Do you need to clean climbing shoes? Probably the idea of soaking them in soapy water or washing them in a machine can come into your mind first. And, you would wonder how you can do it the right way or what can be other easy methods for keeping your climbing shoes clean.
Knowing about easy methods can surprise you. Yes, we’ve got you top cheap methods to clean your climbing shoes. And, they’re effective too.
Which method you should choose, and when, it all depends on “why” you want to clean your shoes. Not every time, the toughest way of cleaning them jumps to your mind; your shoes don’t need a wash, seriously.
It can be just a deadly smell or thick mud that the sticky rubber sole of your shoes has caught. It’s why you need a solution accordingly.
As we’ve consulted several climbers, we’ve got to know their experience of trying various methods to clean their shoes and how useful those have been. To help you go with the right method at the right time, we’ve compiled all these fantastic methods for you. You can use them alternatively and get the best results.
Let’s get started with them one by one.
Table of Contents
Washing Climbing Shoes in Machine
An easy but most hygienic method is to wash synthetic rock climbing shoes in the washing machine. It’s effortless but comes with several questions: will it harm my shoes, or is it OK for leather shoes?
The answer is:
- If you wash climbing shoes in water at 30-35 degrees, the centigrade will not invite adversity to your shoes.
- Using a pillowcase to dump your shoes into the case, you can take care of your shoes’ rubber soles and prevent washer drum from any harm by shoes.
- You should never machine wash your leather climbing shoes.
So, when to put your shoes in the washing machine? Only when your shoes need a hard wash. It can be after 3-4 weeks of climbing.
Now, when you think that washing the rock climbing shoes in the washer is suitable for you, here is how to do it.
Things you’ll Need:
- Mild detergent
- Washing machine
- Pillow or shoes case
- Soft brush to rub the shoes at the end
- A towel (to balance the washing process)
How to Do it Step-by-Step:
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Prepare the shoes to go into the washer.
Open the velcro and stick them again on their side so that the shoes are open now. If the shoes have laces, open them and separately put them into the pillow or shoe case. Thus, your shoes will be open to get a better wash.
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Dust off all dirt using a dry brush.
With the help of a soft dry brush, dust off all the dirt that your shoes have caught. It’ll help with a more clean wash.
Also, stroke your shoes on the ground upside down to remove any dirt or chalk pieces from the inside. Now pack your shoes into the pillowcase (shoe case if available).
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Fill water into the washing machine and set it.
The water temperature should be below 30 degrees centigrade. Add mild detergent into the machine. And set the machine at 800 RPM for 30 °C of water temperature. Make sure not to use any kind of bleach that will not serve the cleaning purpose but affect the shoe’s material.
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Wash the shoes.
Put your shoes into the machine along with the towel. Run a delicate cycle and get your shoe dirt-free.
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Rinse the shoes.
The time is to run the cold water cycle to rinse the shoes thoroughly when the washing cycle is over so that you may get super tidy shoes. Rinse your shoes at least three times.
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Cold dry your shoes.
Just as warm water is bad for your shoes, the hot air in the dryer can also cause similar damage to the rubber’s stickiness. First, shake the climbing shoes for cold drying and then dry them using a towel until it no longer absorbs moisture.
You can stuff the shoes with a towel to let them absorb the water — it’s the best practice. After this, put your washed and unlaced/velcro-free shoes in some open place where air and indirect light will help them dry. Spread a towel or paper towel underneath so that the evaporation from the soles is fully facilitated.
Make sure you only wear shoes when they’re fully dry. Otherwise, the moisture will provide a perfect home for bacteria, and they’ll rot soon to call for the next wash.
Washing Climbing Shoes Through Hand Wash
Not every time you want to fill the machine and wash your shoes in it. If you have enough time, you can make cleaning shoes a more satisfying activity.
It’s through washing them in the bucket. Personally, I prefer hand washing (it lets me understand all wear and tear on my shoes).
How to do it? Follow these simple steps.
Things you’ll Need:
- Mild Detergent
- Big bucket with half-filled water.
- Small and thin soft brush
- Your shoes
- Towel to dry the shoes
How to Do it Step-by-Step:
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Prepare your shoes for washing.
First, unlace your shoes so that you can open them wide for thorough cleaning and washing.
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Clean the shoes with a dry brush.
Remove all dirt from your shoes using the brush. Make sure the brush is not abrasive as it will harm the outer material of your shoes, and they’ll be more prone to catching dirt or mud besides thinning.
To remove the dirt and chalk particles inside your shoe, stroke them on the floor upside down.
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Soak the shoes in the Bucket.
Add water to the bucket. It should be enough that your shoes are entirely sunk. Similarly, remember that the water temperature shouldn’t exceed 35 degrees centigrade in the hand wash.
