How to care for patent leather shoes at home

Patent leather shoes are a symbol of high social status. Shoes, boots, ankle boots and sandals made from this material are present in the wardrobe of every person interested in fashion trends. The advantages of such products include special sophistication, lightness, style and elegance. At the same time, one should not forget about the operating features.

In order for shoes to last as long as possible, you need to take care of them, following fairly simple rules. Ignoring the recommendations may result in signs of stretching such as cracks, scratches and folds. To restore an attractive appearance to damaged shoes and boots, you can use professional and folk remedies.

Causes of scuffs and scratches

Noticeable defects on the surface of patent leather shoes can occur due to the influence of several factors. These include violations of production technology, adverse weather conditions, poor road surfaces and contact with sharp objects.

Before processing begins, it is necessary to assess the complexity of the problem. To do this you need to perform a fairly simple test. It lies in one gesture. It is enough to run your hand over the affected surface. Roughness that is directed in one direction indicates that the skin has been damaged. If only the varnish layer is damaged, the scratch will be felt on both sides.

The first step is preparation for removing defects. First, remove the pieces that have formed on patent leather shoes. To do this, you can use tweezers or nail scissors. The next step is to cleanse the skin with special compounds. In their absence, alcohol is often used. It should be noted that it is unlikely that it will be possible to remove deep scratches at home. The only way out of the situation is to mask the defects.

“Shoes with a terrible creaking”

Any shoes can start squeaking, except rag ones: leather, faux leather, suede, patent leather. Lacquer, however, often causes such inconveniences. Especially over the knee boots or boots, since the upper part of the shoes does not bend when walking.

Important: shoes may squeak due to problems with the sole, and not with the upper. To check this, lift your booted foot off the floor and rotate your foot. If there is no squeak, the problem is in the sole. Then take your squeaky pair of shoemakers to a handyman.

A varnish surface can begin to creak for three reasons :

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If cracks are to blame , wax mixed with goose fat will help. Combine the components in a ratio of one to three, having previously melted them, and lubricate the shoes with the resulting product. Leave it overnight and wipe it off with a soft cloth in the morning.

If the reason is in the seams , wax will again come to the rescue. Soften it a little, but not to a liquid state, and rub it on the threads on all seams. Let it harden completely and remove the substance with a soft brush.

The second effective remedy in this case is castor oil. Heat it in a water bath to about 60 degrees, apply it to a cotton pad and rub it into the seams.

Important: creaking due to problems with seams usually appears when the shoes are still new. This is considered, if not a defect, then a violation of production technology. So pay attention to such things when purchasing, be sure to first walk around the store in the future new thing.

If the squeaking occurs due to moisture , the logical conclusion suggests itself: the shoes need to be dried. We will tell you how to perform this action correctly below.

How to remove black stripes from shoes: how to wash white shoes from black stripes

Products should be cleaned at home without using large amounts of water or foam. Patent leather shoes do not tolerate high humidity. As a result, it quickly loses its shine and the varnish film stretches. Therefore, you need to act as carefully and carefully as possible.

Expert opinion

Ekaterina Korneva, expert in the field of care, cleanliness and beauty

I will help you understand all the intricacies.

If you decide to treat your boots with a special compound, then choose only one that is intended specifically for varnish. Since shoes with lacquer coating should only be worn in dry weather, dust constantly settles on them. How to care for patent leather shoes at home If you have any questions, please contact me, I will be happy to answer!

How to wear it correctly to avoid damage

To extend the life of patent leather shoes, you need to follow a few simple recommendations. Products should not be worn in snowy or rainy weather. Excessive humidity will negatively affect the shape of shoes and sandals.

The appearance of small cracks on the surface of the shoes indicates that they were worn in severe frost. If the air temperature is more than +35 degrees Celsius, the layer of varnish applied to the skin will be severely damaged.

In order for winter boots to “fit” your feet, you should put them on 10–15 minutes before leaving the house. Particular attention should be paid to the storage procedure. The varnished surfaces must not touch each other. Otherwise, the risk of damage to your fine shoes increases.

