Here are a few tips to clean and maintain leather shoes.
•Proper care should be taken to clean and also in polishing of the leather shoes.
•First the type of the leather should be determined before the cleaning.
•If the shoe is made of smooth leather it should be cleansed with soap.
•By using a soft cloth the dirt and dust is to be removed from the surface of the shoe.
•After removing the lace it should be rinsed with warm water inside and out.
A natural soap solution using common soaps like saddle soap or liquid detergent or regular hand soap can be used. By using a soft brush scrub every part of the shoe with the soap mixture. Rinse the shoe with warm water again and stuff the shoes with paper towels. These papers will absorb the water content in the shoes making the drying process faster. Care should be taken not to use the newspaper as the black ink may ruin the shoes.
The shoes can be cleansed with commercial products like gels, foams, sprays, liquids and creams. Prepare a newspaper bed for the shoe. Remove the laces before using the pre cleaner with an applicator top or a soft shoe brush. Rub the cleaner into any cracks and seams and remove the cleaner based on the manufacturer’s instructions.
The following leather shoe products are available in the market:
•Shoe wipes for spot cleaning, baby wipes can also be used.
•Clorox Bleach Pen for cleaning the seams and stitches.
•KIWI Sport Shoe Scrub-off Heavy Duty Cleaner
•Magic Eraser for spot cleaning
•Permatex DL Hand Cleaner for cleaning the skin of almost all leather
•Goo Gone cleaner available in hardware stores eventually remove just about anything.
•Goop waterless hand cleaner is also a very good cleaner.
The shoes also need conditioners either made of natural or synthetic products. Mink Oil is used as a shoe conditioner and it should have the same colour of the shoe.
Polishing of the shoes should be done at least once a month. The right kind of polish and right colour should be chosen.
Proper care should be taken in polishing the shoes. Wax polish and Liquid shoe polish can be used for the same. Rub the polish with a soft clean, lint free cloth in small, circular motions and allow the polish to dry. Then shine the shoes by buffing them with a soft cloth or brush made especially for shining shoes.
