Good snowmobile boots don’t come cheap. So, it makes perfect sense to keep your snowmobile boots in tip-top position. Well-maintained snow boots give you more wear. That’s why you should learn how to clean snowmobile boots.
Maybe your skimobile riding boots are also stinking smelly and you’re wondering how you could remove the odors? I’ll show you how to remove the dirt, salt, and mud that got onto your snowmobile boots during the winter season. I’ll also show you how to deodorize those snow boots so they stop smelling like some dead, rotted animal.
How to Clean Dirty Snowmobile Boots
You enjoyed many adventurous rides through tons of white gold in the winter and even hero snow in the spring.
It was a terrific time to be alive and sledding down snowy slopes. But nothing lasts forever, you know. It’s time to show your boots some love.
And here’s supplies you’ll need to do a thorough clean of your snowmobile boots. You see, all of them are inexpensively available.
- Some warm water
- Baking soda
- Hydrogen peroxide
- An old toothbrush
- A tub
- Some detergent or laundry soap
- A clean dry towel
- A couple sponges
- A few soft, dry cloths
- Some white vinegar
Now that you got everything you need to get your snowmobile boots squeaky clean, let’s get down to work.
Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Take off the Insoles
Some snowmobile boots come with removable insoles. One reason to always choose a pair of snowmobile boots with removable inserts is that cleaning such boots is a breeze. Snowmobile boots also tend to dry faster without the inserts.
So, remove the inserts if your boots have them. That should be easy for pretty much all sledding boot brands.
Step 2: Dry Your Boots’ Insoles
With all the moisture that got into your boot, I bet there are bacteria thriving on your inserts. You may not see these micro-organisms, but that doesn’t they’re not there. Leaving your insoles to air out or dry in the sun is an extremely effective way to annihilate those bacteria.
Step 3: Remove Stains from Your Snow Boots
When enjoying a great ride on your sled, it’s difficult to think of little issues. Little issues such as sand and dirt mixing with water to form stains. And that’s where a mixed paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide comes in.
So, mix a half tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide with a full tablespoon of baking soda using warm water. You need very little water, by the way. Just enough water to make a thin paste that cleans stains off snowmobile boots like nothing you’ve ever seen.
Now, get some of the baking soda/hydrogen peroxide paste on an old toothbrush. Then, use the toothbrush to scrub your snowmobile boots. This paste works like a charm when it comes to scrubbing scuffs and stains off shoes.
And if there are stains on your boots’ rubber soles, use the toothbrush to tackle them. Once done, use a damp cloth to rinse the areas you’ve worked on.
Note: since hydrogen peroxide can bleach colored fabrics, make sure to test its effect on a small area first. Generally, hydrogen is a non-toxic substance that’s pretty close to water.
Look at the chemical formula of hydrogen peroxide: H202. Compare that formula with the formula of water: H20. Almost similar,huh? Hydrogen peroxide is a colorless liquid just like water, and it’s mostly harmless if used in sub-30% concentrations.
The next step is to clean the insoles as well as the boots.
Step 4: Prepare a Cleaning Solution
Grab a tub and pour in some warm water. Then, take a bottle of white vinegar and pour out enough contents to fill one cup. Add the vinegar to the warm water.
Next, add a reasonable amount of laundry detergent to the water plus vinegar solution. Then, use your hand to stir the contents until they mix well.
Step 5: Wash and Deodorize Your Inserts
At this point, put the inserts in the water. I said airing your insoles out is a good idea, remember? So, make sure to dry them out for sometime before prepping the solution described above.
Use sponges to wash your inserts thoroughly. That should remove any visible dirt from your insoles. Once clean, don’t remove the insoles from the water+vinegar+detergent solution.
Instead, leave the inserts in the mixture for some time, half an hour should be enough time. Why soak the inserts in the cleaning solution? You do that mainly to eliminate odors.
White vinegar is an amazing all-natural cleaner and tackles dirt like a pro. White vinegar is also effective when it comes to killing certain odor-producing bacteria.
Any bacteria that sunning the insoles didn’t nuke should be killed at this point of the snowmobile boot cleaning process.
Step 6: Sponge the Inside and Outside of Your Boots
What will be doing for 30 minutes after soaking your inserts? You should be sponging both the inside and outside of your snowmobile boots. You can also use a soft cloth if you don’t have sponges. So, dip the cloth or sponge in warm soapy water and get down to work.
Step 7: Use Soapless Water to Rinse Your Boots
After you’ve sponged your snow boots, it’s time to rinse them. This time, you should use just plain water. So, pour some water into some tub. Then, dip a piece of cloth or sponge and start rinsing off soap and everything else from the boots. The rinsing water doesn’t need to be warm.