Add a reasonable quantity of mild detergent: liquid or powder and give it a good mix.
Now put your shoe into it.
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Wash the shoes.
After soaking for half an hour, start washing your shoes with gentle brush strokes outside and inside the shoes. Hand wash ensures that shoes are fully clean as you can spot the stains and rub them.
Be mindful, don’t use the brush aggressively. Your primary purpose is to get rid of germs that are living and smelling inside the shoes, not the shoe material itself.
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Rinse your shoes.
Once you know the shoes are clean, rinse them 3-4 times to remove all the soap. If you don’t rinse properly, the result will be some stickiness on the shoes — you’ll feel that bad!
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Dry your shoes Until Moist-free.
The last step is to dry your shoes, not in direct sunlight but indirect sun or open air. Yet, before that, try to eliminate as much moisture as possible.
First, stuff them with a dry towel or paper towel to soak all the moisture. Then, put them on some breezy place balcony or near the door by spreading a towel under them. Thus, no moisture will gather under the shoes, and they’ll dry faster.
Until all moisture is gone, don’t wear the shoes. If any moisture is left in the shoes, it’ll give a perfect environment to let bacteria grow.
Deep Cleaning Climbing Shoes with Baking Soda and Vinegar
Yes, you got right; it’s about deep cleaning your shoes to see your shoes as fresh as right out of the box. You might not believe it at first, yet the results will be enough to astonish you.
I love this method of cleaning the climbing shoes, for it does not affect the shoes at all, and you get rid of populated germs as well. Want to know how to clean climbing shoes using baking soda and vinegar? Just do this…
Things you’ll Need:
- Your shoes (of course)
- Half cup of baking soda
- Half cup of white vinegar
- A soft Brush
How to Do it Step-by-Step:
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Prepare the shoes.
Open the velcro and stick them again on their side so that the shoes are open now. If the shoes have laces, open them and separately put them into the pillow or shoe case. Thus, your shoes will be open to getting a better wash.
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Remove Dirt from Shoes Using Dry Brush.
First, remove all debris and dirt from your shoes. To do it, use a soft dry brush. Then dab the shoes upside down so that any particles of mud, dust, or chalk are no more resisting inside the shoes.
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Prepare the paste of baking soda, vinegar, and water
Mix the equal quantities of the water, baking soda, and vinegar to form a paste or “ketchup-like” consistency. If it’s thin, you can add a little more baking soda.
We mix vinegar because baking soda alone has mild antibacterial properties. By combining it with vinegar, it’ll work better to kill the bacteria inside your shoes.
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Apply the paste on shoes and leave.
Now apply this paste everywhere on and inside your shoes and let them rest for 1-2 days so that the magic may happen. How long you leave your shoes with baking soda and vinegar depends on the time you’ve got. So, this practice is best when you want to wear your shoes after one week.
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Apply the paste on shoes and leave.
Apply this paste everywhere on and inside your shoes and let them rest for 1-2 days so that the magic may happen. Leaving for 2 days will result amazingly.
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Wash and rinse the shoes.
After the given time, soak your shoes in water and use a gentle brush to remove all the white paste. Once all the cleaning paste is gone, rinse the shoes 3-4 times.
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Dry the shoes.
The last step is to dry your shoes. First, use a paper towel or cloth towel to stuff inside your shoe and leave for some time so that no water is there except moisture.
Then put your shoes at some warm and dry palace with some air supply so that the moisture evaporates. Spread a towel under the shoes to help the shoes dry.
Once the shoes are entirely dry, you can feel the amazing grip of rubber-like new shoes — it’s hard to achieve with detergent.
Climbing Shoes Cleaning with Dry Alcohol
No, no, you can’t wash rock climbing shoes too frequently as it needs a lot of time, especially when you need them. And it’s also obvious that the smell in your shoes is only because of the bacteria inside them.
So, what can be better than keeping them clean with the help of some workable method? It’s cleaning the rock climbing shoes through alcohol.
In my opinion, it should be a “must-use” method for every climber. Let’s learn how you can do it?
Things you’ll need:
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Dry, soft brush
- Towel
- Disinfect wipes
How to Do it Step-by-Step:
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Prepare Alcohol Solution.
Get the rubbing alcohol in a small quantity and mix it with ⅓ of water. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle.
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Put your shoes in the sun or warm area for 1-2 hours.
Your shoes have some couture of sweating, would you agree? Certainly!
If you’re choosing dry cleaning, make sure that your shoes are completely dry so that when you use the dry brushing no dust, or dirt is left inside the shoes.
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Dry brush the shoes.
Use a dry brush to remove the dirt from the shoes so that no particles are left. Use a paper towel to ensure you have got rid of all dust, etc. Also, dab your shoes upside down to throw away all the dust inside your shoes that you’ve softened using the dry brush.