Home repairs

If you can’t go to a workshop, but still want to wear your shoes, you can use these tricks:

• Tiny creases and scratches are painted over with eyeliner. In this case, you should avoid even small puddles. Moisture will cause the paint to run quickly.
• Nail polish will help in eliminating defects. The desired color should be chosen carefully. It is better to apply the product to the nail, and then compare it with the color of the shoes.
• A high-quality cream will restore the shine of the product and renew its color.
• Patent leather shoes “love” glycerin. It is applied to the surface and then polished with a natural cloth.

If you take proper care of shoes made of delicate material, they will not lose their attractiveness. It is worth remembering that patent leather boots, shoes, shoes are not worn every day. It is advisable to “walk” them no more than twice a month.

How to restore patent leather shoes

The shine and shine of shoes, shoes and boots can be restored at home. Despite this, many refuse to purchase products that are characterized by capriciousness. Caring for patent leather shoes is not difficult. If scuffs and dull shades appear, you can use:

• 
  onions. First, the head is peeled and cut into two parts. Then one half is applied to the surface of the varnished products;

• egg yolk and sugar. This mixture will restore shine to shoes and neutralize the effects of snow and water. It is removed using woolen cloth;
• turpentine, castor oil and egg yolk. A composition of these components is used to treat a varnish surface that has suffered from prolonged wear.

The same effect can be achieved with milk, coffee or tea leaves. The last step is polishing.

Rules of care

It is strictly forbidden to wet patent leather shoes too much. The more careful the processing, the better the result. Boots and sandals should not be left wet after cleaning. Their surface should be carefully wiped with a soft flannel cloth. Otherwise, it will be difficult to avoid stains and streaks.

Polishing is most often done using a piece of flannel in a circular motion. Vaseline or oil is used as a lubricant. Before putting on a new pair of shoes or boots, their inner surface should be heated with a hairdryer and treated with a greasy compound, soap or candle wax. Breaking in usually takes at least 2 hours. If this time is not enough, the procedure must be repeated. To speed up the process, you can use a special stretcher.

What patent leather cannot tolerate

The coating of patent leather shoes may suffer from the following factors:

• sudden temperature changes;
• direct sunlight;
• incorrect drying method;
• excessive humidity;
• exposure to harsh materials and abrasives;
• influence of aggressive cleaning compounds.

Many people wear boots, ankle boots and shoes made from this material only in exceptional cases. This is an effective way to preserve their shine and charm for a long time. If a housewife knows how to properly care for patent leather shoes, there will be no problems with their appearance.

Traditional methods for removing scratches and abrasions

The list of funds is quite extensive. It includes:

• Eye makeup pencil. With it you can quickly disguise damage.
• Glossy varnish. The main thing is to choose the right shade. The composition must be carefully applied to the scratch and dried.
• Wax. It is used to repair deep damage.
• Super glue. This substance is used to remove complex scratches and cracks. Thanks to timely measures taken, damaged shoes can quickly be restored to their original appearance.
• Liquid skin. This is the name of a special composition designed to eliminate characteristic defects. The damaged area must be degreased. To enhance the effect, it is treated with fine-grained sandpaper. If you cannot remove the scratch the first time, you can use the product again. At least a quarter of an hour should pass between sessions.

Scuffs can be removed using an eraser, soft non-woven material, mineral oil and alcohol. Movements should be slow and careful.

Professional products

To achieve a more effective result, it is necessary to use professional polishing compounds. Particularly popular are:

Lack-Polish

• Lack-Polish;
• Metallic-Perlato;
• Combi-Color;
• Solitaire;
• Salamander Lack Polish;
• Saphir Vernis Rife;
• Collonil Lack Polish;
• Collonil Lack Mousse.

The list is supplemented with such compounds as Salton, Salamander Prof Lack Care, Famaco Huile Vernis, Silver. They can be purchased at any household chemical store. How to care for patent leather shoes is indicated in the instructions included with the product. It is advisable that the composition intended for processing glossy products contain glycerin or lanolin.

