How to care for leather and all other types of shoes

Home / Care

Back

Published: 06/08/2021

Reading time: 2 min

3

24

Shoes are one of the important items of clothing for every person. In order for it to serve for a long time without losing its appearance, proper care is required. The stores offer a large number of shoe care products. They can be used to clean any material. The main thing is to choose the right cleaning and storage method.

• 1 General care rules
• 2 Genuine leather 2.1 Smooth
• 2.2 Textured
• 2.3 Varnished

General care rules

In order to extend the life of your favorite sneakers, you must adhere to the general rules for shoe care:

1. Buy a pair that is just the right size. The correct size helps maintain the appearance. When you buy shoes that are too loose or, conversely, too tight, they quickly become deformed, the shape changes, the material stretches and may crack, the seams are subject to heavy loads, and in some cases they may come apart. In this case, even the use of expensive care products will not help maintain the same appearance.
2. Wear shoes suitable for the weather. Suede does not tolerate slush or moisture, but leather does not tolerate severe frosts.
3. Care products are used only for their intended purpose, strictly following all recommendations prescribed in the instructions.
4. Dry your boots using a commercial dryer or in natural conditions; you should not resort to using heating or other improvised devices. Such drying can lead to disturbances in the structure of the material.
5. It is better to clean and treat the boots at the end of the day so that the product has time to be absorbed. In the morning, the boots can be polished to a shine.

For nutrition and polishing

The materials used to make footwear tend to dry out. For this reason, they require food. For this purpose, you can use cream, balm, lotion, conditioner. It is better to apply the product not with a sponge, but with a special brush (non-rigid) or a piece of cloth. After the material has dried, you need to start polishing. For this purpose, polishing wax, which has water-repellent properties, is widely used. Nutrition and polishing products will help maintain the original appearance of boots for as long as possible.

Cream

The offered shoe creams are thick (based on organic solvents) and liquid (emulsion). The first ones are best used in bad weather. They are suitable for products made of thick genuine leather. The latter are most effective in the warm season. They contain fewer solvents, which are replaced by water. Liquid shoe polish is ideal for an elegant pair of shoes made of thin leather. Compared to oily, thick formulations, it has a lower level of protection, but it provides long-lasting shine. Popular options:

• Collonil Nano Cream. An innovative product with nanoparticles. Cares for footwear, protecting them from deep dirt. Contains beeswax. Has a pleasant smell, suitable for Hi-Tech materials. Price – 546 RUR/50 ml.

• High Shine Niki Line. Liquid cream-gloss for smooth skin. Nourishes, maintains elasticity and at the same time protects from drying out. Sold in a bottle with a sponge. Price – 410 RUR/75 ml.

• Salamander Wetter Schutz. Cream with natural beeswax, intended for the care of smooth leather products. Intensively nourishes, renews color and keeps the material soft and elastic. Adds additional shine. Has water-repellent properties. Price – 149 rub./100 g.

• Kiwi Shoe Polish. Designed for the care of smooth leather products. The composition contains a unique wax from Carnauba palm leaves, which provides intensive care, nutrition, protects against water, and gives lasting shine. Sold in a metal can. Price – 55 rub./60 g.

• Kari. Helps restore the original color and adds shine without polishing. Contains palm wax. Available in black and brown colors. Price – 99 RUR/75 ml.

Wax

On sale in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities there are products for the care of women's and men's shoes in the form of wax. If you impregnate the material of the products with this composition, it will help them survive the vagaries of the weather and maintain an impeccable appearance. Shoe wax softens and cares for natural leather, protecting it from damage. The components included in the composition will protect the boots from drying out and give their surface smoothness and shine. High-quality wax can replace two leather care products at once: cream, water-repellent spray . A few examples:

• Saphir Amiral Gloss. Polishing polish, which contains hard waxes, fats, and oils. Created specifically to give a pair of shoes a mirror shine. Before polishing, it is recommended to thoroughly clean the surface with special creams. It can be black or colorless. Price – 700 RUR/50 ml.

• Saphir Pate de Luxe. Polishing wax that is ideal for high-gloss polishing of footwear products. It is a complex of mixtures based on carnauba wax, turpentine, beeswax and other components. Deeply impregnates leather material, renews color, softens, gives intense shine, water-repellent properties. Price – 550 RUR/50 ml.

