You’ve chosen and bought your new wellies, ready to work – but you need to keep them looking smart and staying watertight for as long as possible. When cared for properly a good pair of wellies can last for years but treating them poorly can significantly reduce their lifespan, comfort and usability.
This is where we can help keep your wellies as good as new!
With the right care routine and with some good habits your wellies will last and last, so here are our top tips to keep your wellies looking (and working) like new!
1. Taking your wellies off the right way
Pulling your wellies off using a step or the toe of the other boot might feel convenient but unless your boots have integrated kick off spurs, this can lead to cracking on the heal - and a nasty calf strain. A better alternative is to bend and grip your wellies by the ankle then pull. Ideally when taking wellies off, using a boot jack specifically designed for wellingtons will really help.
2. Keeping wellies clean
The easiest time to clean your wellies is as soon as possible, while muck and mud is still soft, with an outside tap or bucket. If your wellies have been exposed to salt water, it’s especially important to clean them asap to avoid the rubber drying out. When you’ve cleaned all the muck away, leave your boots to drip dry away from direct sunlight.
3. Cleaning zips, buckles and laces
If your boots have zips, buckles or laces, it’s important to keep them free of muck too so they’re always ready to use. Zips can be lubricated with a silicone spray to keep them running smoothly - just be careful to keep the spray away from any leather on more expensive boots. With zips specifically, boots should be cleaned and stored with zips done up to avoid getting water inside the boot and help prevent sagging.
4. How to dry wellies correctly
Wellies don’t like extremes of temperature, so drying them in front of the fire or leaving them outside in the freezing cold can lead to cracking and splitting. Ideally, you’ll leave your boots to drip dry before standing them in a well ventilated, room-temperature space, such as a porch or conservatory. Crumpled newspaper in your boots can help them dry quicker and keep their shape too.
5. Care against cracking
Using a little silicone spray on rubber boots can help them stay supple and provide them with a protective layer against water and mud.
6. Don’t store wellies in hot or cold places
Keeping your wellies in the right place ready to go can help keep them protected and extend their life. Extremes of heat and cold aren’t good for wellies, so don’t store them in your car’s boots or in the shed over winter. If you have a boot rack by the back door, start the habit of storing them there.
7. Use a boot bag
Keeping your wellies in a boot bag helps regulate their temperature and prevent cracking and discolouration. Storing for long periods in direct sunlight is also bad for the rubber in your boots, so a good boot bag will help here too.
Discover more top welly tips and boot hacks in our Ask Abbeydale section >