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How to quickly clean your shoes with what you have on hand
Cloth sandals, leather sandals or sneakers – there are subtleties everywhere.
How many pairs of shoes are in your closet? I only have nine in the hallway. Although three people live in the apartment. And this is not a whim, but a necessity: for different weather, for different purposes you need different shoes. Well, the shoes, in turn, need care.
Cloth shoes
Sandals, ballet flats, shoes, even boots – textiles are multitasking, comfortable and beautiful. But it happens that he is whimsical in leaving. Cloth shoes cannot be machine washed, although this may seem like a good idea at first glance. Leather insoles will not tolerate such treatment, and the glue on which the details of the sandals are planted cannot be machine washed for sure.
Step 1. Scrub the shoe with a dry soft brush to remove dust. A paper towel will also work. Dust needs to be brushed off, not rubbed.
Step 2. Dissolve some dishwashing liquid in two glasses of water.
Step 3. Soak a toothbrush in the solution and gently brush it over the fabric. Try to brush in the direction of the weave and not get too wet. Treat the entire surface evenly to avoid stains.
Step 4. Dampen a disposable cloth or paper towel with water and pat your shoes with it to remove any soap. Several such procedures will be needed until the surface is clean.
Step 5. Blot the shoes with a dry cloth and air dry. Do not expose your shoes to direct sunlight or place them near heat sources – they should dry naturally. If the shoes have a sock, stuff them with dry newspapers.
Important: for shoes made of velvet fabric such as velor, wet cleaning is contraindicated. It should be cleaned with a dry brush, and the dirt should be treated with a dry cleaning agent.
Leather shoes
She is reliable, but also finicky. With proper care, your beloved couple will serve you for years.
Method 1. Any leather – and patent, and ordinary, and artificial – favorably treats processing with vinegar solution. You need to dilute the vinegar with water, taking them in equal parts, and gently wipe the shoes to get rid of stains and streaks.
Method 2. To get rid of scratches and scuffs on natural leather, you need to moisten a soft cloth with water, dip it in baking soda and gently rub the scuffs. Then remove the residue with a clean cloth, let it dry and polish. In the case of artificial and patent leather, petroleum jelly will help.
Suede and nubuck shoes
A suede pair is a true decoration of any wardrobe. It looks exquisite, but is very capricious in leaving: it easily clings to any dirt, absorbs, and is extremely reluctant to part with stains. Suede and nubuck are only suitable for dry weather. Every time you come home, these shoes need to be cleaned with a special brush to remove street dust. And stains must be removed as quickly as possible.
Method 1. Scratches and scuffs can be removed with an eraser: just carefully go over the defects with an elastic band. Then the surface must be “laid” with a brush.
Method 2. If you suddenly planted an oil stain on your shoes (street dust, by the way, can also be oily), then sprinkle it with cornstarch or baby talcum powder. Shake off the powder after two hours, repeat the procedure if necessary. And then brush your shoes.
Method 3. If the shoes do get wet, they should be blotted with a dry cloth or paper towel, trying to absorb as much moisture as possible. And then dry the shoes in the air, avoiding direct sunlight and heat sources.
Cork and rope shoes
More often than not, the shoes themselves are made of cork and twine, but the braiding of the sole. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t need care.
Here’s the recipe: four glasses of water, a quarter glass of vinegar, a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. We mix everything thoroughly and clean the shoes with this solution with a toothbrush. Try not to wet the material too much, and you only need to move the brush in one direction so that the rope braid does not turn into a washcloth. Remove the remaining soap with a paper towel dipped in water and leave the shoes to dry.
Sport shoes
With current technology, sneaker care is pretty straightforward: it can be machine washed if it has a special mode. And it is on almost all typewriters. Important: before washing, you need to remove the laces and insoles – put them in a special washing bag. In addition, residual soil or sand from the sole must be washed off by hand. And if there are stains, wipe them off with a stain remover. You need to dry sports shoes only at room temperature – they cannot stand overheating.