• Saphir Mirror Gloss. Polishing wax based on waxes, oils, resins. Gives boots, shoes and other items shine. Available in black. Price – 1400 RUR/75 ml.

Colorless shoe wax Twist

• How to apply makeup correctly
• Maltodextrin - what is it, benefits and harm. Composition of maltodextrin
• Medicines for high blood pressure - a list of effective medicines

Genuine Leather

It is very important to properly care for leather shoes. Care should be regular and include several main stages:

• Cleaning. For this procedure, you can use various soft materials: fabric, brushes, felt, sponges. You should not apply great physical force so as not to damage the material. If you clean leather shoes after each wear, you will be able to avoid stubborn stains that will be more difficult to remove.
• The washing up. You can wash your boots only if the previous method could not cope with the dirt. There is a small reminder so as not to spoil your shoes while washing: first remove the laces, insoles and other parts that are removable; Wash your boots with a slightly damp cloth and be sure to dry them. Washing in an automatic machine is unacceptable, it can lead to deformation.
• Drying. After cleaning or washing, wipe the boots with a dry cloth, you can put a little crumpled paper inside, it will absorb excess moisture and at the same time help maintain its shape.
• Special means. It is imperative to treat new leather shoes before wearing them. Impregnation with special creams and care products will help create a protective layer on the surface of the material and extend its service life. Some impregnations add shine and restore color.

Important! During drying, only white paper should be placed in the white steam to avoid staining and color changes. Do not use bleaches or solvents to remove stains from this pair.

Under no circumstances should you use aggressive agents such as gasoline, kerosene, acetic acid, or mineral solvents for cleaning. Their use may irreversibly damage the material. The skin will lose its properties and color, and may absorb an unpleasant odor, which will be very difficult to remove at home.

Each type of leather requires its own care, due to the nature of the material.

Smooth

The most practical type of material. Despite this, it requires special care, which includes complete cleaning of dirt and previous care products, application of special impregnations and creams that match the color of the boots.

Textured

Textured shoes are best cleaned with a soft brush. Winter care includes lubricating boots with shoe wax or cream, which can protect the material from the aggressive effects of frost.

Dry only at room temperature.

Varnished

Do not use hard sponges or brushes, as they may damage the varnish. For cleaning, use only special soft products, regularly moisturize your shoes with special wax to prevent cracking of the leather.

What does shoe care include?

First of all, you need to put on your shoes with the help of a horn; you cannot take off your shoes or boots with one foot resting on the other.
Let's talk about other stages of care in more detail. Cleaning. Any shoes should be cleaned immediately after returning home so that dirt does not dry on the soles and spoil the appearance. You need to wash it quickly so that it does not get wet; excess moisture harms any material.

Cleaning recommendations are as follows:

• remove the insoles and laces, dry them separately;
• dry shoes or boots, providing access to the soles (the drying process lasts at least 24 hours);
• minor dirt is removed with a brush or a damp cloth, and then dry;
• if you don’t have special tools at hand, you can quickly rinse under running water;
• the cream must match the material and its shade; it is best to apply the composition at night so that it is completely absorbed;
• the next day it is enough to polish the surface;
• Wipe the inner surface regularly to avoid the appearance of fungus;
• the sole should be lubricated with vegetable oil (prevents drying out and cracking).

Important! It is prohibited to use aggressive detergents containing chlorine. Also, you cannot clean the surface with a silicone sponge - they are impregnated with a special compound that harms leather and suede.

Secrets of cleaning different materials:

• Genuine leather is cleaned immediately to prevent dirt from drying out. Wet and dry wipes, running water or soap solution are used if the contamination is severe.
• Textiles and synthetics are cleaned with a soft brush (you can use a sponge). Textile sports sneakers are washed in warm water (not higher than +35 degrees), after which they need to be rinsed thoroughly.
• It is more difficult to care for nubuck and suede; they can only be cleaned in a dry state using metal, rubberized tools. For treatment, special impregnations and aerosols are used; after application, the surface is wiped with a suede stone, then combed in one direction. For additional protection, apply a water-repellent compound to suede or nubuck once a month.

Interesting fact! Shiny areas can be rubbed with bread crumbs, salt or part of a matchbox with sulfur. Brown suede can be rubbed with coffee grounds, and smoking over a candle will help restore the presentation of black suede. It is best to straighten the pile over steam.

