How to Polish Police Boots – Ultimate Guide

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PCSO’s, Special constables and police officers of every rank know that a key part of maintaining a professional appearance is keeping their boots polished. A well-polished pair of police boots can make all the difference in how you are perceived by the public and your colleagues.

You also need to make sure your boots are maintained to a high standard when on ceremonial duties, which can happen quite often. Every item of kit must be worn correctly including your uniform, boots and medals. If you’re not sure on how to wear police medals on uniform, read our article for full details.

However, boot polishing is not as difficult as it may seem. There is a right way and a wrong way to do it. In this blog post, we will show you the right way to polish your boots so that they look their best.

What You Will Need:

Waterproofing compound (optional)
Buckets
Sponges
Broom and dustpan
Soft cloths
Cotton balls or cotton swabs
Hairspray (optional)
Shoe polish
Set of Two Brushes

Step-by-Step Guide to cleaning and Polishing Police Boots

Gather Supplies

First, you will need to gather all of the police equipment that you will need. You will need two buckets, one for water and one for rinsing the sponge. You will also need a couple of sponges, soft cloths, cotton balls or cotton swabs, hairspray (optional), and shoe polish. The color of shoe polish you use should match the color of your boots.

Clean and Remove Debris

Next, you will need to remove any dirt or debris from your boots (if they are used) using the broom, dust pan and running water. It is probably the most important set of the whole process. If you don’t clean the boots properly then they will degrade and not be of any use.

Make sure you sure warm soapy water on your used boots. The warm water allows it to soak into the dirt and grime to remove it more efficiently. Once your boots are clean, let them dry and you are ready to start polishing them.

Preparing Your Boots

If your boots are new, you will need to apply a waterproofing compound (optional) before polishing them. Once you have applied the waterproofing compound (if using), you will need to let the boots dry completely before proceeding to the next step. A waterproofing compound can be bought in most supermarkets or shoe shops. It normally comes in a spray can and forms a protective layer around the boot once applied.

This image below shows waterproofing compound product which is sold on amazon. It can be used to protect your boots and make them last even longer!

nikwax - a great product which waterproofs boots effectively.

Get Waterproofing Products

Polishing Your Police Boots

Start by applying shoe polish to one boot using a sponge or brushes, making sure that you cover the entire boot. It’s best to use circular montion when applying the polish. This allows you to work the polish in well and make sure the boots soak up the polish to provide that protection.

Once the boot is completely coated in polish, you can leave it stand for several minutes to let the polish soak into the boots. Once you have left it for a while you can then use a brush to slightly brush over the polish to create a shine on the boots.

After you have shined the boots with a brush you can also use a soft cloth to really highlight the shine. This would only really be necessary if you were going on a parade or show. There is no need to have highly polished boots for normal daily work.

Repeat this process with the other boot. Once both boots are polished and shining, use hairspray (optional) to help protect them from scuffs and scratches.

Use Hairspray to finish the process

Why are we using hairspay on your police boots? Well, the hairspray will form another layer to protect all the hard work you have done up until this point. Once the spray is dry it forms a protective seal for the polish.

Best practise for using the hairspray? Put the police boots outside or in a ventaliated room. Place them on top of a magazine or newspaper and get out the hairspray.

Place a generous layer of hairspray over each boot, making sure you cover the entire surface area. Allow the hairspray to dry completely before putting your police boots on.

Top tip – Just buy the cheapest Hairspray you can find as that will have the same effect as if you were to buy the more expensive makes! #savemoney

You’re now ready to hit the streets looking sharp!

How to maintain good servicable police boots

After a strenuous day on the job for police officers, their boots often need a good cleaning and polish to stay in serviceable condition.

This cleaning usually starts with wiping down the outside to remove any dirt and mud that may have accrued throughout the shift. Then, the police boots must be brushed and cleaned following the guide above.

It’s important that this is complete after every shift to maintain quality and prevent the material of the boots degrading. If you leave your boots in a dirty condition and don’t clean and polish them, then they won’t last.

Time consuming as it may be, taking extra care of one’s boots goes a long way in terms of being able to rely on them in times when needed for duty. Plus it is also a money saver as you won’t need to keep buying expensive boots or shoes for work.

How do you clean suede boots?

Cleaning suede police boots isn’t difficult but it does require special care. However the one thing you don’t do with suede is polish!

Invest in suede brush set

You will want to start by investing in a good quality suede brush set. These can be found in most online retailers, some high street brands offer better suede cleaners than others. For example, amazon offer a brush, cloth and spray set for less than £13.

Use the suede boot brushes and cleaner

Regularly brushing the shoes with these suede brushes helps to remove dirt, dust, and other types of debris on the surface.

When your shoes are heavily soiled, mix together a solution of water and a suede cleaner; this cleaner is specifically designed for use on this type of material and will help keep them looking new and refreshed.

Apply the mixture using a soft rag or cloth. Once you’ve applied it evenly, allow the boots to dry completely before moving onto the next step.

Use a binder spray

After this step is complete, apply a binder spray, which helps repel moisture and grime and offer additional protection to the material.

Once dry, you can bring back some of the suede texture by lightly brushing with a special brush that is made specifically for cleaning suede boots before wearing or storing them away.

With just a little attention and elbow grease, you’ll have your beloved police boots shining like new again in no time! This will help maintain their shape and enhance their overall appearance; creating long-lasting boots that look as good as new.

Polish Police Boots conclusion

Polishing your police boots is an important part of maintaining a professional appearance on the job. It may seem like a difficult and time consuming task, but it is actually quite easy once you know what to do. With just a few supplies, some elbow grease, you can maximise the life of your police boots and have them looking shiny and new in no time at all!

If you haven’t yet got a decent pair of boots for policing then please check out our blog best police boots for 2022.