Climbing hills or mountains is exciting for adventure lovers. It takes a lot of effort and mental dedication to reach your goal of climbing. It cost energy and sweat to go through all the hard rocks for a regular climber.
Your climbing shoes go through the same struggle to save your feet from the rocks. Keeps you safe with its grip and avoids slipping. Absorbs all the sweat to keep your feet less nervous. Calms you by giving confidence in stress-free climbing. It’s tough for climbing shoes to do all these and get dirty and smelly. But you can take care of its misery and give it a new go by washing properly. That is right! Wash your pair of shoes to clean its misery. But can you really wash every corner and clean it to look fresh as new? Let’s find out in detail discussion.
Key Takeaways
- Washing climbing shoes can remove dirt and bad smell out.
- Choose the right cleaning method by considering how much your climbing shoes get dust and mud.
- The hand wash method applies to any kind of climbing shoes. Clean your shoes following simple steps.
- Maintain basic climbing shoe manners to prevent your favorite shoe pair get smelly.
Can you Wash Climbing Shoes?
Yes, you can clean your dirty climbing shoes after rough use. It is important to take care of a precious pair of your favorite climbing shoes. Cleaning means washing your shoes to clean off the dirt and bad smell. To wash off, there are a few different washing methods. You need to know which one is good for your shoes. There are many washing methods you may find which can ruin your shoes and you will not be able to use them again.
Also, take a close look to understand how much dirt and smelly it gets to choose what kind of wash is applicable. There is a good guideline for washing your dirty and smelly climbing pair in this article. So, keep reading.
Different Wash for Different Dirt
Before you start washing your climbing shoes, identify what level of dirt you are dealing with. If the shoes get usual dusty after first-time use, you do not need to wash them with water and soap. Just simply rub them with a soft fabric or brush them to dust off. But if your pair is old enough and get stained all over it from not cleaning it for a long time, then you need to consider a few different washing methods. There are 2 washing methods to clean climbing shoes.
- Hand wash
- Machine wash
These two washing methods work really well. You can try both of these washing methods. But I would suggest you apply hand washing on your climbing shoe pairs. Machine washing is not safe for all climbing shoes. You may damage your favorite pairs not knowing if it is capable or not.
Climbing shoes are sensitive. The quality of shoes varies by the materials. If you have a branded shoe pair, you may be able to wash it with a machine. Still, you need to check for its washing instructions. Let’s talk about how you can hand wash your climbing shoes in detail.
8 Easy Steps of Hand Washing Method
For a simple washing method by your hand, you need a few tools and elements to start with.
Your required tools and elements are,
- A piece of dry cloth
- A shoe brush
- A large bucket
- Warm water
- Soap or washing get
With these basic washing tools and elements, you can wash your climbing shoes. Just follow a few steps to properly clean them up.
Step 1: Fill up a bucket with water
First, take a large bucket and fill it with water. Make sure you have enough water to drown your shoes in it. If you do not have a large bucket, try your sink or basin for it. Water temperature must be below 30 to 35 degrees Celsius or between 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature will help you to remove any dirt, dust, and debris easily. Do not use hot water or cold water directly. It will damage your shoes. Cold water would not work with dust.
Step 2: Mix soap or washing get
Now, add a mixer of soap or washing gel to it. This will help you to wash sweat smells and mud from your shoes. It will be better to use a detergent that works faster in cleaning. Do not use tough chemicals or heavy-duty detergent. They will damage the sole and materials of your shoes. Tough chemicals can also make the leather wear down faster or even harm it.
Step 3: Use a cleaning brush
Brush off any dirt and mud from the surface area. You need to do that before your shoes get wet. Otherwise, it will be a lot more work for you to do. Cleaning the upper and lower part will make your work easier. Brush them gently and use air to remove small particles of dust.
Step 4: Remove shoelace and inner sole
Before washing shoes, you need to remove the shoelaces and inner parts of your climbing shoes. It is necessary to detach them and clean them separately. When doing that, try knocking off your shoes upside down to clean off any small crumbles of chalk, rocks, and stone falling out on the bottom opening.