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Spray the solution and clean the shoes.
By now, the stubborn stains will be more visible. So, use alcohol spray on the shoes’ upper and bottom and rub the shoes with the towel. It’ll help to finish the stains.
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Disinfect the shoes inside with spray.
Disinfecting the shoe inside is essential to kill the bacteria inside your shoes. For this purpose, generously spray the solution you’ve prepared, especially in the toe area. Rub the shoe’s interior with the towel.
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Dry your shoes.
Leave your shoes to dry until they’re dry completely; after all, the mixture had 33% of water. As you’ve used it via spray, the quantity of water will be less, and it’ll take only a few hours to dry.
Which Method to Clean Climbing Shoes Should You Use?
Climbers are often found asking which method is the best: the answer is every method is the best for the specific purpose:
- The washing machine method is wonderful when you want to clean your shoes and disinfect them simultaneously; you have enough time to let your shoes dry. You can use this method of cleaning climbing shoes after 3-4 weeks.
Alternatively, the hand wash method is brilliant when you want to remove the stains keenly and spend some time in a satisfying activity (it’s a great opportunity to meditate as I do during and washing my shoes.)
- The soda and vinegar method is matchless when you wish your shoes looked as if you had unboxed them a few minutes ago. This method can be used after a few weeks or once a month.
- Lastly, the dry alcohol spray method is for you to end the deadly smell of your shoes in just a few hours. After 3-4 climbing sessions, do it.
Top Solutions for Keeping Climbing and Bouldering Shoes Stink-Free
There are several easy and cheap ways to keep the smell away from your shoes. Yet you need to pick only the right one and what works for you. For instance, some climbers might use deodorants that have nothing to do with killing the germs into your shoes. You can use the following methods:
- Foremost, every time you go climbing, wear socks. By wearing socks, you’ll keep the bacteria away. Make sure they’re washed, and you don’t use them again without washing.
- Spray your smelly climbing shoes with disinfecting spray, like Lysol Disinfectant Spray. You can disinfect your shoes this way after each climbing session.
- Use Boot Banana as a deodorizer which is reusable for several months. It’ll absorb moisture from your climbing or bouldering shoes and let fewer bacteria live in them. Whenever you remove your shoes by the end of your climbing session, clean the shoes regularly with a dry brush and leave the Banana inserts.
Boot Bananas or other inserts are also essential to prevent the inner sole from stinking when you store your shoes for a longer period.
- The last but dirty hack is to put your shoes in an airtight bag and put them in the freezer for 72 hours. The cold will kill the bacteria inside your shoes.
The method will only cost you an airtight bag so that no smell is transferred to your freezer. But, the results can be unbelievable. Just try it, but carefully!
FAQS about How to Clean Rock Climbing Shoes
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Why do my rock shoes smell so bad?
Your climbing shoe can smell bad because of the bacteria on your dead skin, which transfers to the shoes. You minimize these inhabitants by frequently washing your feet, having a gentle scrub whenever you wash them, wearing socks, disinfecting your shoes, and keeping them moist free with the help of inserts.
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How often should I clean my climbing shoes?
You can wash your synthetic climbing shoes after 3-4 sessions, while you can use other cleaning methods like dry brushing or disinfecting shoes through dry alcohol whenever you need. However, you can’t wash leather shoes.
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Can the climbing shoes go in the dryer?
No, hot air is evil for your rock climbing shoes’ health. Instead, air-dry the shoes by leaving them at someplace which receives air.
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Why are my climbing shoes not sticky?
Dirt, oil, or any substance that leaves a sticky residue, like soap or detergent, can make your shoe soles less sticky. You can use a baking soda cleaning method to restore their sickness. However, remember not to use a hard brush, hoping to add some friction by scratching the shoes’ surface.
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Why should I not use hot water to clean my rock climbing shoes?
The warm water of 30-35 degrees centigrade isn’t bad for your shoes, but hot water of over 35 degrees centigrade can affect the material’s elasticity and make your shoes loose.
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Can I get my leather climbing shoes wet?
You shouldn’t wet your leather climbing shoes, for it’ll make them lose. You might have heard about rock climbers who wet their leather shoes to break them, yet it’s not similar to washing the shoes with harsh chemicals or other additives like sodium bicarbonate, soap, or detergent.
Final Thoughts
Smelly and dirty climbing shoes cost your foot and shoe health. You can take the best care of both by cleaning your shoes and feet and keeping them smell-free. For that purpose, regularly deep clean rock climbing shoes, disinfect them and store them properly.
The methods discussed above are extremely helpful in specific cases. You can pick any according to the cleaning needs of your $$$ shoes. Let us know which method worked you found workable for your shoes by using the comment section.
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