Cleaning Gortex boots

[Zodiak]

After 30 years of using the same pair of leather Italian Army Boots I finally gave way to peer pressure and bought a pair of Gortex boots (Karimor)

So far I have been lucky with the weather but last time out they got caked in mud and I complety forgot about them until this morning! I have managed to get most of the mud off with a sharp stick, and a wet stiff brush but its going to need more to get the really clean.

SO what do I do next? Soak them? Keep scrubbing them? Put them in the washing machine? Cover them in chocolate spread and let the dog lick them clean?

Suggestions more than welcome please!

 

[philm4]

I had a pair of Karrimor KSB's which were "own brand" waterproof. I completely neglected them for years and they never leaked, left them for months caked in hard mud. My new Solomans with Gore Tex get slightly less rough treatment because now we have no boot shed so I have to keep them indoors. I usually hose them off when I get home, then scrub them with a scrubbing brish under warm water, if I am feeling very nice towards them they get a bit of nickwax on them. I guess what I am saying is they are boots and will get muddy so why keep them clean, when you use them next time the old mud will fall off and new will be applied.

 

[lardbloke]

If they are made of fabric, then just rinse with water and give them a scrub with a brush of some sorts and the same if they are leather. The only difference is the post treatment. The gortex sock is inside so you cant damage that easily.For the fabric boot you can use specific fabric sprays, but I wouldnt bother with gtx, for leather I use a leather conditioner (grangers) and leave it at that.
Always look after your boots and they will look after you...

 

[Longstrider]

I treat my goretex lined boots with about the same level of care... very little ! I have Le Chameau boots (goretex lined cordura type stuff) and all I ever find they need is to have the mud bashed off them, usually after it's been left to go dry and brittle. After 5 or 6 years of pretty heavy use and never being "properly" cleaned they are still as waterproof and as comfortable as ever.

I did recently buy myself a pair of Le Chameau leather boots with a Goretex lining (Mouflon Plus) as I wear my boots for fishing as well as lurking about in the woods and the extra height of the leg will help with keeping feet dry in deeper water. I guess I'll be treating the leather with a little more respect than the nylon/cordura ones, but with the lining, and judging by the quality of my other Le Chameaus, I don't expect them to leak. Ever.

 

[mattouthere]

A lot of people never look after their boots and they are okay, many people never change the oil in their cars and they are okay. many people smoke and never die of lung cancer.

You increase the risk of poor performance or death so it is wise to keep them in the best shape possible.

Try to clean the mud and dirt off them as soon as you can as dried dirt acts like a mud face pack, stripping oils and nutrients out of the pores prematurely ageing them.

Ocaisionally use a cleaner like the Nikwax footwear cleaning gel, maybe 2 or 3 times a year and then the appropriate proofer. I use the water based ones from Nikwax as these go on wet before the boot has dried. It is the drying process that damages leather not the getting wet process.

once or twice a year it is recommended that you remove the footbed and laces and soak them in the bath for 2-3 hours, rinse the inside with a garment cleaner like Techwash, use the cleaning gel on the outside and then proof up. It is important to clean the inside as grit can damage the waterproof membrane and sweat containing acids and salts will make the padding and lining go flat and hard. Think how often you wash your socks and then compare the insides of your boots. What would your socks be like after 50 or 100 wears without washing, Even Smartwool!!

Hope this helps

 

[Zodiak]

Try to clean the mud and dirt off them as soon as you can as dried dirt acts like a mud face pack, stripping oils and nutrients out of the pores prematurely ageing them.

Mine are more like fabric than leather, but I agree, plus having small abrasive particles in the pores can only damage them.

once or twice a year it is recommended that you remove the footbed and laces and soak them in the bath for 2-3 hours, rinse the inside with a garment cleaner like Techwash, use the cleaning gel on the outside and then proof up.

Hope this helps

It surely does! :You_Rock_

I have sprayed them with the can that came with the boots but I can't remeber what it is called. I hadn't considered cleaning the insides before, but I can see your point. By footbed I take it you mean the stiff felt covered plastic thingy under my feet?

What about the sqidgy foam things that the nice young lady spent so long getting to the right size underneath it?