Cleaning Leather Shoes

Who doesn’t love to have a pair of nice leather shoes? Almost every one of us would be proud to possess leather shoes. They look stylish, sophisticated and let other people know that you have cultured tastes. However, it is equally important to keep your leather shoes clean to maintain its elegance. Leather shoes should be cleaned as soon as they get soiled, else they can get dry, crack, and fall apart. Not all leather qualities are the same and so are their cleaning methods. In general, leather shoes should be polished once a month to preserve their durability. To begin with your shoe cleaning regime, keep all the ingredients you will need handy. You can find all the required cleaning products in your nearby departmental store or in a local shoe shop. If you want to learn more on how to clean leather shoes, read the next few lines to come.

• To clean leather shoes, you will need a soft brush, rags, shoe polish, shoe cleaner, leather conditioner, and water proofing products.
• First remove all the dirt with a soft shoe brush. This will help you remove dirt from any cracks in the shoe.
• Use the leather cleaner to clean the leather softly. Shoe cleaners can be in gel, cream, liquid, or spray forms. Pick the one that best suits your needs. You can also use saddle soap instead.
• Allow the shoe to dry naturally once your cleaning is over.
• Take a rag and shine your shoes. You can use shoe shine cloth for this purpose. If you don’t have a shoe shine cloth, any soft cotton cloth will do, even your old shirt.
• Once your shoes dry, take a good leather conditioner to soften the leather of the shoes. Leather conditioners help in moisturizing, thus increasing the life of the shoes. Rub conditioners gently on the shoes and allow the shoe to absorb it. Then wipe off the extra conditioner off.
• Go for natural conditioners that are absorbed by the leather and penetrate inside. Synthetic conditioners do not penetrate the shoes and sit on top.
• The next step in polishing the shoes is to use a good shoe polish for the purpose. Shoe polishes are not available in a wide range of colors. Pick the one that closely resembles your shoe color.
• Rub the polish in adequate amounts and allow drying. Next, shine the shoes using a soft rag or shoe polishing brush.
• Most people ignore this step, but using a leather protectant is equally important for cleaning and caring for leather shoes.
• There are many water proofing products available in the market, choose the right one carefully.
• Waterproofing leather shoes helps to protect the leather finish and extends their lifespan. Use a beeswax protectant if your shoes stay wet for long hours. Beeswax forms a protective layer over the shoe surface and prevents the leather from absorbing water.
• If you just want to maintain the glossy finish of your shoes, you can opt for a spray protectant.
• Always remember to condition your shoes after you purchase them. This will make the leather soft on your feet.
• Remember to remove the shoe laces before cleaning your shoes. Either wash them separately or replace them if they are too worn out.
• If you don’t have enough time to clean and polish your shoes, then take a damp cloth to wipe off the dirt. Then take a dry cloth for buffing your shoes that will help bring back the shine of the shoes.