How to Clean Rubber Boots

Co-authored by Marc Sigal

Last Updated: October 25, 2022

Rubber boots are great for keeping your feet dry in wet weather. They’re also the perfect footwear for outdoor work and farm activities. Cleaning the outside of your boots won’t take much effort and can usually be done with only a garden hose. After cleaning the outside, you may notice the inside needs to be cleaned as well, which can be done with a rag and soap or a white vinegar cleaning solution. When your boots are clean, maintain them with things like automotive tire protectant and sun shields.

Things You Should Know

You can hold rubber boots under a hose or faucet to rinse off mud or dirt.
Use a soft-bristled brush, magic eraser, or toothbrush to scrub scuffs away.
Load a clean rag with soapy water and push it inside of each boot to clean the interiors.
Cover the outside of your boots in tire protectant to keep them shiny, safe, and clean.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Cleansing the Outside

1
Wipe away light dirt and grime. If your boots aren’t especially dirty, you can usually clean them easily with a damp cloth. To prevent dirtiness from building up on your boots and causing longer cleaning times, do this after each time you use your boots.^{[1]
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- To increase the dirt fighting potential of your damp cloth, mix 1 tsp (5 ml) of dish soap with a ¼ gallon (1 L) of water. Douse your rag in this, and wipe down the boots.
- Wipe your boots from the top to the bottom. This way, you’re less likely to cause dirt and grime to drip onto already cleaned parts of the boots.^{[2]
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2
Remove dirtiness with a hose. Take your boots to a suitable area in your yard and spray them thoroughly with water from a hose. It may take some time before the dirtiness loosens and comes off. After most of the dirtiness has been removed, wipe away any that remains with a damp cloth.^{[3]
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- If you do not have a suitable place in your yard to do this, or if you do not have a yard, wash your boots in your bathtub or shower instead.
- For mud that just doesn’t want to come off, combine 1 tsp (5 ml) of baking soda with ½ cup (237 ml) of warm water. Rub this onto the stubborn mud, wait 15 to 30 minutes, then rinse the solution and the mud free.^{[4]
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3
Brush difficult grime from the soles of your boots. Use caution when using a brush on your boots. Stiff bristle brushes, especially, can do damage to the boots or cause them to discolor. Use a soft bristle scrub brush to prevent damage. Avoid using a brush on the upper parts of the brush.
- Use moderate to light pressure when scrubbing. Failing to do so can cause premature wear on the rubber.
- Use an old toothbrush to get into the small grooves on the soles of your boots.^{[5]
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- A magic eraser can help remove stubborn grime from rubber soles.^{[6]
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  Expert Source
  
  Marc Sigal
  Shoe Care Specialist
  Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.}
4
Erase scuff marks with oil. Over time, your rubber boots may have become scuffed, creating unsightly discoloration. Apply some oil, like olive oil, to a soft cloth. Rub the cloth on the scuff marks in a circular fashion to erase these.
- If the rag-oil technique didn’t work on your scuff marks, try a normal gum eraser, like the kind you use for pencils. Apply this gently to scuff marks to make them disappear.^{[7]
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5
Air dry your boots. Air drying is the best way to dry rubber boots. Wipe away the moisture from cleaning them as best you can with a clean, dry rag. Then insert wads of newspaper into each boot. Wait a few hours, then remove the wet newspaper from the boots. If the boots are still wet, repeat this process.
- Newspaper will not only absorb moisture in your boots, it will also help them keep their shape.^{[8]
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6
Dry your boots quickly with a hair dryer, if necessary. If you need your boots for another excursion shortly after you’ve cleaned them, wipe away the water as best you can with a dry rag. Then aim a hair dryer set to “low” at the inside of each boot until they are dry.^{[9]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Refreshing the Inside

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Mix a cleaning solution. Combine 1 tsp (5 ml) of dishwashing liquid with about a ¼ of a gallon (1 L) of hot water in a bucket. Agitate this with your hand or a stirring utensil to distribute the soap throughout the water. ^{[10]
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2
Wipe the inside of the boot. Douse a clean rag in your cleaning solution. Use this to thoroughly wipe the inside of each boot. Do this several times, rinsing your rag regularly in the solution throughout the process. After that, use a wet, clean rag to wipe away the soap.^{[11]
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3
Eliminate bad odors from the inside of your boots. Take a spray bottle and fill it half with white vinegar and half with water. Liberally spray this solution on the inside of the boot. The acid in the vinegar should kill the bacteria and organisms causing the bad odor.^{[12]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Maintaining Your Boots

1
Protect the outside of your boots with tire protectant. You can protect the outer surface of your boots and add shine to them with an automotive tire protectant. These can be found at most general retailers, in the automotive section of big box stores, and at automotive stores.
- Apply tire protectant to your boots every six months to achieve the best results.^{[13]
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2
Shield your boots from light. Direct sunlight will cause the rubber of your boots to break down. When you’re not wearing your boots, store them in a paper bag to shield them from the light.
- If you plan on drying your boots outside, do so in a place that doesn’t receive direct sunlight.^{[14]
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3
Remove white marks from your boots. In humid or hot weather, your boots may develop white marks or a similar film, which is often called “blooming.” This is caused by compounds in the rubber rising to the surface. This is completely natural and will not harm your boots. Remove this by using:
- A rag with a few drops of olive oil to wipe down your boots. Use a circular motion while wiping, and the marks should disappear.
- Specially designed rubber boot shining products or a boot buffer. These can be found at most general retailers and shoe stores.^{[15]
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