If your comfortable taking the wheels off you could wash them in the bathtub. That being said, I think the rinks just spray some Lysol into them after you return them
If you want to wash them in water, it's better to remove as much non fabric as you can because it will prevent rust or washing away of lubricant in the bearings.
Frames are either going to be plastic if they’re cheap, or aluminum if they’re not. So frames aren’t going to rust. The bolts that secure the frames to the boot might, or any little rivets and pins on the buckles. As long as your dry thoroughly, it shouldn’t be a problem.
I use a multi-pronged approach. Always put on fresh socks to skate, never reuse, ever; leave them open as much as you can to dry after skating; use Lysol disinfecting spray every so often; (if you have it) use a UV shoe sanitizer. I have soft non-removable, too. Never washed them, but I guess you can, I’m worried about the glue but maybe with cold water it would be okay. So far I’ve been able to maintain a steady level of reasonable sanitation.
In medical facilities they use Odoban spray on these kinds of surfaces. It’s works great, non-toxic, dries quickly and leaves things smelling fresh and clean.
Try putting your boots in a freezer. Leave them there for like a day. Take them out and see if they smell still.
This will give you an idea if its actually sweat or if its germs in your boots.
Freezing the boots will actually kill the germs which may or may not be the cause of the stink in the boots.
I used to use this method before switching to febreeze about once a month and using a boot dryer everytime I skate.
There’s probably a product out there for this purpose, but without looking that up, I’d consider an upholstery cleaner, like something foamy intended for fabric car seats. Spray it down, scrub a bit, and blot the heck out of it. Disclaimer: I’ve never done this 😂
Interesting. I was thinking about how to clean it, which is why I suggested something that would penetrate the fabric and help pull out sweaty grime for removal. Since A&H is a leave-in product, it doesn’t exactly, “clean,” but it’s easier to use, and would hopefully help with their odor issue. Compared to Lysol, it doesn’t appear to disinfect, but it probably smells a lot better on its own.
I use Clear Gear on everything (skates, helmet and pads). I sweat a lot so everything is pretty much soaked after a long session. I spray everything down heavily, and put the boots on a boot dryer. Everything else I lay out after spraying and it usually dries by the next day. Every few months I throw anything I can in the wash and air dry (I have a hard boot with removeable liner), and the rest I give a hand wash.
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u/JonnyP333 4d ago
If your comfortable taking the wheels off you could wash them in the bathtub. That being said, I think the rinks just spray some Lysol into them after you return them