Step 5: Scrub the outer part gently
Now, take your climbing to the water tank and wet them. Use a shoe brush to scrub the outer part gently. Scrub that brush every part including the tongue, and sole. Do not rush it while cleaning. You may harm your climbing shoes with extra effort. Make it as gentle as possible. Cleaning the sole is very important. Clean with warmer water to wash out every dirt on it.
Step 6: Wash inner part
Cleaning the inner part is a bit difficult. For that, use a damp toothbrush so that you can reach deep inside. Dip the brush into cleaning water and then use it to wash your shoes. Do not pour washing water inside your shoes directly. It will damage your shoes.
After cleaning completely, drown your climbing shoes in freshwater. Wash out the soapy water, germs, and bacteria that encourage bad smells.
Step 7: Soak the water with a dry cloth
After that, wash your wet shoes with a dry piece of cloth or soft fabric. Squash them to soak water inside. Make sure to wipe out every corner clean and soaked out. Rub with the cloth gently.
Step 8: Let your shoes dry
Put your shoes out in the air somewhere light breeze so that they will get dry quickly. Move their position a few times. Do not put them in direct sunlight. The UV rays will fade your shoes which results in discoloration.
If you do not have the chance to put them outside then keep them near the radiator inside the house. Do not put them directly attached to the radiator. It will burn your shoes. Keep shoes for 2 to 3 hours to dry out.
Prevent Climbing Shoes from Getting Smelly
There is a saying that “Prevent is better than cure”. It applies to every factor of life. If you can prevent your climbing shoes get dirty and smelly, you do not need to go through all these hard cleaning processes.
Some simple precautions can make your help you maintain keep your shoes less dirty. Let’s step up and make them habitual for regular life.
- Wear thin and clean socks every time you go climbing. Fresh new socks will keep your feet less sweaty and calm. But the same used socks will just relocate all that dead skin, all the bacteria, and build-up moisture and now you have it in both pairs of shoes.
- Take shoes off very often while climbing. Take rest, rest your shoes and let them dry for a moment. By this, your shoes will not absorb sweat instantly. After coming back home, let them dry in a specific place and open them widely.
- Use baking soda while washing. This method works really well. Baking soda keeps your pair of shoes anti-bacterial and it helps wash out specks of dirt.
- Spray deodorant or air freshener to get rid of bad smells instantly. This helps like magic. It is easy to do and works really well. But it will not work for long-term solutions.
- Wash your feet before and after your climbing routine. It is mandatory for every climber. Washing your feet is important for a healthy life before and after climbing. Taking a shower is more appropriate.
- Put climbing chalk on your feet to help you safe and faster climbing experience. It also prevents sweat from getting into your climbing shoes.
FAQs
Can you use rubbing alcohol on climbing shoes?
Alcohol makes it useful for the quick purify your shoes after a climb. Mix some alcohol with a lesser amount of water to gently brush out and clean the outside of the shoes. Casually spray some alcohol inside the shoe and wipe it in with a soft brush.
Can I soak my climbing shoes in vinegar?
Vinegar is a natural purifier and can kill any bacteria in your climbing shoes that may be causing a bad smell. Sometimes, climbers may leave the vinegar in their shoes for too long and a residual vinegar smell may plague you for weeks so if you use this trick. Do not leave the vinegar in your climbing shoes for too long.
Can I soak my shoes in hydrogen peroxide?
The solution of hydrogen peroxide can be applied to any dirty areas of your shoes using an old toothbrush and massaged in gently to soak into the fabric and agitate the soil.
Final Thoughts
After all this discussion, you may have found the perfect way to wash your dirty and smelly climbing shoes easily. Maintain every step accordingly and do not miss a single point. Even it is better to follow preventions better than any other washing tips. For your kind information, this climbing shoe-washing article does not apply to wasted climbing shoes. For a better experience, buy a new pair of climbing shoes if you hesitate to wash dirty shoes.
