My latest boots have a fair amount of material padding in them, which is nice.
They're still reasonably new but have developed a bit of a stink to them. I dry them well after use, even inside thanks to my homemade boots dryer but on trips away this isn't possible.
So now I have boots that stink, no doubt bacteria living in them.
Is there anything I can do that won't harm the fabric?
Bleach would do the trick but I don't want to bleach the fabric. Gas would be nice, can I gas them?
Wash 'em out with something gentle like wool wash. Rinse 'em thoroughly, then put some Surgical Spirit (get it from any chemist/pharmacy) in the final rinse. Dry thoroughly; first by stuffing with newspaper to rapidly absorb most of the water, then finish off with your boot dryer.
Works a treat
Another good way to soak up moisture/smells is to put an unsealed container of Bicarbonate of Soda (baking powder) in the boots
I've got loads of baking powder but I have used that in the past and it didn't work.
I had a lodger once and his foot stink got into the carpet and even the wood floor sheets underneath!
No amount of carpet washing flowed by baking soda removed the smell.
Smell only removed from room by binning the carpet & then bleaching the floor boards.
I'm currently contemplating giving them a soak in a very mild thin bleach & water solution..
I'd like to try the freezer trick but so far the mrs is having non of it!
Put some cat litter in a pair of tights or something similar, breathable, put them in your boots whenever your not using them
Soaked up the moisture and smell stuck in the boots, honestly works done it with football boots for years. Might take a little while to get the smell put but if yiu get in the habit of it itll work
My boots currently have newspaper stuffed in them and are drying after being bleached. I gave them a slush around and soak in a very mild bleach solution - something like 1:10 thin bleach to water. It was strong enough to make your hands feel dry (and smell) but not enough to bleach cotton. I think all the fabric in my boots is synthetic anyway so wouldn't fade even if the solution was stronger.
Tomorrow they'll get the blower treatment and after that they should smell like roses again.
