Owning a pair of leather work boots can bring some challenges. No doubt about the comfort level, but they often require cleaning. Unlike other materials, leather doesn’t require a fancy budget for its cleaning.
However, some leather materials such as suede leather might require some additional care, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ll help you clean leather work boots with perfection.
Here is why it’s a good idea to keep your leather work boots nice and clean:
- It prolongs the life of your leather shoes
- It is cheap. You can clean your work boots with household items
- You get the shine of a brand-new pair
Aren’t these benefits exciting? Well, it saves you from the hassle of buying a new one. So, it’s better to use simple and affordable household items to keep your boots in perfect condition. Here is how to clean leather work boots with household items.
Steps Before You Start Cleaning Your Leather Boots
No matter which household items you use, these simple steps can help you get the best results:
- Remove the laces
- If the laces are washable, first wash them
- If they aren’t washable, replace them
- Use a soft microfiber cloth to remove the dust particles.
How to Clean Leather Work Boots With Household Items?
1: Simple Cleaning Brush
Yes, even a simple cleaning brush can help you clean your leather boots. It’s a common household item and doesn’t even cost a penny extra.
How to use it?
Clean your leather boot with the cleaning brush. Ensure that you are cleaning in a circular motion. It would apply equal pressure on all sides of the boot.
Verdict:
That’s pretty much it! You can use a simple cleaning brush when you quickly want to clean some dust particles off your boots. Further, if you can’t remove the laces, you can even use this technique with the laces on.
2: Vinegar
Vinegar is not just meant to add some spices to your food; it can also help you clean your leather boots with perfection. So often, you end up having some salt stains on your work boots. Salt stains are tough to get away with.
But don’t worry, we have a life hack for you. You can use vinegar to wipe off salt stains from your work boot. Sounds vague? Here is how it works.
How to use it?
You need one tablespoon of vinegar for this purpose. Add this vinegar to a cup of regular water. Stir it gently, and you’ll have a mixture of vinegar and water. We’ll be using this mixture to wipe off salt stains from your boots pair.
Now, dip a paper towel and apply it to the affected area of the boot. Again, clean it in a circular motion. Once it’s done, use a dry town to soak the excessive mixture.
Verdict:
Vinegar lets you get away with salt stains on your boots at no cost. It’s an effective and reliable method.
3: Baking Soda
It’s not baking time. Instead, baking soda is here to rescue your leather work boots. It is beneficial to remove tough stains and mud from work boots.
How to Use?
Take a wet cloth and put some baking soda on it. Now, rub the wet cloth on the boot from where you want to remove the stains. Ensure that you rub the cloth gently to avoid any damage to the leather.
Once applied, allow it to stay on the boots overnight. Leaving it for few hours might not deliver good results. Next morning, you’ll have your leather boots free from stains.
Verdict:
Baking soda is one joint cleaning agent that can give some surprising results. In this case, make sure you don’t use it aggressively.
4: Your Hair Conditioner
Hair conditioners are used for giving an extra shine and smoothness to the hairs. Don’t you think so, the leather materials behave the same? Well, leather material needs regular conditioning for it to last long. Here you can use a hair conditioner for cleaning your work boots.
How does It work?
You don’t have to prepare a mixture in this case. You can also use a Hair conditioner in its raw form for cleaning leather. In this case, all you need is a toothbrush and a microfiber cloth. Dab some hair conditioner on your work boots.
Use the toothbrush to apply the conditioner equally to all parts of the boot. Now, rub it with the same toothbrush. Again, you have to rub the leather gently. Once you have rubbed it for 5-7 minutes, let it get dry.
Take the wet microfiber cloth and gently wipe off the conditioner. Let your leather boots get dry in the sun, or use a hairdryer if there is insufficient sunlight.
Verdict:
With this method, you can revamp the shine of your leather boots. You can even use a cheap hair conditioner. There is no need to spend on the expensive ones. The results would be the same.
5: Even Dish Soap Works
Dish soaps also have excellent cleaning properties. Leather being a sustainable material, can be washed with a mixture of dish soap. Let’s see how we can use dish soap to wipe dirt and grime off a leather boot.
How does it work?
Clean your leather boots with a dry cloth before using the dish soap. Prepare a mixture of dish soap and water. Now, dip a dry cloth into this mixture and apply it to all parts of the boot.
Gently rub the boots with this cloth. Next, take a clean microfiber cloth and wipe off the mixture. Let the boots get dry, and you are all done.
Verdict
Dish Soap is one inexpensive way to get rid of stains and scuff marks on leather boots. It gives that shine and prolongs the life of the leather.
6: Toothpaste
Toothpaste is another common household item that to help get rid of dirt on your boots. It has good cleaning properties. Here is how you can use it for effective results.
How does it work?
Apply some toothpaste to your leather boot. First, spread the applied toothpaste equally on all corners of the boot. Next, take a toothbrush and start rubbing the toothpaste. Especially, rub around the corners and on areas with scuff marks.
Let the toothpaste get dry (for 1-2 hours). Once it gets dry, take a wet towel or microfiber cloth and clean the whole leather boot.
Verdict:
You’ll see a shiny leather surface and no scuff marks after using this method to clean your work boots. It only takes a few hours to get the best results.
7: Olive Oil:
Olive oil comes with immense health benefits. Its benefits don’t end here. Olive oil helps retrieve the old shine of leather boots. Some folks prefer olive oil over standard shining polishes available at stores. Anyhow, let’s learn how to use olive for cleaning a pair of boots.
How does it work?
You have to follow a simple process to bring back that original shine of your leather boot using olive oil. Take a paper towel and apply some olive oil to it. Rub the paper towel on all parts of your boots. Don’t overlook the corners. They need some detailing too.
Once you have rubbed well, it’s time to clean the boot’s surface with a microfiber cloth. There you go. It’s all done.
Verdict:
You can rely on olive oil for making your leather boots shine like new. It’s a quick remedy, and the results are fantastic.
Bottom Line:
Now, you know how to clean leather work boots with household items. See, it’s simple yet effective. But, be honest, did you ever thought of cleaning your leather boots with these items? Probably not, because most people are unaware of such uses of household items.
Anyhow, you can quickly get rid of scuff marks, grime, and dust particles from your work boots without spending any extra amount. So, next time when you go out for groceries, buy some household items in bulk. You might need them to clean your work boots.