Top Tips to Keeping Wellies Clean

With the new season upon us, you may be starting your Spring cleaning, which may include your kids shoes. All shoes can be slightly different in terms of cleaning, but one boot you may be unsure how to clean could be your kids wellies.

Whilst most wellies are quite durable, they do need a bit of care to keep your kids feet dry and comfortable.

How often should you clean wellies?

With the wet weather still lingering, it’s likely your kids are still getting some use out of their wellies, especially if they enjoy playing outside or wearing them on family walks.

Realistically, you should be wiping down your kids' wellies after each wear and thoroughly cleaning them every two weeks if they are worn regularly.

It can be tempting to let the mud on your kids' wellies dry and then scrape it off, but doing so can impact their effectiveness. Dry, caked on mud will obscure the treads on the bottom of wellies, making it incredibly easy for kids to slip or trip and injure themselves in wet weather.

How to clean the outside of wellies

To keep your kids wellies looking and performing their best, you should be removing the mud off them after each wear. Start by encouraging your kids to stamp their feet outside before they take their wellies off to try and remove any big clumps of mud.

You can get wet mud off wellies fairly easily by using water. You could even just use your hose pipe outside to do this, making sure to avoid getting water inside the welly.

If the mud had dried, go across the wellies with a bristle brush to brush it away. Make sure you pay particular attention to the treads to remove any piece of mud that is trapped in the grooves. You may need to use a smaller brush for this part.

Once you’ve brushed it all away, you can then use a damp cloth to wipe away any remaining stubborn pieces of dirt.

To remove heavier mud and dirt, mix some regular washing up liquid with warm water to create a soapy solution. Use a cloth to wipe the solution across the boots from top to bottom, again try to avoid getting the inside of the wellies wet. Rinse off any soap with warm water.

Finally, allow the boots to air dry. Keep away from direct sunlight or heat sources as this can warp the shape of the wellies.

How to clean the inside of wellies

The inside of your kids' wellies may actually need more attention and care than the outer soles. This is because your kids' feet can get sweaty being in wellies all day. If the wellies are not cleaned properly, they can become a breeding ground for odour-causing bacteria.

To clean the inside of your kids’ wellies, mix one teaspoon of laundry detergent and two cups of warm water. Soak a clean cloth in the mixture, squeeze out some of the excess water and then wipe down the entire interior of the boot, focusing on the sole.

Next, take a cloth in plain warm water and rinse away the detergent mixture.

As an extra precaution to prevent odours, mix a 50/50 solution of water and white wine vinegar in a spray bottle. Mist the inside of the wellies and allow them to dry away from heat and sunlight.

To keep wellies smelling fresh, sprinkle the inside with a teaspoon of baking soda. Make sure the boots are 100% dry before doing this. Allow the baking soda to sit overnight, and then empty it out before wearing.

Can you put wellies in the washing machine?

It is not recommended to put wellies in the washing machine as it can cause damage.

One of the main issues with using a washing machine is that it will scuff the wellies, which can affect things like the integrity of the outer sole.

It may also affect the wellies ability to keep water out, which means your kids may end up with wet feet after all.

Not to mention, putting your wellies in the washing machine would likely damage the actual machine.

Five tips to keeping wellies looking their best