Washing Boots And Shoes.

[William51]

After the hot sweaty summer my work boots are smelly and feel wet to wear. How do you wash them?, are they safe to put in the washing machine?, or soaked in a bucket of water?. Any advice please.

[barry1010]

Depends on the sort of boots you have and the material they are made from.

Baking soda absorbs moisture so try sprinkling a lot in to your boots and leaving it at least overnight before tipping it out. This has the advantage of neutralising sweaty smells, too.

If your boots have removable insoles, take them out and replace with new ones.

You can put some footwear in to the washing machine, if you know the make check out their website for washing instructions.

[Barsel]

Don't wash them if they are leather.

[tiggerblue10]

You could try using a wet wipe first to clean the inside then as Barry says use some baking/bicarb soda. I think you can also get shoe sprays which deodorise.

[Ken4155]

Once you are rid of the smell and your boots have dried, try leaving a shoe deodoriser in them overnight. You can buy them or make your own;

https://thehomemadeexperiment.com/homemade-shoe-deodorizer-sachets/

[gingejbee]

This is what happens when you wear the same footwear several days on the run (ha-ha). They never dry out and bacteria thrive.
You need to let them dry out in a warm place and could use one of the (alcohol-based ) shoe sprays which will kill bacteria, help with the drying and make them smell much better. And you don't need to spend much, either!

https://www.savers.co.uk/Health-%26-Wellbeing/Foot-Care/Shoe-%26-Foot-Odour-Spray/Beauty-Formulas-Odour-Control-Shoe-Spray-150ml/p/10623

[barry1010]

You can put some leather shoes in the washing machine but that is always written on the washing instuctions or on the box they came in

[Paigntonian]

I use Fabrise for the insides of my shoes.

[barry1010]

Does it dry out that nasty, damp, swampy feel, Paigntonian?

[davebro]

some footwear IS advertised as machine washable but you put them in there & they don't half clunk about - not good for the machine?

[davebro]

& I think it's FEBREZE (just sayin')

[bednobs]

i put anything and everything in the washing machine (i put shoes in a pillowcase).
Can you afford new boots if it does completely eff them up?

[Redhelen72]

Put the shoes in the machine but hang the laces over the door and then shut the door, they will still wash but without the usual amount of banging

[choux]

Redhelen, that is an excellent solution, cheers x

[gingejbee]

These are work boots...the last thing you want to do is get them wetter by washing...it'll make the problem worse and they'll take forever to dry properly.

[weecalf]

Got me walking shoes out on the line at the moment Just put tissue in the a wee bitty elbow grease soaks up wet a ready for line At about 6.35 will be on the road again

[Maydup]

Ideally you'd buy a new pair; dry out this pair using some baking soda as mentioned and then try alteranting them rather than wearing the same pair everyday.