How to clean and dry boots properly each night in Everest.

As you prepare for the Everest Base Camp trek — working with a complete Everest Base Camp trek itinerary, booking through a local agency that offers an Everest Base Camp trek package, or creating your own no-frills independent version of the standard Everest Base Camp trek from Kathmandu — there’s one gear care step that is often forgotten but can make all the difference when it comes to comfort and cost: how you clean and dry your boots each night. And it’s true, in a landscape this dynamic with its varying terrain and altitude variations and long days, keeping your boots healthy is not just nice for your tootsies; it does indeed form part of the trek experience, i.e., savouring the landscapes/joy of/the worthiness of the investment. 

Below, I’m going to break down an easy-to-follow plan for cleaning and drying your boots each night on the EBC trek in this guide in relation to the 2025 Everest Base Camp Trek (and beyond) and its place when preparing for that long journey. Considering costs, a good Everest Base Camp trek guide, and altitude-related footwear issues as well.

The background: Why Everest Base Camp trek boot care is important

On your Everest Base Camp trek — whether you’re walking through the Khumbu valley with a local agency or you opted for an independent itinerary — changes in the elements are to be expected: mud, snow, rock-dust; stream crossings; early mornings in cold air; late afternoons in slush. Wear and tear with boots increases in such conditions. Not cleaning and drying boots correctly means you’ll have uncomfortable footwear, blisters, lost waterproofing, worn-out materials, and eventually more expensive trek (since you'll waste gear or suffer delays). Whether you’re budgeting for the Everest Base Camp trek cost, or deciding between a simpler trek from Kathmandu or maybe even an Everest Base Camp helicopter return trek option, your feet will need to be reliable. This is something you’ll be told every night by a good Everest Base Camp trek guide.

Step 1: After You Stop Hiking for the Day

Once you arrive at your evening’s teahouse on the EBC trekking, slacken the laces of your boots, take off the gaiters (for those who wear them), and remove the insoles. This allows the boot throat to extend out, get some airflow, and start releasing moisture. If you’re trekking the Everest Base Camp from Kathmandu, you’re often up early and hiking long and so your nighttime reset is important. Your map of the Everest Base Camp trek will reveal several lodges with drying racks or gear rooms — make use of them.

Step 2: Clean off and then rinse if necessary

Scrape off any large clumps of mud or rock dust from the boots, preferably outdoors, before you enter the hut. Brush off or clean visible dirt from your uppers and outsoles with a small brush or damp cloth. If you have boots that’ve been through the stream or slogged through snowmelt, a light rinse (or wipe) will help protect the fabric from smelling and joyriding odors in seams and waterproof membranes. Expert guides: “Use a boot brush or an old vegetable brush … Gently scrub away the dirt, mud, and dust from the outside of the boot.”

Step 3: The inside and insoles—clean them up!

With the insoles removed, see if there is wetness, grit, or grit-filled seams or odor. If you have a serious odour, gently wash the insoles with mild soap or water-vinegar. * Clean the lining: Wipe with a soft wet cloth (or sponge) dipped in lukewarm water; liquid soap/scrubbing brush is prohibited for delicate lining membranes. Do not use a brush,” says one guide. It could harm the inside lining, she says.” Evening on the trail is your chance: a fast wipe and rinse each night is enough so you can start anew in the morning.

Step 4: Dry boots the right way

This is the key moment in saving comfort and cost. After each day at Al Hilal stadium, you need to dry them in a cool, well-ventilated place (not next to the fire or radiator) where there's no direct sunshine. Heat sources destroy adhesives, crack leather, and warp soles. One expert says, “Do not dry your boots in direct sunlight or next to a heat source – this can cause cracks in your leather as well as the glue breaking apart.” Put crumpled newspaper or dry towels in your boots to soak up moisture, replacing the paper once it’s damp. Take the (separate) insoles out & let them air. If your teahouse has a fan-room or gear-room, that’s use it. This routine also ensures that your boots remain dry, breathable, and odour-free (crucial given that you are going to be living in these boots for days while trekking up toward the high altitude of Everest Base Camp).

Step 5: Bring back the waterproofing and condition it (as and when required)

While you might not bring full boots-maintenance kits to a remote trek, you can still apply a light spray or wipe with water repellent on your boots after cleaning (while it’s still wet) but before it dries. For leather boots, you could condition them to maintain the supple nature of the leather. As one set of cleaning instructions puts it: “Conditioning your boots … when your boots’ full-grain leather looks dry or is beginning to crack.” For your Everest Base Camp trek with a local agency, inquire if they have small care kits or can provide them locally at Namche, Tengboche even Pheriche to buy. By taking this kind of care, you can trust in the reliability of your boots, minimise the risk of gear failure, and therefore reduce potential additional costs (replacement, delay, trying to repair problems on the rail).

Night-time check & Next day prep

Before you hit the sack (or as soon after dinner as possible), make sure your boots are drying out properly: insoles lying flat, boot tongues open, laces loosened, and the works rotated or positioned for maximum air flow. As hiking and trekking boots are the only equipment that carry all your body’s weight, don’t start walking with wet boots, which may give you blisters and leave an awkward feeling. On your Everest Base Camp trek itinerary, you have early mornings and long days; beginning those first steps when everything is dry can prevent cold feet or any constriction, especially at high altitudes. Just make sure your EBC trek guide nags you to do this every night. It’s a little thing, but it can yield big benefits: more comfort, less risk of footwear-related issues, and easier trekking.

Step 7: Altitude sickness or fatigue sets in – Don’t overlook your boots

On the Everest Base Camp trek, altitude-related issues, such as tiredness or small symptoms of AMS, may begin to slip in, and skipping boot-care routines is more likely to happen when you’re tired. But neglecting to properly clean and dry out boots can exacerbate issues: Wet boots make your feet cold and uncomfortable, and difficult for your muscles to warm up with each step. (By the way, a little foot care goes a long way in keeping your whole trek healthy.) With a tight Everest Base Camp trek cost (yet needing to milk every bit of comfort from whatever gear you bring along), giving your boots five minutes of love each night adds up to big dividends in keeping you feeling good as you push on to the higher elevations.

Final thoughts

When you’re on the trails from Kathmandu to Mount Everest Base Camp, every bit adds up. Your boots are your keystone. Scrubbing and drying them thoroughly at the end of each day might sound mundane, but it’s something you should do on this Everest Base Camp trek itinerary (It’s a good way to increase your own comfort, lower the danger factor, look after your investment, and keep those trek costs in check). 

Whether you choose to do the Everest Base Camp helicopter return trek or the regular trail route, whether you’ve signed up for a full Everest Base Camp trek package or you’re taking on this monumental task with a local agency armed with an EVBC trekker's guide/map – treat boot-care as your non-negotiable practice. The trip will be hard, the altitude unforgiving, landscapes unbelievable — and by taking care of your boots, you make things that much easier for yourself so that you can concentrate on the journey ahead, the view below, and the peaks above.