• Plastic boots are cleaned with Vaseline for a beautiful shine and protection from cracks.
• Black satin shoes just need to be wiped with a cotton swab dipped in strong coffee.
• Felt boots are cared for using a stiff brush or sandpaper.
• Felt is treated with talcum powder.

Good to know! If shoes have not been used for a long time, they can easily be restored to their attractive appearance. Lacquered leather is rubbed with Vaseline, leather with glycerin, rubber with vegetable oil.

Drying. Basic Rules:

• dry away from heat sources only at room temperature;
• Place the pads inside; if they are not there, use plain paper.

To keep the shoes soft, after drying they need to be treated with Vaseline, and after a few hours - with shoe polish.

At what temperature should you dry shoes made of different materials?

Important! Wash your insoles regularly - this is a necessary disinfection and an important stage of care.

Polishing and impregnation. Waxes, creams, and aerosols are used for polishing. The main goal is to give the surface a rich shade and shine. The product is distributed with a brush (the best choice is a brush with natural bristles). Then rub the surface with a dry cloth. Another method of polishing is to treat the surface with cream, apply a little water and rub with a cotton napkin. For impregnation, products with a water-repellent effect are used.

Processing agents. All natural materials are sensitive to chemical components. Using low-quality products, be prepared that your shoes will lose performance over time: strength, elasticity, texture. In addition, the wax protects the seams from getting wet even without the use of an aerosol.

Important! The optimal choice, according to experts, is colorless wax with a natural composition. Please note that the composition must contain beeswax or mink oil.

Before application, please read the instructions carefully. The cream is applied to the dried surface with a brush (sponge). It will take at least half an hour for absorption, but it is better to leave the shoes overnight.

Since it is not recommended to wet the skin frequently, it is necessary to wash it with soapy water after 2-3 treatments with cream (it is applied every day).

A few recommendations:

• for processing, a product is selected for a specific material;
• if the shoes are multi-colored, use a toothbrush to treat different areas;
• to care for light-colored shoes, choose a colorless cream;
• The skin should not be lubricated with Vaseline or vegetable oil, as a result the material will become dull.

Good to know! Experts do not recommend cleaning shoes in shopping centers using automatic brushes, since the bristles of the brushes are most likely synthetic and the cream is of low quality.

Storage. Before storage, shoes must be disinfected from the inside. It is best to purchase special pads; they prevent deformation. If there are no lasts, stuff the shoes with paper so that there are no wrinkles on the surface.

The storage area must be regularly ventilated to prevent the formation of mold and mildew. You cannot use plastic boxes or plastic bags for storage - without access to oxygen, the material becomes dull and hard.

Nubuck and suede

Shoes made of nubuck or suede are no different in care. It also requires careful removal of contaminants. The main advantage of these materials over leather is that they are not afraid of moisture. Suede boots can be cleaned using various liquid products and soft brushes. Remains of the soap solution can be removed with a dry cloth and the shoes can be left to dry naturally at room temperature.

Important! After nubuck or suede shoes are dry, they need to be brushed with a special brush.

Don't leave your shoes dirty

Minor dirt and dust can be wiped off with a soft cloth (for example, from an old cotton T-shirt) or removed with a sponge slightly moistened with warm water.

Nikita Zakharov

It is important to do this after every wear: leather is a porous material and quickly absorbs dirt, which is then very difficult to clean.

If you get your leather boots seriously dirty, clean them as soon as you get home. Otherwise, dirt may become embedded in the surface of the shoe, and this will lead to the formation of permanent stains. Use a damp cloth to remove the most obvious unwanted elements from the surface, including raindrops and snow.

Then wash your shoes with the same soft cloth or sponge soaked in soapy water. Even better, use a special cleaning shampoo or skin foam.

All this does not apply to suede shoes: after returning home, you just need to blot them with a clean towel and place them in a well-ventilated place where there is no humidity. Clean suede with a special brush and only dry it.

Leatherettes

Faux leather boots do not tolerate slush and dirt. These shoes are best worn in dry frosts. Despite this, caring for artificial materials also requires following basic steps. When processing it is necessary to use special creams for eco-leather.

Author:

Zakharova Nina Afanasyevna

I hope you like my article! If you find any shortcomings, just write to me about it! I am always ready for a conversation and will answer any questions you have, ask them!