirt and then knock your boots together to get stuck on dirt off.
This won’t remove everything of course so you can follow this up by taking a stiff brush to get off the leftover dirt or mud.
Oil Stains
When it comes to getting oil stains out of suede, you’ll need a few products to get the job done. Grab the following materials to get oil stains out of your suede duty boots.
- Hydrogen Peroxide (a couple of quarts will do)
- A Box of Baking Soda
- Dawn Dish Soap with Hot Water (mixed)
You can use the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to make past to put on the stains and then soak the whole boot and scrub them with a brush.
You want to do this when you don’t need them for a couple of days as they need a weekend to dry.
Cleaning Smooth Leather Duty Boots
Cleaning leather duty boots are easiest done when following a list of steps. Before you get going, you need a few things to get the job done.
- Soft Cloth
- Brush
- Warm Water
- Container
- Leather-friendly soap
- Towel
- Vinegar
- Linseed Oil
To get your leather boots as clean as possible, follow the next set of instructions and you’ll be good to go!
- Remove the laces from your boots.
- Take your cloth or brush and get off all dirt and grime that easily wipes away.
- Take the container and mix together the water and leather-friendly soap.
- Grab the soft cloth and get it wet with the soapy mixture.
- Make sure to wring out the cloth before wiping down the boot, then proceed to clean your boots.
- Get the towel and soak up as much of the water on the boots as possible.
- Take one parts vinegar mixed with 2 parts linseed oil and apply to the boots.
- Let this sit for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Buff it out with a soft towel.
- Allow boots to air dry but keep them away from any heat source or direct sunlight.
Cleaning Waterproof Leather Duty Boots
Out of this list, waterproof leather duty boots take the least amount of work to clean, next to synthetic fabric boots. Here are the waterproof chemical resistant boots.
All you have to do is let whatever is on your boots to dry and then knock them together. This will help the majority of all junk to fall off. For whatever is left over you can wipe it off with a brush or cloth.
If you still have some dirt and grime on the boots, you can take a wet towel to get it off and finish it by buffing on a leather conditioner. As will the other boots, let them fully dry after cleaning.
Cleaning Synthetic Duty Boots
Like mentioned above, boots made from synthetic materials are by far the simplest to clean. They generally don’t get stains if they’re stain proof, but it’s still a safe bet to keep them clean to keep the pair as long-lasting as possible.
To clean synthetic duty boots, you need to wipe them down with a soft cloth if you need a little something extra you can always use a combination of soap and water or soap and vinegar.
Read also: The 7 Best Over the Knee Boots for Skinny Legs in 2020
Stains On Synthetic Boots
For synthetic boots that aren’t stain proof, there are multiple ways to get them clean and free from stains. You can simply do this by using a mix of water and laundry soap. Wipe down your boots with this mixture and then wipe them down again with an additional cloth that just has water on it.
Final Words
Now you’re a little more well-versed on how to clean duty boots made out of several materials. Keeping these cleans will make your boots last for as long as possible and really doesn’t take that much effort.
Cleaning them will help them to not crack or break, especially if they’re leather. If you remember to treat them how you would your car, you and your boots will be in great shape.
Additional Resources:
How to Care for Leather Hiking Boots From REI