Laundry Tips: How To Clean Leather Shoes

We've covered general leather cleaning and how to clean leather lounge suites, now it's the shoe's turn!

Leather is a hard-wearing fabric perfect as a shoe covering. However, our feet are often subjected to the harshest terrain and can result in dry, cracked leather shoes that are falling apart at the seams. Shining and polishing shoes has been around since the invention of foot coverings, adding years to the life of your leather. Follow these steps for caring for leather shoes, from boots to children’s school shoes.

HOW OFTEN?

Good quality leather shoes should be polished once a month to preserve their life if they’re worn regularly. As you could clean your dry cleaning items or other specialty wearables, clean and polish shoes whenever necessary. If shoes are worn occasionally, clean once per month and polish and shine only as needed.

LEATHER CLEANERS

Before polishing and waterproofing footwear, it needs to be cleaned. Dirt, debris and other matter easily embed themselves into leather. A good cleaning will also help remove scuffs and other minor stains from shoes. To clean leather properly, determine which type of leather you have. Smooth leathers are treated differently than suede.

CLEANING TIPS

Salt stains can removed from shoes with a mixture of 1 cup hot water and 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Mix well and apply to shoe with a soft rag, gently scrubbing affected area. Allow to air dry.

Shoe brushes can also be used on leather shoes to help remove dirt and debris.

LEATHER SHOE POLISHES

Shoe polishes come in four basic premixed forms: waxes, pastes, liquids and creams.

Wax

• Will give a glossy shine and prevent moisture from seeping into leather

• Used on shoes which are regularly exposed to outdoor elements

• Can dry shoes, causing them to crack. So it’s important to use conditioner first

Creams & Pastes

• Add moisture to your shoe

• As they penetrate the surface of leather, they cover scratches and other imperfections

• Work well on all types of shiny or smooth leathers

Liquid

• Easy to apply

• Doesn’t penetrate or condition leather

SUEDE LEATHER

Suede shoes require special attention. Suedes and patent leather should never be shined. They can be cleaned, waterproofed and conditioned, though.

Suedes can be cleaned by rubbing stains and imperfections with a common pencil eraser or small piece of fine grain sandpaper. Once cleaned, rub suede with a bath or kitchen towel to help restore its nap and remove any shiny or damaged spots. Condition with specialized suede conditioner.

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