Wellington Boot Care & Cleaning

No, wellies should not be washed in a washing machine as it will damage the rubber. Even a cold wash will damage the wellington boots

Simply use cold or warm water and a mild soap. Do not be tempted to use solvents \ detergent or hot water as this will likely cause damage to the rubber.

The best way to dry your wellington boots if to leave them in a well ventilated room, at room temperature. Do not dry next to a radiator, use a hair dryer or any other heat source, as this may cause the rubber to crack.

Tip: If your wellies have got very wet inside, insert crumpled newspaper or kitchen role. The paper will absorb the moisture rapidly

Make sure your boots are clean and then rub on olive oil. This will add moisture to the rubber and give your boots a lovely like new shine. There are also commercial products you can buy, but normal kitchen olive oil works pretty well. 

1. Always wear socks with your wellies. The socks will absorb moisture and help stop the boots smelling
2. Allow boots to dry at room temperature after use
3. Wash your wellies in warm mild soapy water and allow them to fully dry
4. Buy good quality wellington boots that are ‘breathable’. It is usually cheaper wellies that smell

Generally, it is not a good idea to store wellies outside as they will get damp and extremes in temperatures can cause the rubber to crack. Also, the sun may cause damage to the rubber. Try to keep your wellie boots at room temperature and somewhere with good ventilation.

There are a number of things that can cause the rubber to crack, they are:

1) Storing boots in too cold or too hot locations
2) Stress on the rubber, especially where there is a lot of movement, for example the ankle area
3) Storing boots in direct sunlight 

This happens with boots that are made from natural rubber. This is a common problem and is a natural process that won’t impact performance of the wellington boot. There are commercial product that can be purchased to help remove the white marks