Caring for patent leather shoes at home
Patent leather is one of the hottest trends this season. Starting from hats, gloves, bags and ending with shoes. Lacquer inserts are seen in the collections of almost all fashion designers around the world. So why not learn traditional skin care recipes? Read below.
Softener for patent leather shoes
Patent leather shoes immediately attract attention, which is why they should look 100%. And besides, without proper care, patent leather shoes tend to dry out and become hard. Make a natural softener from regular lemon juice!
Composition and proportions:
Preparation:
Squeeze lemon juice immediately before softening patent leather. You will also need a piece of lint-free cloth. Rub lemon juice into patent leather. When dry, wipe the leather with a soft cloth and buff vigorously.
Restorer for patent leather shoes
To restore patent leather shoes naturally, use heavy cream. Almost the same ingredients as for face masks or recipes for pleasant beauty baths!
Composition and proportions:
Preparation:
Mix cream and linseed oil, moisten a soft cloth with the mixture and rub the skin until shiny.
Protecting ski and hunting boots
People who are interested in skiing or hunting certainly have special clothes and shoes for these activities. To keep skiers and hunters' feet always dry, they must protect their boots from getting wet.
They carefully cover the soles and tops of hunting and ski boots. If you often have to walk in swampy areas, then prepare a water-repellent cream for rubber boots using the same recipe, adding another 100 g of castor oil.
Do not neglect the old, proven methods of preparing shoe polish yourself, because it often turns out to be much better and safer than factory products. This way you will certainly be able to protect your feet from hypothermia, and your shoes from damage!
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Water repellent cream
To protect your shoes from the harmful effects of the environment, and thus extend the life of your favorite shoes, boots or boots, use a protective or water-repellent shoe cream.
There are several recipes that allow you to prepare a water-repellent shoe care product at home.
Recipe 1
Recipe 2
Recipe 3
A water-repellent cream made using one of these simple recipes will be a good substitute for the products sold in stores. This way you'll know what you're putting on your shoes or boots without worrying about damaging the leather.
If you are afraid that your boots may get wet in rainy weather, do this: soak leather shoes in a solution of sulfur soap, taken in large quantities, for a day. After drying, your boots will become softer and will not let moisture through, even if you have to walk in the rain. To consolidate the result, lubricate the boots with water-repellent cream.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Beeswax for Shoes
Interesting to know.
Wax can be stored for hundreds of years without losing its properties, which is why in the old days it was even used instead of money. Wax is a beekeeping product. It is a yellowish-brown mass with a slight honey smell. Self-prepared shoe polish based on beeswax has a number of advantages, namely:
- Has a water-repellent effect. It does not allow moisture to penetrate inside, so in rainy or snowy weather you don’t have to worry about your feet getting wet.
- Prevents skin cracking. The material does not dry out in hot weather and does not harden in cold weather.
- Prevents the formation of unpleasant odors and salt stains.
- Levels the surface of a leather product, filling minor cracks, scratches, and other mechanical damage.
- Gives a natural shine to the leather, making the shoes look like new.
- A colorless beeswax-based cream can be used for products of any color.
- Suitable for use with both leather and leatherette pairs.
Wax is a white or yellowish substance produced by young bees to build honeycombs.
The wax does not dissolve and does not sink in water, but from the heat it becomes soft, like plasticine, and very pleasant to the taste and touch. As for the disadvantages of wax, it should be noted that it is not suitable for products not made from leather - suede, nubuck, fabric.
Liquid creams
Liquid shoe creams or dressings are colored aqueous, alkaline solutions of shellac that are applied to the leather with a brush or sponge and which dry to a superior gloss.
The container in which the dressing is prepared must be copper or well-tinned; Under no circumstances should the solution come into contact with iron. The dressing should also not be stored in tins, since when combined with iron, shellac will separate from the solution in the form of flakes.
The water used to prepare the dressing should not be hard, but it is better to use distilled water.
Recipe
The dressing is prepared as follows: potash is dissolved in a copper cauldron, then shellac is gradually added to the boiling solution. Saponification occurs quickly, and when all the shellac has dissolved, the shellac wax is allowed to cool and float to the surface.
The wax is removed by filtering or simply removed with a spoon.
Then add the required amount of water-soluble aniline paint to the still hot solution and stir thoroughly until the paint disperses.
Since the dressing can become moldy during long-term storage, it is useful to add a small amount of formaldehyde.
The dressing is poured into glass bottles, and a sponge is attached to the stopper using copper (not iron) wire, with which the dressing is spread on the shoes.
Here are a few tested finishes:
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How to make beeswax cream with your own hands?
