Rubber rain boots keep your feet dry but no one likes the tire smell they emanate. Keeping your feet dry shouldn’t be this much of a hassle.
New rubber boot smell is caused by off-gassing. This is a normal reaction to the manufacturing process, but it doesn’t mean you have to live with the smell. Get tough with it and use one of these solutions to eliminate it.
How to Get Smell Out of Rubber Rain Boots
1 Get ’em Dirty
If your goal is to get the new rubber smell out of the boots, you need to get down and dirty with them. Grab a handful of grass and rub it all over the boots. Follow up with some good old fashioned dirt and rub it right in to the boots. They can take it. This should get the new smell right out of them and replace it with a more lived in type of stank.
2 Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda Spray
You can make your own recipe to get the rubber smell out of your boots by mixing up a batch of 1 quart of hydrogen peroxide, 1 quart of distilled water, and 1/4 cup of baking soda. Place the ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well and spray the boots thoroughly to get the smell out.
3 Ghost Wash the Smell Out
Ghost Clothes Wash Scent Eliminator is used by hunters to remove the human smell from clothing. Spray the boots liberally with the product and allow them to dry overnight to get rid of the rubber smell. This product can be ordered online.
4 Bury them in Grass Clippings
Don’t discard your grass clippings the next time you are working on your yard. You can use them to get the rubbery smell out of your new boots instead. Take the boots and place them in a half bag full of the green stuff. Cover completely with grass. Leave them in place for a couple of days. When you pull the boots out, all you should be able to smell is grass instead of rubber.
5 Kitty Litter Solution
Kitty litter is an excellent product for absorbing odors. For best results, choose a good quality brand. Place the litter in a plastic bag and put the boots on top of it and close it tightly. Let them sit for 24-48 hours before removing them.
6 Baking Soda Shake-up
Baking soda is a great choice if you need to get the rubbery smell out of your boots, and you probably have a box of it on hand at your home. Take a large plastic bag and sprinkle some it it inside. Place the boots in the bag and tie the bag shut. Shake up the bag and let it sit for a couple of days. The baking soda will absorb the smell.
7 Vinegar Scrub Down
Give the rubber boots a thorough cleaning with pure white vinegar. We have it on good authority that this product will get hog smell off rubber boots. If it can tame that foul stink, it will have not problem dealing with the new rubber smell. Just mix up 1/4 cup of vinegar in a pail of water and use a rag or a sponge to clean your boots.
8 Take them Outside
Fresh air and sunshine will help to kill the rubber funk in your boots. To keep water and assorted “pets” from entering your boots, drive a couple of stakes into the ground. Turn your boots upside down and put them on top of the stakes. Leave the boots outside in a sunny spot for a couple of days. When you return to check on them, inspect them thoroughly to see if they still stink. If you detect some odor, leave them in place for a few more days. If not, they are ready to take inside.
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