How to Clean Leather Work Boots? Cheaper/Faster Than You Ever Imagined

Don’t want to wear creased and dirty leather shoes at work? The leather work shoes can be dirty and cracked with dirt, dust, oil, and other substances. The leather work boots are expensive compared to ordinary boots, that’s the reason leather boots need adequate care. You have to clean your shoes at the end of the day to make them shiny and new. If you don’t pay attention to the cleanliness and polish of the shoes then the leather starts to degrade due to the lack of moisture and will be filled with a bad odor. The leather shoes can look brand new with proper care that will help you to remove cracks and creases on your boots.

If you are thinking of getting rid of dirty and cracked leather boots then I would like to tell you that you can smoothly clean your leather work boots with ordinary household items without spending any money. You can use economical products to clean and protect your leather. You can shine your leather boots easily but you need to follow precautions to avoid damage to your work boots. In this article, you will learn about the leather work boots cleaning with complete details. Now let’s have a look at the below methods to shine your leather work boots.

Clean Leather Work Boots From Outside

There are two steps to clean your work Boots. First, you have to clean your boot from the outside to get rid of dirt, scuff, and scratches. You can use easy home solutions to clean your boot outer surface. Just look at the below points to learn the solutions for cleaning working boots from the outside.

1. Remove Dirt With Soft Cleaning Cloth or Brush

If your work boots are covered with dust then you just need a couple of things to wipe off the dirt. You need a clean piece of cloth and a brush to remove the excess dirt and dust from the boot surface.

• Remove the shoe laces and inserts from boots.
• Use a horsehair brush to remove the dust from boots.
• Spray a little bit of water to remove light stains with the help of a soft cleaning cloth.You can remove dirt and grime without damaging the leather.

2. Use Talcum Powder to Get Rid of Oil Stains

Talcum powder is yet another strong solution to lift off dirt or grime onto the surface of your leather work boots. The powder helps to absorb extra water and oil from your leather boots.

• Locate the stains on your boots and pour talcum powder on the spotted stains.
• Leave the boots for one hour so the power easily spread on the stains.
• Now smoothly scrub the boots with a soft cleaning cloth. Don’t use force to clean the stains.
• After cleaning the oily and greasy stains use a brush to remove the extra talcum powder on your shoes.

3. Effective Cleaning With Baking Soda or Laundry Detergent

The Baking soda is a good cleaner to bring shine on your leather work boots. You can smoothly clean your shoes with baking soda and if you don’t have baking soda at your home you can also use Laundry detergent. Follow the below points to clean your leather boots with baking soda.

• Fill a bowl with warm water and add one scoop of baking soda to prepare the solution.
• Remove the laces and put them in the bowl to clean.
• Use a damp towel to get rid of dirt on the surface of your boots.
• Start scrubbing the boots in small circular motions with a leather cleaning brush.
• Wash boots with clean water to remove baking soda or detergent.

You can also take guidance from this video to avoid any hassle while cleaning your work boots.

4. Use Dish Soap to Remove Stains

Would you believe it if I tell you that you can clean your leather work boots with a dish soap solution in less than two minutes? Dish soap homemade solution is one of the best things to clean the outer layer of your boots. You have to follow certain steps to clean leather work boots with Dish Soap.

• Add Water and Dish Soap in a small ball and stir it up.
• Dip a soft cleaning cloth into the mixture and start gently rubbing it onto your boots in a circular motion.
• Now wipe off the solution to clean the boots.
• You can mix baking soda, dish soap and water altogether to clean the sole of your shoes. Use a toothbrush to clean the sole of the shoes.
• Now rinse it off with a soft cleaning cloth and allow your and put your shoes to air dry.

If you want your boots to look much cleaner then watch this video for a quick and easy clean.

5. Use Vinegar to Shine Dull and Patchy Surface

Would you believe it if I tell you that you can clean your leather work boots with a dish soap solution in less than two minutes? Dish soap homemade solution is one of the best things to clean the outer layer of your boots. You have to follow certain steps to clean leather work boots with Dish Soap.

• First rub the shoe with a cleaning cloth to remove the dust.
• Now put distilled white vinegar and water in a small bowl or you can fill in a spray bottle.
• You can apply vinegar solution with a toothbrush or with a cleaning cloth.
• After that rub extra solution with a cleaning cloth and allow the shoes to air-dry in a normal temperature.
• You can also use olive oil to make the shoes clean and shiny.

Watch this video to give your boots a fresh look.

6. Use Petroleum Jelly to Remove Scuffs and Scratches

You can use Petroleum Jelly to remove scratches and scuffs from your boots and can make your boots spotless. You just need petroleum jelly and a cleaning cloth.

• You have to dip a soft cleaning cloth into a jar of petroleum jelly.
• Start rubbing the Petroleum Jelly onto the scratched or scuffed up area.
• Use another dry cleaning cloth to buff the spot in small circular motions.
• Do not apply this solution on suede boots to avoid permanent stains.

For complete guidance watch this quick video and you can make your boots good again with this inexpensive and simple solution.

7. Apply Iron Steam to Remove Creases

Want to get rid of scuff and creases from your favorite leather work boots? Iron steam is a simple and useful method to eliminate creases & scuff marks. You can make your boots shiny and new by applying this process.

• Fill up your boots with newspaper to push out the creases.
• Use a damp washcloth to cover the boots.
• Gently move the iron on the damp washcloth to produce stream that helps to soften the leather.
• Repeat the process several times to remove the scuff and creases.
• Don’t set your iron on high heat and avoid iron on signal place for a long time.

If you don’t want to damage the boot leather then must watch this video for complete step by step details.