What to do if patent leather shoes squeak

This problem most often appears when walking in new shoes, boots, or ankle boots. To get rid of it, there is no need to contact specialists. Patent leather shoes are flexible. Creaking is eliminated using heated drying oil, castor, olive, sunflower or mustard oil. Any of them can be used to process the reverse side of products. The composition should remain on the surface for 12–24 hours. Remains of lubricant are removed using cotton napkins.

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Effective problem solving

Patent leather shoes are a very specific material that requires careful care. Scratches, dark stripes, and various household stains may appear on it.

How to remove black bars

Lines on light-colored shoes can appear from their contact with each other when walking or as a result of the sole or heel touching the skin.

There are different ways to remove dark stripes from patent leather shoes.

There are several ways to remove streaks on white patent leather.

1. Fresh marks can be easily removed with a cloth soaked in milk.
2. It is allowed to use castor or any other oil.
3. You can rub the stained area with the soft side of a school eraser, as a hard surface can scratch the glossy finish.

How to erase lines on white varnish - video

How to remove scuff marks

Specialized shoe wax or beeswax will help solve the problem. It must be heated and rubbed into the damaged surface. Cover the top with patent leather care product, which is sold in any shoe store.

You can remove small abrasions from patent leather using nail polish or a colored felt-tip pen.

Removing scratches - video

How to remove stains from shoes

When removing stains from patent leather, be careful, otherwise you risk damaging the product. Most shoe cleaning operations can be done at home.

1. Stubborn marks from a ballpoint pen can be easily washed off using a mixture of glycerin and ammonia, taken in equal proportions, applied to the stained area for 5–10 minutes. This method is only suitable for light-colored shoes.
2. For dark shoes: dissolve a teaspoon of salt in 0.5 cups of water, add 3-5 drops of detergent. Leave until completely dry. Apply thick cream or Vaseline for 3 minutes. Remove the remains with dry cotton wool.
3. To clean the varnish surface from glue, you need to carefully file it off with a nail file, and wipe off the remainder with the soft side of an eraser.
4. Remove water-based paints and fresh stains with a damp cloth.
5. For oil paint stains, use sunflower oil. It needs to be moistened, then gently rub off the paint layer in a circular motion.
6. Cured paint can be removed with nail polish remover without acetone, after first assessing the safety on an inconspicuous area of ​​the coating.

Shoes made of any material require regular care, including patent leather. Wear it carefully and keep it clean. And then a pair of your favorite shoes will delight you for many more seasons.

Daily care rules

After a walk, shoes should be wiped with a suede or velor cloth. To prevent dampness, shoes and boots are filled with newspapers. Place shoes in a warm place to dry. It is desirable that there are no problems with ventilation. The use of electric dryers is strictly prohibited. This will negatively affect the glossy finish of the chrome leather.

Patent leather should not be polished using shoe polish. Instead, you can use castor oil, petroleum jelly or glycerin. This prevents creases and cracks. Dry cleaning is carried out using cotton pads. The use of hard brushes, cloths and sponges is not recommended. This will cause scratches.

Tooth powder or paste

Black stripes can be easily removed with toothpaste or powder. These products have whitening effects and make shoes more well-groomed.

Cleaning sneakers with this method is not difficult. You don't even have to make any special effort.

Just take a toothbrush, apply a little toothpaste to it (don't put too much, it will slip off your shoes and fall off more than it stays on), scrub gently with the brush.

After removing the black stripes, remove the remaining product with water and a cloth. The toothpaste foams a little but comes off quickly. There is no use in scrubbing off black stripes with shoe polish. This product does not help remove stains.

But if you're in a hurry and don't have time to get rid of dark spots, take shoe polish and just cover up the dirt. This will help hide the stained area.

Only in the evening be sure to remove the dirt. Otherwise, new spots will appear later, and this will take a lot of time.

Features of care depending on the season of the year

The list of mandatory measures includes regular cleaning and washing. Caring for patent leather shoes is not difficult; when processing at home, several important nuances should be taken into account. Among them, special attention is paid to the time of year.

Winter boots made of patent leather will not be worth the money spent if they are worn in severe frost. Lacquered sandals are unlikely to withstand wear in regions with extremely hot climates. The best time to wear shoes and ankle boots is in the spring and fall.

