Leather is an awesome, classic material for work and outdoor boots but does require some special considerations to keep it in the best shape. This is especially important with work boots and boots used outdoors, you depend on them to support your everyday activities. This guide will show you not just how to clean leather work boots, but all the steps required for getting the most life and comfort from your footwear. Don’t worry its not complicated or time consuming.

You can further eliminate any guesswork and confusion by downloading my free leather care and selection guide which covers all types of hard use leather gear. You can also buy Skidmore’s Leather care products right here, its what I use on the leather gear I make.

TYPES OF OUTDOOR LEATHER FOR WORK BOOTS

From left to right smooth leather and a paste was, oil tan and a liquid, suede and a spray conditioner, basic care approach to different leather types.

Before you clean leather you need to know what you have. The best way to id your leather is to check with the maker/manufacturer for recommended products and follow it to maintain your warranty. The guide below can still give you valuable insight of how to clean leather works boots and steps you might not have thought of before.

From a care perspective for leather boots there are three identifying factors you need to be concerned with.

1. Does the leather have a smooth surface? That is typically vegetable tan or chrome tan leather that is essentially treated the same way.

2. Does the leather changes color when pinched, bent, or flexed? This is typically oil tan leather.

Oil tan leather with a liquid conditioner.

3. A fuzzy knapped surface? That would be your suede leather.

Which is the best? From a cleaning and ease of maintenance standpoint smooth leather is hands down the winner. The smooth surface by nature is easier to clean and keep clean. Oil base is ok but some of the important outer area of the leather may have been sanded away to get that cool look. Suede is the inside out approach and will tend to absorb more stains and dirt. You are very limited in how you can clean and condition it. Many work, hiking and military boots are made this way-just not a fan. I like leather I can condition with something other than waterproof tent spray. To me smooth or oil tan is easier to care for which is an important consideration in how to clean leather work boots.

Work boots used outdoors take quite a bit of abuse and need heavy duty care and cleaning.

REMOVING DIRT AND DUST, AN IMPORTANT STEP IN HOW TO CLEAN LEATHER WORK BOOTS.

The actual cleaning part, you got to remove all dirt before conditioning. Mud may require careful use of a soft brush, possibly more water to float all the grit away. If you leave mud on leather, it will pull even more moisture from the fibers as it dries. Clean everything, stitching as well as leather, this is a very important step in how to clean leather work boots. Avoid the use of soap-household cleaners-anything high alkaline like cleaning wipes.

Important to remove all the grime before conditioning these steel toed work boots.

For smooth leather saddle soap is ok but don’t stop there and call it good, that’s a very mild cleaner/conditioner and hard use boots require additional steps. Preservation Solutions makes some very good (and safe) cleaners that don’t harm leather the way regular soap will. These are carefully developed and other than plain water the only cleaners I trust.

Suede? You are limited to a suede brush to help remove dirt. Then also limited in your conditioning approach.

HOW TO CLEAN LEATHER WORK BOOTS “LET” LEATHER DRY

If your leather work boots got wet or wet/muddy and then even more wet because you had to clean them your next step is to “let” them dry. Avoid the temptation of putting your items close a heat source-drying to quick damages leather permanently. Ideal drying conditions are a climate-controlled home with good airflow and indirect light. Don’t leave boots in the blazing sun-drying too fast can cause issues. Leather goods need a full day or more like this to dry. If you are outside in a humid or damp rainy environment drying will be tough.

We have all seen a dry lakebed with the crinkled and cracked mud surface-that’s what will happen if you dry leather too quick. We leather almost always requires conditioning so be mindful of that as well. Dirt, grime, wet/dry cycle all strip oils from leather that will have to be replaced.

These muddy boots needed a though cleaning which required more water to flush away mud. Avoid high heat and let boots dry slowly or they could be permanently damaged. Boots will almost always need conditioning after this.

GENERAL CONDITIONER GUIDELINES

There are three main types of conditioners that go hand in hand with the three main leather types. If your manufacture/maker does not give a recommendation test and use general guidelines below.