Clean Leather Work Boots From Inside

The inside cleaning of shoes is also important to kill the odor and bacterial elements. The leather is itself a breathable material but with the passage of time your leather work boots will begin to smell and moisture will destroy the leather. If you are thinking about how you can eliminate bad odor and moisture then follow the below points to clean the inside of the boots. Remove smell from the insole of the shoes.

1. Distilled White Vinegar to Kill Bacterial Elements

You can use White Vinegar to kill the bacterial elements that cause you a bad odor in your work boots. Fill the white vinegar in the spray bottle and spray it into the inside of the boot and wipe the inside area of the boots with a cleaning cloth. Now leave the boots to dry at a normal temperature. The Vinegar works as a deodorizing agent that cleans your boots from bacterial elements.

2. Baking Soda or Talcum Powder for Inside Clean

You can also use baking soda to clean the inner part of the boots. You can either sprinkle baking soda in the boots or you can place a knotted sock with baking soda. Leave the boot the whole night to absorb the stinky elements. You can wipe the extra baking soda with a cleaning cloth. If you don’t have the baking soda at home you can also use talcum powder to remove the odor.

You can also check out the process in this video

3. Use Soap and Damp Cloth to Disinfect Boots

You can also clean the inner part of your leather work boot with saddle soap. Simply put saddle soap on a damp cloth and start rubbing the inner part of the boot until it gets foamy. After that use another cleaning cloth to wipe the excess soap. Now put your boot to dry at room temperature because excessive heat can damage the boot material. You can also use a boot dryer to dry your boots at a controlled temperature.

Related Article: Waterproof Work Boots

Leather Work Boots Cleaning Products

If you want to alive your old leather boots then you need some reliable and authentic products to maintain the proper care of your boots. There are several products in the market that you can buy to clean your leather work boots but here we will help you to choose the best products so you can easily shine your shoes without wasting your money. If you want to clean your boots, protect your boots then do little investment in the below products.

1. Weiman Leather Wipes

This product is very effective to clean and protect your leather work boots. If you are in a hurry and don’t have much time to clean up your shoes then Weiman Leather Wipes provide you the best cleaning and conditioning. The natural oils in Weiman Leather moisturize, soften and restore smooth leather surface while the UVX-15 sunscreen prevents fading, drying & cracking. You can remove dirt, soil & residue with this non toxic leather wipes.

Just watch a short video of Weiman Leather Cleaning Wipes.

2. Kiwi Saddle Soap

The saddle soap is an effective solution to keep your leather work boots clean. The Kiwi saddle soap helps you to soften and preserve smooth leather. A quality wax is added to the Kiwi Saddle soap to enhance boot protection. The Kiwi Saddle soap easily wipes off the dirt, grime, and salt stains from your boots.

Don’t forget to watch this video that helps you to easily clean your boots.

3. Bick 4 Leather Conditioner

The leather conditioner is an important part of a shoe cleaning kit. The leather conditioner keeps the leather soft and also adds a layer of protection to avoid creases and stains.  The Bick 4 leather conditioner is one of the finest products to clean, polish, and protects all types of leather boots. People often complain regarding the color changing of boots but Bick 4 will not change the color of your boots. You can restore your old boot shine with this amazing solution.

Watch this video to know about the pros and cons of the conditioner.

4. Kiwi Express Shoe Shine Sponge

KIWI Shine Sponge is the best solution to polish your shoes. When you can shine your shoes at less price then why need to spend more. The convenient sponge allows you to shine your boots in less than a minute. You can take it with you to your office or at your workplace to instantly shine your boots.

Check out the performance of the Kiwi shoe sponge in this video

5. Dryguy DX Forced Air Boot Dryer

Want to remove the moisture and odor from your leather work boots? The DryGuy DX Boot Dryer can dry a variety of garments so you can apply gentle forced air and controlled heat to instantly eliminate moisture and odor. You can safely dry your boots without damaging or shrinking the leather. Use this effective and versatile dryer to dry multiple pairs of boots.

Don’t miss out this review video of DryGuy DX Boot Dryer.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most repeated questions about “How to Clean Leather Work Boots” has been answered by experts in the industry in order to give precise and professional advice.

How do you clean leather boots without ruining them?

You can use home solutions such as vinegar, baking soda, dish soap to clean your leather work boots or you can use leather boots cleaning products to make your boots new. You can use Leather Honey, Chemical Guys, Bickmore and Saddle Soap to shine your leather boots.

What household items can I use to clean work boots?

You can use vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, saddle soap, petroleum jelly, and iron steam to clean your boots. These home solutions are inexpensive, easy to apply, and provide efficient results.

Is Vaseline good for leather?

The formula of petroleum jelly helps to soften the leather surface and also avoid creases on your boots. Vaseline is a good solution to restore your old leather boots.

Is mink oil good for leather boots?

The leather boots need condition for a shiny surface. The mink oil formula makes your leather boot’s surface soften and adds an extra layer of protection to save your boots from water or dust. You can also use mink oil to protect your shoes from cracking and fading. Mink Oil darkens your boot leather so always check the product feedback if you don’t want to darken the color of your boots.

Which oil is best for leather?

You can use a variety of products for Smooth Leather conditions but if you want the best investment for your boots then you can choose Fiebings Mink Oil, JobSite Premium Mink Oil, Red Moose Mink Oil, Sof Sole Mink Oil, and Ariat Unisex Mink Oil.

Final Conclusion

You have to follow three steps to clean your leather boots that include cleaning, polishing, and conditioning. You don’t have to wear smelly cracked and dull leather boots at work because with the above solutions you can smoothly shine your boots and remove creases and scuffs.

You don’t have to waste your time, money, and efforts on useless solutions that can destroy your boots but we have mentioned all the authentic details for the proper care of your boots. You can use inexpensive home solutions or you can use reliable cleaning products for deep cleaning and condition. If you like the stuff then share this with your friends and give us your feedback via the below form.