If it is raining or slushy outside, it is recommended to treat patent leather shoes with an impregnation containing silicone before going outside. This ingredient has water-repellent properties.

Salamander Kombi-Color

Suitable for all types and colors of patent leather. Country of origin: Germany. The main active ingredient is silicone.

Regular use of the colorless cream provides a triple effect:

Instructions for use:

• squeeze a little cream onto the cloth;
• polish the surface to a shine.

Tips and tricks for the future

Patent leather shoes are made from lame leather. A glossy shine appears after it is treated with a special substance. It gives products softness, smoothness and visual appeal. When purchasing such shoes, you should pay attention to their quality. Blistering, uneven color distribution, insufficient stretchability are signs of a manufacturing defect.

To remove dust and street dirt, you need to use gentle methods. If worn regularly, patent leather products should be cared for daily. Polishing is carried out using a sponge or cotton swab. We must not forget that the material does not tolerate pressure. Otherwise, deformation cannot be avoided.

Restore shine

To add shine, the bag should be regularly lubricated with Vaseline or glycerin. Leatherette products are wiped with a soapy solution, and then immediately with a soft cloth. To “revitalize” the white bag, milk mixed with a chicken egg is used. It is useful to wipe the tarnished surface with orange peel.

Sometimes the bag starts to smell bad. In order to get rid of this, you will need natural coffee, but it can only be used on dark-colored products. The grains are poured onto the surface and left overnight. Afterwards the coffee is thrown away.

The water remaining after cooking rice also helps get rid of the unpleasant odor. It needs to be cooled and wiped over the entire varnished surface. Then make a weak solution of vinegar (per 1 liter of water, 1 tablespoon of 9% vinegar) and wipe the bag with it.

How to store it correctly

Patent leather shoes are usually worn in one season. Therefore, the service life depends on how it is stored. The rules are quite simple:

1. Before putting away your shoes, you need to clean them of all existing dirt and dry them well.
2. Shoes should be stuffed with material that has absorbent properties.
3. To prevent the product from losing its shape, you need to use blocks made of wood.
4. It is recommended to place patent leather shoes in special fabric bags. You can make the covers yourself. The main condition is the softness of the material used.

To restore the shine to boots, ankle boots and shoes before the start of the new season, they need to be wiped with glycerin. It is removed from the surface of products using a soft cloth.

Proper care of patent leather shoes is a guarantee that they will look impressive and neat, regardless of their service life.

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Removing stains

It is prohibited to use any solvents or alcohol to clean the varnish surface. They cause the stain to spread wider and become even more firmly embedded in the material.

A method that will not only clean the surface, but also prevent patent leather shoes from getting wet and dirty is as follows:

1. Take 1 tbsp. lie sugar and grind into powder.
2. Add 1 egg white to the powdered sugar.
3. Mix the ingredients well.
4. Apply the resulting mixture to clean shoes and polish using a piece of wool.

Thanks to this treatment, the protein will fill the slightest cracks and create a protective film.

If patent leather shoes are heavily soiled, you can wash them. To do this, prepare a soap solution, soak a rag in it, wring it out and gently wipe the shoes. Wipe up any remaining soap with a clean, damp cloth. Repeat this procedure several times to prevent unsightly stains from appearing later. Dry your boots well.

Wearing rules

Patent leather shoes require special attention. There are some rules on how to care for patent leather shoes that differ from the rest.

• She cannot tolerate sudden changes in temperature and reacts sharply to them. Patent leather boots are not worn at temperatures below five degrees below zero. At low temperatures, the varnish cracks and wrinkles, and at too high temperatures, it melts.
• Do not wear patent leather boots in wet, rainy weather. They become deformed and lose their shape. Boots soaked in varnish tend to stretch and are completely unsuitable for a snowy winter.
• The varnished surface does not allow air to pass through well. So don't be surprised if your feet smell bad.
• Never leave it in the sun. The surface of your shoes will simply melt.
• Store your boots in such a way that they do not touch each other.
• Boots should be put on in advance. Ten minutes before leaving, walk around the apartment in your boots so that they warm up and fit on your feet.

