When the riding is over and it’s time to your feet up, the last thing you want is the smell of your boots overpowering the aroma of your pint. Last season I had it with stanky boots. I’m glad it’s just the boots that reek, not my feet. Some of the AASI riders that ride for days on end and travel and clinic have multiple pairs of boots so they can let them air out well enough. Since I don’t get free gear or have a trust fund, I make do with a pair or my super old smelly, soft boots.
Seeing as I just got a new pair of snowboard boots I aim to keep them as fresh and clean as possible in the next few seasons and making an effort to keep my old ones longer as well. I’ve compiled a list of a few ways to get rid of or prevent the unpopular boot funk.
Powder
Some say baby powder in your boots will help absorb the moisture and avoid stench. I’m sure something like Gold Bond would work too.
Rice Sock (courtesy of The Angry Snowboarder)
Load two socks up with rice and after riding drop them in your boots. The rice will absorb some of the moisture so the bacteria can’t grow nice and strong.
The Freezer
A fellow instructor told me try putting my boot liners in the freezer and that the cold would kill some of the bacteria. I put my liner’s in a garbage bag, but left it open (I just couldn’t bring myself to leave the food fully exposed). After a whole day I didn’t notice that great a difference, so I put them back in. I forgot about them until I had to get to the mountain 3 days later and they actually weren’t too bad. After two days though, the smell was back, but not as strong.
Steam Clean
Steaming can work for clothes. It also works to open up the pores on your face and kill bacteria. Since I used one extreme (The Freeze), I thought why not steam? Set large pot on the stove and bring to a boil. I had no where to do it, but hanging your liners above the pot would make it easier than holding them up there. I steamed them for about 10 minutes each and let them dry, but really no difference. I steamed them again and threw them promptly in the freezer and that seemed to get more results, but they still weren’t Febreeze clean.
Plain Old Washing
This one sounds like a good idea, but my problem is getting the inner laces out of my liners and I really don’t want to mess with them. Directions: Throw liners in the washing machine. Simple enough? I’ve read that it really doesn’t do that much on its own, but if anyone tried it, let me know.
Pet Urine Enzyme Neutralizer (upcoming experiment)
Yes. I know it sounds gross, but it’s a cleaning agent. Comes in a bottle you can get from PetSmart for a few bucks. It gets great reviews on the pet store websites for cleaning up dog messes and I think I saw it a while back on a forum. Most of them seem to be natural, so I don’t think it will harm the material. Spraying might work, but some people recommend a heavy application. Since I do have a new pair of boots, I’m going to be trying this one in the next few weeks on the old ones and I’ll update you on the results.
If there are any other methods that have worked wonders for you, don’t be shy! Everyone suffers from it, especially if you ride as much as me or more.