How To Clean Leather Shoes

“These boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do, one of these days these boots are going to walk all over you.” Every time you wear those sexy leather boots, this song rings in your head. Leather boots are an indulgence, those pretty fetishes that send your confidence soaring into new heights of self assurance. A good pair of leather shoes defines your shapely legs and can be extremely sensual when worn with the right outfit. If you are a “shoe freak”, you probably already know that, and have set quite a few hearts racing with a casual strut across the bar. However, as easy as it is to wear them, leather shoes tend to soil very easily. When soiled, they lose their luster within no time and require special care while cleaning. If you want the shine on your leather shoes to last a lifetime, here are a few simple tips that you should follow. These tips ensure a long life and garner you the much-needed attention, as you swagger sensually across the room!

Tips For Cleaning Leather Shoes At Home

Leather shoes are like old wine, the older they get the better they look. This only implies that they require all that more care and protection. It is of utmost importance to remember that leather shoes need to be cleaned as soon as they get soiled. Even when not soiled, they need to be cleaned once a month. If the monthly ritual of cleaning them is not followed, then chances of fungal growth gets very high. Once leather shoes are infested by fungus, it is as good as throwing them. Hence, make sure that you give them a nice shine at least once a month.
The simplest way of cleaning leather shoes is with a soft cloth. Take a muslin cloth and clean the dirt and debris that has deposited itself on the outer and inner parts of the shoes. If your shoes have a lot of laces and, brooches or sequins, then remove each one of them. Dust your shoes entirely and make sure that they are spotless.
You can also clean your leather shoes with a cleaner. Take 1 teaspoon of saddle salt. Now, using a damp cloth, rub the mixture onto your shoes and clean them with it.
Some idiot spilt wine on your gorgeous leather shoes! Fret not, as there is an efficient way of removing that brute stain. Stubborn stains can be removed with a solution of white vinegar and water. Mix equal parts of both and dab in on the stain, as many times as required, until it vanishes.
Grease is the biggest enemy when it comes to leather. Grease stains can be removed by initially dabbing the stain with paper, so that all the oil content is absorbed. Once this is done, prepare a mixture by mixing a little ammonia with regular detergent. Wash the area that is stained and allow it to dry.
Just cleaning the leather shoes off the dirt is not important. Once the shoes are clean, you need to keep them in the right place so that they are fungus free. Shoe bags, made out of light soft fabric, are best meant for storing leather shoes. Place your shoes in these cloth bags and place them on the shelf, to keep them away from dirt and dust.
To avoid cracks on your leather shoes, polish them at least once in six months. Shoe polishes are available in four basic premixed forms—wax, paste, liquid and cream. While wax gives the shoes a glossy shine and also prevent moisture from seeping into the leather, creams and pastes add moisture to your shoe by soaking into leathers as they work. As such, the former works well with shoes which are regularly exposed, while latter serves all types of shiny or smooth leathers. Liquid shoe polish, on the other hand, is easy to apply and a quick fix solution, but like wax, it does not penetrate or condition leather.

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