By following these simple rules, you can preserve the varnish product for a long time. But even with careful treatment, careful shoe care cannot be avoided. There are many secrets and tricks that can give already worn items a fresh look.

First of all, you should choose the right cream. The one you are using is not suitable for varnished surfaces. Dust and dirt are removed with a damp cloth. Do not use a brush with rough bristles. Once every three weeks, wipe the surface with vegetable oil and wipe it thoroughly so that there is no thick, sticky layer left for dust to stick to. To remove dullness and add shine, the surface is wiped with a fresh onion, cut in half.

As a rule, patent leather shoes are not cleaned before going outside, but rather after walking. This way, you can get rid of dirt and at the same time protect the delicate surface from damage.

Refined vegetable oils

Oils will give the skin elasticity and protect it from water. You can use any available purified oils of vegetable origin, for example, castor, olive, soybean or the most common - sunflower.

Castor

Castor oil is spread over the surface of the shoe using a sponge, left for half an hour to absorb, and then polished. The product is also used to prevent the appearance of wrinkles.

Soy

Soybean oil is used to impregnate leather shoes in its pure form, or a cream is prepared on its basis by adding lanolin and beeswax. The varnished surface is coated with the product for half an hour, after which the excess is wiped off with a soft cloth and polished.

Olive

Apply olive oil in an even layer to a dust-free and dried surface using a cotton pad. The material is soaked for at least 10 minutes, after which the excess product is washed off and the surface is polished.

Types of material

To better understand how to keep products made from this material in order, you must first understand which type it belongs to:

1. Natural.
2. Artificial.
3. Oiled or nubuck oil.

Natural

Made from the skin of large animals. Due to its strength and pleasant soft surface, it is used, in addition to shoes, for covering furniture. Here are a few features of nubuck:

1. Breathability.
2. Strength.
3. Resistant to moisture.
4. Resistant to deformation and scratches.

Quality depends greatly on the manufacturer. In Asian countries, the “doubling” method is widely used, when the skin is pulled onto a drum, saturated with steam and stretched 1.5-2 times. Then they are fixed, treated with special chemical compounds and dried. This reduces the cost of raw materials, but impairs its strength and wear resistance. In addition, the pores of the “stretched” material quickly become clogged with dust, making it very difficult to clean. You can take such shoes if you do not expect large loads on them.

If possible, you should give preference to good European brands that do not use such “technologies”.

Artificial

Artificial nubuck, or eco-nubuck, looks very similar to natural nubuck, but costs several times less. Synthetic material has the following properties:

1. High wear resistance.
2. Environmentally friendly.
3. Low maintenance requirements.
4. The moisture resistance of artificial nubuck is much higher than that of “real” boots.
5. Poor air permeability, which affects the comfort and health of the feet.

Oil

Nubuck-oil, or oiled (greased) nubuck, is treated with special fats after tanning. As a result of this treatment, the soft velvety texture is lost, but moisture-repellent properties appear. Hydrophobic nubuck is heavier than usual and looks more wet.

Material properties:

1. Complete protection from moisture.
2. It requires virtually no maintenance, can withstand high loads, and has a long service life.
3. The cost is quite high, although it corresponds to the quality.

Impregnation

Clean patent leather shoes must be impregnated with special products. This is necessary to prevent dryness and to prevent the varnish from cracking.

When purchasing a product in a store, you should pay attention to its composition. Impregnation with silicone is not recommended for patent leather, as it can hide the glossy shine

Products containing lanolin or glycerin are suitable.

At home, you can use improvised means to impregnate the skin. For this purpose, you can use petroleum jelly, glycerin, full-fat milk, castor or olive oil.

You can also prepare a special mixture. To do this you need:

• mix the yolk of a chicken egg with 3 tablespoons of turpentine and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil;
• moisten a cotton pad with the resulting solution;
• treat the skin;
• wait 15 minutes;
• remove excess product with a soft cloth.

The main thing is not to rub in the impregnation with a brush, as in this case scratches on the leather surface cannot be avoided.

After impregnation, you need to polish patent leather shoes to a shine using flannel or other soft cloth.