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By mark, October 9, 2009 6:05 am

<br>You expect a long life out of those hiking boots. However in order to get it, you must treat them right. Take the time to regularly clean and treat your hiking boots. Treatments will condition the leather of your boots for a longer life. In addition, treating your boots on a regular basis can help waterproof them even more. In order to take good care of your boots, you will need to clean, dry, and treat them.</br>

<br>Cleaning the boots
Most hiking boots, either leather or synthetic, can be hand washed with non-detergent soap. Using a dish rag and a diluted non-detergent soap solution, you can wash your boots until your heart’s content. Scraping off the dirt and keeping your boots clean will help add to their life. Sand and dirt have lots of sharp edges, so getting it out of fabrics is very important. Cleaning leather boots is also important because it lets you treat them. Treating your boots can multiply years to the life of your boots.</br>

<br>Drying the boots
Drying your boots might seem easy. Just throw them by the fire or put them on the radiator, correct? Nope! Drying boots with a source of heat is the worst thing you can do to your boots. Heating your boots can cause the leather to dry out and split. It can also cause adhesives to melt and cease to hold your boots together. Nothing will hurt your boots faster than heating them dry. In addition to heat, you don’t want to leave them wet. If your boots stay moist, they can grow mildew and other bad stuff. If you are in a hurry and need them to dry quickly, you can stuff paper towels or newspaper in them to help soak up some of the moisture. But you need to make sure you change them out frequently. Also setting them in front of a fan can be helpful.</br>

<br>Treating the boots
Treating your boots is critical for leather boots. Leather needs to be fed and nurtured. Treating with a product that will nourish your hiking boots will help extend their lifespan. You want to use a wax or silicone based product, since oil based products are made to soften leathers. There are many options like Nikwax Aqueous Wax that will add some waterproofing to your boots. These products are excellent because they increase the use of your boots, and extend their life.</br>

<br>Fixing the boots
The day might come, even with all your excellent care, that your boots eventually give up. But before you throw them out, you might want to try getting them fixed. In most cases, brands like Asolo will often fix boots on warranty. However, when you need them fixed on something other than warranty, you should look for a trustworthy authorized repair agent. This is often a cheaper option than purchasing new, and will save the love and personality your boots have developed over time.</br>

Brian is a lover of the outdoors and has great experience hiking, camping and more. He also loves http://www.moosejaw.com/

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