Natural leather products – durable and comfortable – are capable of retaining their original appearance and properties for a long time if proper attention is paid to them. Taking care of leather shoes at home consists not only of daily cleaning, but also of protecting the surfaces from the destructive effects of precipitation, street dirt and technical salt, as well as proper drying and storage.
Daily care: cleaning and cream application
Every time after wearing leather boots and shoes, they should be cleaned of dust. For heavy soiling, shoes can be cleaned with a soft sponge. The work begins on the sole, first removing the remains of adhered dirt, and then move up to the cuff. You should be careful not to let the water get inside.
Important: The water should be warm, but not hot. Wash your leather shoes quickly, prolonged contact with water can worsen the appearance of the product.
After removing the dirt, the surfaces are thoroughly wiped with a flannel or cotton cloth.
Proper care of leather shoes is completed by applying a special cream selected to match the color of the product. For greater effectiveness, it should be applied several hours before going out, so that it has time to be fully absorbed.
To give your boots a shine, you can use velvet or a clean, dry cloth made of cotton or flannel.
Daily care of leather shoes in winter is supplemented by the application of water-repellent impregnation – in addition to the usual exposure to dust and dirt leather surface during this period is exposed to technical salt, which can destroy or ruin the material.
Caring for new leather goods
Immediately after buying a new pair of shoes or boots, it is worth buying the appropriate products to protect them. The proper care of your new leather shoes determines how long they will last.
Water-based creams (they are recommended for dry and warm seasons) and products containing paraffin or wax, which protect the leather well against the effects of water and technical salt, are considered most appropriate.
White leather shoes: cleaning and preserving color
Means for the care of white leather shoes should not contain aggressive components, because you have to wash such products much more often, and the risk of damaging the surfaces is higher. Scratches and cracks will accumulate dust and dirt, spoiling the appearance of products.
To clean white boots or shoes, you need to allocate a separate soft sponge, a brush with soft bristles, and a polishing cloth.
It is recommended to wash light-colored leather with a special shoe shampoo – it gives an abundant foam and makes it easy to deal with even heavy dirt without using a brush.
Lacquered leather shoes: important recommendations
To maintain the spectacular appearance and gloss of lacquered shoes, you need to choose the right care products. If you do not follow the recommendations, the surface can be covered with cracks, the shine will fade, and the shoes will fall into disrepair.
The proper care of leather shoes of this type consists of several steps:
- The lacquered surface should be cleaned of dust and dirt deposited on it, wiping with a damp sponge. For heavy soiling, you can use shoe shampoo or mild soaps.
- To maintain and enhance the shine, it is recommended to polish the surfaces with a clean cloth of soft cloth or a special velvet with a small amount of glycerin, castor oil or vaseline applied to it.
- Another option for preserving shine is to use whipped egg white when polishing.
- Take care of lacquered surfaces by using only those products designed for that type of leather. If you use ordinary ones, the material may fade or become damaged.
Important: It is sometimes recommended to wipe lacquered surfaces with a cotton pad soaked in milk. Such advice can be classified as harmful – after such treatment on the skin remains a sticky translucent film, which is not easy to remove.
Cleaning Turned Leather Shoes
Keeping the presentable look of suede boots or shoes is the hardest thing to do – such products get dirty easily and it’s hard to get grease stains out of them.
To keep them looking good for as long as possible, it’s worth learning tips for caring for turned leather shoes:
- Only use special mild foams and rubber brushes for cleaning. Ordinary leather products and sponges should not be used.
- Wear such shoes only in dry weather. If caught in the rain after returning home, they should be washed with a soapy solution with the addition of alcohol. After the surface is wiped with a flap of clean cloth soaked in a vinegar solution, and hold the shoes over the steam.
- You can remove shiny stains from the surface by rubbing the problem areas with an eraser.
- To combat greasy stains on the surface, talcum powder comes in handy: the soiled area is sprinkled with the powder for 3-4 hours.
Drying
These two rules for taking care of leather shoes and the peculiarities of drying them will help you not to ruin your boots and boots after washing them:
- Shoes should only be dried at room temperature. Do not put them near radiators, use a hair dryer or place them in direct sunlight – the leather after such treatment will become rough and tough, and the shoe glue after strong heat can begin to peel off.
- If water got inside the products, you can put inside the paper, well absorbent moisture, and after some time to replace it with a new one. This technique will not only help speed up the drying process, but will also prevent deformation of the boots or shoes.
End of season care and storage
Before storing natural leather shoes, they should be washed thoroughly, removing all dirt from the surfaces and soles, dried well, and put inside pads or stuffed with newspapers. Such a measure will help prevent deformation of products.
Putting shoes in plastic bags for a long period of time is not recommended. The optimal solution is storage in cardboard boxes. If it is not possible to pick up each pair of boxes, you can use special bags sewn from natural materials.
Folk shoe care products
Despite the abundance of creams, sprays and impregnations at all costs and for different skin types, folk remedies for shoe care at home are still popular – they are available, effective, and their safety has been tested.
For shine.
Dilute a small amount of ammonia and baby soap in a container of warm water. Thoroughly mix the solution, wet a clean soft cloth in it. Wipe leather surfaces.
Another option is a mixture of equal parts milk, egg white and granulated sugar. The mass is whipped, the foam formed in this process is applied to the skin, polished with a flap of woolen cloth.
Homemade Cream
Combine together castor oil, melted wax, turpentine. Stir, pour into a jar for storage. Use as an ordinary cream.
Against stains on light-colored shoes.
To remove stains, use a cotton pad soaked in vinegar or lemon juice. If the stain is greasy, a weak soda solution will help.
Anti-cracking.
To prevent cracks from appearing on the surface, it is advisable to wipe the skin periodically with a cloth with glycerin.
Following these simple recommendations and properly chosen care products for leather shoes will help keep boots and shoes in pristine condition for a long time.