Step 8: Waterproof Your Snowmobile Boots and Dry Them
Now that you’ve cleaned and rinsed your snowmobile riding boots, it’s time to give them a nice treat. Grab some good waterproofing spray and apply a coat of the substance evenly all over your boots.
Amazon and lots of other online stores carry high-quality winter boot sprays for sub-$20 price points. The Rain and Stain water repellent Apple Brand Garde protector spray is one of the best boot sprays I know. It’s more affordable than most. Plus it’s versatile. It works well for all kinds of snowmobile boot materials, whether that’s leather, suede, or synthetics.
Additionally, this protective layer for winter boots won’t leave gummy or sticky residue on your boots. The spray keeps salt stains, dirt stains, grease, body oil, and more out and won’t alter your boots’ color.
After applying the waterproofing spray, put the boots aside to dry. You may want to stuff old newspapers inside to hasten drying. But make sure the print from the newspapers won’t run off and discolor your snowmobile boots.
Rinse the insoles and Dry Them
As for the insoles, take them out of the soapy water. Then, drain the tub and pour in some clean water (no soap). Next, properly rinse the inserts.
Keep rinsing the insoles until no more soap remains on them. That might mean draining and refilling the tub two or three times. After you’re done rinsing off the soap, use your hands to ring the insoles and eliminate excess water.
Next, put a dry towel or even paper towels on the ground and place your clean inserts there. You may notice that your insoles still smell like vinegar. Don’t worry, though, the smell will certainly vanish as the inserts air out and dry. And as you set the insoles down onto the paper towels or towel, make sure to reshape them.
How to Remove Odors After Cleaning Your Snowmobile Boots
Typically, clean snowmobile boots don’t smell bad — they smell squeaky clean. But if your feet are the smelly type or you’ve not been cleaning your boots frequently enough, odors might linger. If that’s the case for you, you must find a way to tackle the odors.
Before I describe how to do it, these are the items you’ll require for the odor removal exercise:
- Coffee grounds/ Baking soda
- Old socks
- Freshening spray such as Proctor&Gamble’s Febreeze or,
- Isopropyl alcohol (in a spray bottle)
Don’t have isopropyl alcohol or Febreeze? No worries. Make your very own natural spray using items you may already have at home. Mix water and vinegar in equal proportions and pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Problem solved!
Here’s what to do to eliminate any odors that may still remain after cleaning your snowmobile boots.
First off, make sure that the boots have dried completely before attempting anything. Then, grab your preferred freshening spray and get down to work.
Point the spray bottle’s nozzle on every part of the boot’s interior. It’s highly unlikely that the bad smell emanates from the exterior of the boot, right?
After you’re done spraying your boots with a deodorizing spray, place them somewhere and let them dry completely. Once dry, your boots shouldn’t give off odors anymore.
How to Freshen Smelly Snowmobile Boots During Storage
How do you deal with odors between wearings? It’s easy. Get some baking soda and put it into old socks. Old pantyhose should be a good substitute for old socks.
You can also use coffee grounds instead of baking soda. And you may also use both coffee grounds and baking soda if you like.
Once you’ve stuffed the socks or pantyhose with these substances, tie both ends. Then, put each sock inside a clean, dry boot. Baking soda or coffee grounds are great when it comes to eating odors between snow boot wearings.
Use Activated Carbon to Reduce Odors Inside Snowmobile Boots
Another substance you can use instead of coffee grounds or baking soda is activated carbon or charcoal.
According to a study published in the Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association, activated carbon is effective for odor elimination.
And here’s good news: activated carbon can be had for cheap at Amazon and other places.
Does Freezing Inserts Help with Odors?
I recently read somewhere that freezing inserts is a great way of keeping things tidy and fresh inside snowmobile boots.
I’ve tried this. And I thought this little nifty trick worked until I learned it’s not a smart way of freshening inserts.
The expert I’d listened to said to apply baking soda all over the insoles. And then seal the inserts with a plastic bag before freezing them.
But is freezing inserts an effective way of killing the bacteria that produce odors? No, freezing inserts or anything else for that matter doesn’t and won’t annihilate odor-causing bacteria. That’s because killing bacteria requires –ve 80 degrees. And most freezers never cool beyond 4 degrees below freezing point. Evidently, freezing snowmobile boot inserts is bad street advice — completely unscientific advice.
Final Thoughts on How to Clean and Deodorize Snowmobile Boots
You have now learned how to clean and deodorize your snowmobile boots. All that remains now is to apply the snowmobile boot maintenance knowledge you’ve learned and keep your shoes in pristine condition.
Remember, the best snowmobile boots are expensive. You want to do everything possible to draw as many uses as possible from them.