GREAVES' GUIDE TO CLEANING YOUR FOOTBALL BOOTS
Your football boots are your most important piece of equipment. If you look after them properly not only will they last longer, they'll look better and look after you on the pitch.
1. After playing, loosen your laces to allow easy removal of your boots (Don't kick them off at the heel!).
2. Remove loose dirt by knocking your boots together, then brush your football boots with a stiff brush. Do not use a wire brush as this will damage them, instead try and use a brush with bristles made from a natural material.
3. Wipe the football boots with a damp cloth to remove smaller particles of dirt. Do not use a cleaning agent to clean your football boots.
4. If the football boots have been used in wet conditions, you can use an old toothbrush to remove dirt that has been trapped in small spaces.
5. Stuff the football boots with newspaper to maintain shape and to help extract carry moisture. If the boots are very wet, you may need to replace the newspaper daily.
6. Allow the football boots to dry at room temperature. Warning: Drying the boots with heat can cause the football boots to become stiff and the adhesives can deteriorate. Stiff boots are far more likely to rip and are weak. Deteriorated adhesives can make joints weak, such as the joint between the upper and the sole plate. Additionally, heat drying your football boots can cause your sole plate to warp.
7. Once dry grease the studs. Vaseline is good for this. This will prevent rusting if the boots are screw-in, it will also help prevent soil from sticking to the studs.
8. If the boots are leather, they can be polished to retain their colour.
9. After allowing the polish to work in - typically 24 hours - the boot should be protected by a Dubbin or natural leather oil. Dubbin oil helps keep the football boot waterproof and the leather supple.
10. If changing or cleaning studs, add a slight lubricant to the stud thread to prevent any rusting if moisture gets in. Ensure the stud is tight, but not too tight to damage the thread. (Too much lubricant will reduce the friction and prevent the stud from properly tightening).
GREAVES RECOMMENDS:
Graingers G-Wax
A natural beeswax that gives extra protection from water and dirt on leather products.
Halo Kit Refresher
Removes sweat odours and kills the odour making bacteria which lives in the fabric of your sports equipment.