1. Smooth leather paste and wax.

For smooth leather I sell Skidmore’s leather conditioners. I also use it on everything I make so I have a lot of experience with it, it works great. There are many other great products out there and the ones that I have seen work well have some common traits. Bee’s wax has been used for thousands of years and in synergy natural oils/butters it works very well for leather. I look for bee’s wax as one of three to five natural ingredients in a work/outdoor type of leather care product.

This also works well for knife sheaths, belts, and holsters. The same guidelines found in how to care for leather boots applies to them-just be very sparing in application, so you do not over soften the leather meant for rigidity.

Smaller brands that I recommend are Otter Wax, Smiths, Preservation Solutions, and of course Skidmore’s. Leather care is the primary focus of these companies so what they make works-it’s a livelihood not a side hustle like many shoe or store brands.

The same basic yet more sparing approach of care holds true for most outdoors leather goods as it does for work boots.

2. Oil Tan Leather

Most makers have a recommendation and that usually means a liquid type of conditioner. Preservation Solutions and Otter Wax have some good options for oil tan leather. I have found a heavy wax or paste type base tends to make oil tan leather dull and sticky.

3. Suede, Nubuck Fuzzy or Velvety Leather

An important consideration in the overall process of how to clean leather work boots, which ones are easy to clean. If water resistance is your game expect a more frequent application compared to other leather types. Seek out the manufacturer recommendation but here are the ones I like. Otter Wax and Preservation Solutions have a silicone free offering and Atsko Silicone Water Guard has a good one with, you guessed it, silicone. On suede, canvas or nylon I don’t have a problem with silicone, it works.

THINGS TO AVOID-THINGS TO KNOW

For work and outdoor boots anything that is just a conditioner, avoid that or add a sturdy layer of water resistance on top of it. You want to see the words waterproof or water repellant. We are talking work/outdoor/heavy duty stuff not strolling down Park Avenue in our side zip shinny boots. Take those words waterproof with a grain of salt, water resistant is more accurate. You have to reapply conditioner and long term leather really is not waterproof, it has to have some breathability (thank a marketing person for inaccurate hype on every package on the planet).

Never apply conditioner directly to leather, always use a rag or applicator or you could have uneven results.

HOW TO APPLY

You know what leather you have, its clean, its dry now you can apply conditioner! The last step in how to clean leather work boots.

Boot on the left has just been conditioned, it will lighten up some in the next 24 hours but may remain just a shade or two darker than it was originally

1. Conditioner (most) will darken light colored leather. If that’s an issue seek out a conditioner that claims not to darken and test it. Preservation Solutions has some that claim just that-trust but verify. Always test in an inconspicuous spot and wait an hour or so for it to absorb in. If it looks too dark wait a full day to see if it absorbs and becomes light again. When you are happy with the results then you are ready to condition.

2. Apply product on a cloth or applicator (never direct) then work it into the leather and stitching evenly. Use some elbow grease and heat from friction to distribute it well/help it absorb.

3. Wipe and remove all excess conditioner. Buff like you mean it to get that shine back. If not, any leftover conditioner will grab dirt and grime, turning it into an abrasive slurry that will erode the leather wherever it creases.

4. Leather boots are meant to be flexible so using a conditioner when they get dry or when bad things happen (water, mud) will not harm them if you are mindful of step three. Overuse of oily type conditioners is bad. These by nature penetrate easily (to well in some cases) and could cause a breakdown of the fibers. That’s why I like heavier bees wax based products-it makes it harder to over saturate leather.

Suede limits the cleaning and conditioning options and for water resistance you will need a more frequent application than smooth or oil tanned leather.

So, there you have it, how to clean leather work boots involves a little more than just cleaning but it is easy. Identify your leather, clean it, dry then apply. I have a handy downloadable guide you can take with you, products that can help and if you have boots-you need a belt, I make belts.

Thanks for dropping by and give me a shout if you have any leather questions!

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE LEATHER CARE AND SELECTION GUIDE