How To Clean Soccer Cleats
A new pair of soccer cleats is just amazing to look at. The fabulous colors, great design, and high-quality materials make them look completely flawless.
You can maintain the flawlessness by effectively cleaning your soccer cleats. Soccer cleats make a substantial contribution to your overall soccer experience, and that is why it is essential to take care of them. A well-maintained pair of soccer cleats can be instrumental on the pitch.
But how does one effectively clean their soccer cleats? This article will provide, in detail, the answer to that question.
We all know how dirty soccer cleats can sometimes get. On a rainy day, while you are playing on grass fields, cleats can end up completely covered with mud, grass, and dirt.
You might think that cleaning your soccer cleats is a challenging task, but with an effective cleaning routine, you will find that it becomes quite easy. It is also an inexpensive process that does not take much of your time.
Having a good soccer cleat cleaning routine can be of much benefit to you. You get to keep your cleats looking as good as new.
You also prevent your cleats from having a bad smell. Clean soccer cleats are simply motivating – you can play soccer without having to worry about how you will have to clean them afterward. Let us describe the methods you can use to effectively clean your soccer cleats.
How To Clean The Outsole
Knock off excess dirt: The process of keeping your soccer cleats clean should start immediately after the soccer match or when training is over. Once you are done with the day’s game, take your cleats off and hit them against each other.
Ensure that you do this with the sole facing each other to avoid damaging any part of your precious cleats.
Doing this removes a lot of the mud, grass, and dirt that had stuck on the cleats. If you can manage to do this before you get to the house, the better for you.
Dry clean the sole to remove excess dirt: Before you clean your cleats with any substances, you can still remove more dirt by dry cleaning the sole. You may do this by scrubbing the sole of the cleats using a soft-bristled brush. There are also some cleaning tools specially made for cleaning cleats that you can use.
By using a brush or a cleaning tool, you loosen any built-up dirt on the sole. Any dry and hard clumps of mud between the spikes is also loosened. You might want to consider using a toothbrush to clean the sides of your cleats’sole.
A toothbrush will be effective in loosening the dirt from the sole sides, and it will be easier to control compared to a bigger brush. This way, it will be easier for you to focus on the parts you wish to scrub. The use of a stick to remove dirt from your cleats’sole is not recommended. This is because a stick could damage your cleats due to the intense scratching.
Mix your cleaning solution: This step involves preparing the solution that you will use to clean your cleats. This solution consists of warm water and a sufficient amount of cleaning solution. The amount of cleaning solution used should neither be too much nor too little. Dish soap and hand soap are some of the very effective cleaning solutions that you can use.
Put two cups of warm water into a container and then add a tablespoon of the cleaning solution. Note that the amount of soap you use will depend on the concentration of the soap. You will have to make a reasonable judgment with this one.
Using a toothbrush, stir the mixture of water and soap until it starts to become sudsy. Too much soap is especially not good for leather cleats. You will find that just a small amount of soap will be enough.
Use the soapy solution to clean the sole: Once you have made your soapy solution, take the soft-bristled brush you dry cleaned the sole with earlier, and dip it in the solution. You then scrub the sole of the cleats with the brush. The brush may sometimes get filled with dirt. When this happens, do not dip it back into the soapy solution at first.
Clean off the excess mud and grass under running water from a sink first, and then you can soak it in soap and proceed with the cleaning. For precision, you may use a toothbrush to wet clean the upper sides of the sole that are close to the top part.
Wipe the sole clean: By now you will have removed most of the dirt from the bottom. For further cleaning, soak a paper towel in the soapy solution and use it to wipe the sole. Doing this gets rid of any bits of dirt that may have remained on the sole and between the spikes. Doing this gets rid of any bits of dirt that may have remained on the sole and between the spikes.
How To Clean The Upper
Remove the laces and clean them: Once you have removed the laces from your cleats, dip them in the soapy solution that you already made. Wait for the laces to remain in the solution for about 10 minutes. After that, lightly scrub the laces so as to remove any dirt on them. You can use your hands and a toothbrush to do this.
Once you have thoroughly scrubbed the laces, use some running water to rinse them. You can then place the laces on a towel and put them on a flat surface so they can dry.
You could dry the laces in direct sunlight, but you should know that this can make the color of the laces to fade.
Use a toothbrush to clean the top of your cleats: Dip the toothbrush in the soapy solution and, with it, scrub the tops of your soccer cleats. You could also use a soft-bristled scrub for this process. We recommend that you start with scrubbing the middle area of your cleats (the area near the laces) and then proceed to scrub the sides of the shoes.
By doing this, you ensure that the watery dirt flows down to the sides of the shoes naturally. If you start with cleaning the sides and then the middle area, you might have to repeat the sides because they could get dirty.
While on this, also remember to scrub the tongue of the cleat. A cleat tongue makes a lot of difference in your shoe’s appearance. It is the centerpiece of the shoe. With the laces out of the way, scrubbing the cleat’s tongue and the surrounding areas will be easy.
For better handling, insert one of your hands into the cleat, and use the other hand to do the scrubbing. Another very effective way of cleaning the upper parts of your soccer cleats is by using a cleaning eraser sponge.
These cleaning tools can remove stains that you thought would never come out. They are made of a great material that combines with little amounts of water to remove the toughest stains.
Using a cleaning eraser sponge to do the cleaning: Place the cleaning eraser sponge in the soapy solution. Remove it from the solution and then squeeze it to remove most of the water absorbed by the eraser.
Insert your hand inside the shoe so as to hold it well, then use your other hand to rub the top of the cleat using the cleaning sponge. Rub the cleat’s tongue as well. It will be easily accessible while the laces are removed.
Dry off the cleats: Using a paper towel, wipe the cleats to dry them off while removing any dirt or soapy water that may be on them. Ensure that you wipe all parts of the cleat dry, including the tongue, the top sections, the sides, and the sole.
While cleaning your cleats, some water and soap might make their way into the inside of the shoes. To absorb these, you may stuff newspaper or other kinds of materials that can absorb water effectively.
Put the laces back: Once the laces and the soccer cleat have completely dried. Put back the laces loosely first, the put on the cleats and adjust the tightness of the lacing accordingly.
How to Clean Smelly Cleats
Soccer cleats can sometimes get smelly with repeated use and improper storage. Here, we will describe a method of eliminating any foul smell without the use of harsh chemicals.
Keeping your soccer cleats sparkling clean and smelling fresh can sometimes get tough, but having effective means of cleaning and removing foul smells can be very helpful.
Storing the shoes when they are wet and in a poorly aerated place causes them to have a bad smell. So, if you find that your cleats have an unpleasant odor, here's how you can fix that
Maintenance: Once your leather soccer cleats are clean and dry, you can polish them using leather oil or polish. By polishing them, you protect the material from damage by the elements. It also gives your soccer cleats a more appealing look.
Use a breathable bag to carry your soccer cleats to and from games and practices. When you get home, remove the cleats from the breathable bag and place them in a well-aerated place.
Keeping wet cleats in a non-breathable bag may cause the moisture to crack and damage the leather. As much as you might be tempted to do this, never place your soccer cleats in the washer or dryer.this may damage your pair. Polishing the leather enhances the color, if the leather remains too dry for too long, it could crack.
Extra Tips
Cleaning Tools
Final Thoughts
Cleaning your cleats regularly helps them remain intact and functional – this way you get the most from your investment in footwear.
This article has described the most effective way of cleaning your soccer cleats. The materials needed for the cleaning process are affordable and readily available. We trust that you will use the tips we have provided here to keep your soccer cleats looking flawless.
Things You'll Need
References
Last update on 2023-04-01 / This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