To prepare your own colorless cream, you need to take the following ingredients:
- beeswax – 50 grams;
- turpentine – 100 ml.
Did you know that people used to think that bees collected wax from flowers?
But bees actually produce their own wax. There is a special gland on the bee's belly - a wax gland. It consists of plates called mirrors. The wax should be grated on a fine grater - you should get about 3 tablespoons of dust. Place in a metal container and place in a water bath to melt. Turpentine must be heated by placing it in a container with warm water.
You need to gradually pour the melted bee product into the turpentine, stirring constantly. If all proportions and actions are followed correctly, you should get a homogeneous mass of a yellowish tint, which will harden after cooling. Then the cream for leather shoes, boots, boots is considered ready.
A DIY beeswax based shoe polish can be perfected for use on black leather. To do this you will need the following components:
- beeswax – 25 grams;
- rosin - 8 grams;
- soot;
- turpentine – 130 grams.
Interesting facts about beeswax.
The wax does not allow any microbe to get inside the honeycomb, so the honey and pollen in the wax cells always remain fresh. The bees seal the honeycombs with lids on top so that air does not get into the products and they do not spoil. The crushed bee product and rosin need to be melted in a water bath. Once the ingredients begin to melt, stir them constantly with a wooden spoon. When the mixture becomes homogeneous, it is necessary to remove the container from the heat, add soot and turpentine. Mix all ingredients well. After the product has hardened, you can begin to use it.
The creamy texture of shoe products is no less effective than the waxy texture. It is much more convenient to use, and the appearance of leather products will be excellent.
How to use homemade shoe polish
To prevent the composition from drying out, it is important to store and use it correctly. Here are some tips:
- store in a closed container with a tight-fitting lid;
- avoid exposure to direct sunlight;
- store in a dry, well-ventilated area.
It is recommended to use shoe polish even before you put it on for the first time. This will help protect it from dust and dirt.
For summer shoes, it is better to choose liquid creams, but for winter shoes, products with a thick texture are perfect.
Before applying the cream, it is important that the shoes are clean and completely dry. Also, for each color, determine your sponge or brush. This will help maintain the original shade.
Is it possible to inherit gold?
The most comfortable shoes in the world
The principle of applying wax to different types of shoes
If you need to protect your favorite boots or shoes from high humidity in order to extend their service life, you can prepare a special water-repellent wax cream.
You can use a cream based on a beekeeping product for both summer and winter shoes. The main thing is that it is a product made of leather or leatherette. Instructions for use:
- the mixture is evenly applied to the shoes; for this you should use a foam sponge or a velvet cloth;
- the product must be left overnight;
- In the morning, polish the surface with velvet cloth to give the shoes an attractive look.
The procedure should be repeated once a week.
The product does not need to be left overnight. You can polish the surface with wax for 15 minutes. This will help create a protective film.
Moisture-repellent wax cream can be an excellent alternative to chemical products sold in hardware stores.
In this case, you will know for sure that your favorite shoes are under reliable protection. If you use pure wax to process leather products, the procedure becomes a little more complicated:
- Apply the melted product to the surface using a clean towel; the seams should also be treated;
- the product gradually begins to turn white;
- for the best effect, the composition must melt on the surface; for this you need to use a propane torch;
- after melting, the wax is absorbed into the shoes, then they should be thoroughly polished;
- excess product should remain in the seams.
The result will be stunning - shoes or boots take on a new look, and the wax impregnation has a water-repellent effect.
Caring for suede shoes - the best folk remedies
Shoes made of natural suede are a source of pride for their owners. But you need to know the rules for caring for it, because suede needs constant maintenance of its appearance due to its velvety delicate structure.
Removing stains from suede shoes
Stains on suede shoes can be removed with fine-grit sandpaper. And for protection and care, use this spray with fruit vinegar.
Composition and proportions:
Preparation:
Dilute the vinegar with water, pour into a spray bottle and spray on your shoes. Let dry, then scrub with a wire suede brush to lift the lint.
Protecting suede shoes from moisture
Prepare a fruit vinegar spray as in the previous recipe and add regular glycerin.
Composition and proportions:
Delicate care for white leather shoes
It’s actually as easy as shelling pears, because every housewife has these components in her kitchen! In addition to nutrition, this composition has protective and appearance-refreshing functions for white leather shoes. Periodically pamper your white shoes with this composition, and they will delight you with their beauty for much longer.
Composition and proportions:
Preparation:
Mix the protein with milk and apply a small layer to the skin using a piece of soft cloth. Leave the mixture on the shoes until the morning, and then polish with a soft brush or flannel.
