Cleaning Felt Soles

[Peter F]

What is the right process for rejuvenating felt soles. They don't "hold" as well as they used to.

Thanks for any tips.

Peter F.

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Peter F [url=http://www.fishingwithflies.com:7793d]www.fishingwithflies.com[/url:7793d]
pfrailey@hotmail.com



[This message has been edited by Peter F (edited 23 April 2006).]

[billknepp]

Either replacement of the soles or replacement of the boots...about the only things I can think of.

[Bamboozle]

Peter F:

While 99% of my fishing friends consider my habit excessive, (because they're too lazy themselves to do it), I clean my wading shoes after each trip when I'm not going fishing the following day.

I use Dawn dish washing liquid with a scrub brush on the felt soles to keep them clean for better grip and to get rid of any poison ivy oil that ALWAYS finds it way to my hands and arms. I figure it might kill other critters as well.

I use the same scrub brush and Dawn for the rest of the shoe with the exception of my Russell shoes that are made of top grain leather. On those shoes I clean the leather portion of the shoe with Saddle Soap. Afterwards I rinse them clean and air dry.

I have been cleaning my felts and soles like this for years and my shoes and felts have outlasted ALL of my friends shoes with more than twice the use. It takes a little bit of time to clean them but I think it's worth it.

[Jeremy]

Bamboozle,
I'll have to admit I've NEVER heard of anyone going to this much effort (almost said 'work' here (*G*) ) after a day onstream. My hat goes off to you!! That's pretty darn incredible.

I'm usually much too lazy to take that kind of trouble. I don't even clean my lines after every trip, as I should. Really, I'm impressed.

And "something" inside makes me wanna ask "So, ya ever turn around and fish the 'foam line' behind you? ...but I won't. *BG*

Seriously, I thought I took care of my things after a trip but I'm no where near as thoughtful as you are.

Peter, sorry I didn't mean to hijack your question. I'd never heard of anyone taking care of the felts before.

Jeremy.

[4beader]

Bamboozle is not by himself. I also take the time to clean my felt soles after each trip. I don't use detergent, but I do scrub mine with clean water and a good stiff brush. In fact, I think of the effort I go to in cleaning all of my gear as an extension of my trip.

Jim

[gerri]

Hi everyone,
I also clean my boots after each trip with a stiff bristle brush and a solution of clorox and water. I usually then leave them in the sun to dry. I think the clorox scrub is a good idea just in case there are any WD bacteria I may have picked upon them. All gear gets a cleaning too. If my excursion is for more than one day, I will wait until the end of the trip. I still have one pair of boots that are 12 years old and are in excellent shape except that the studs are rusting somewhat but still very serviceable.

[Bamboozle]

Jeremy:

I just started cleaning my line(s) after each trip last season too. It takes me about 10 minutes tops. The shoes take me about the same.

I figure if it's worth paying for, it's worth taking care of, regardless of cost!

[featherchucker]

I keep a 5 gal bucket near the faucet out behind the house and hose off the waders and boots first then hang the waders to dry and sink the boots in the bucket with detergent for the evening and come back and blast them again with the hose and spraying the gook out the felt as good as possible with just water pressure. Then upside down to drain and dry on the deck railing for a few days. No scrubbing just hose pressure to de soap them. The boots are Hodgman lite weights and have lasted well for 6 Southeast Alaska trips that are fairly hard core" live-in-the-waders-n-boots" for a week solid on gnarly, stumpy, snaggy, rocky, gravelly, dead fish squishy, bear poop avoiding, miles of wading and trail sloggin through temperate rain forest mucky trails adventures! YEA! can't hardly wait til September! plus the usual pond stuff around home.....the heesl and toe edges are showing some wear but not enough to replace them yet. Maybe this fall a fresh set of soles for $13.00 would be a worthwhile investment before gong back to AK.

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I fish, therefore I swam.

[DavidInMD]

I don't think my boots will go in a 5g bucket. Thank goodness some are made in a 15 now.