The cold season is the golden time for many kinds of boots, from short to knee-high ones. Besides the task of keeping the feet warm, they also express the fashion style and character of the owner. Since they are used quite often, we have to take proper care of them.
However, even though the number of people using boots is a lot, not everyone knows how to clean and maintain them correctly. In fact, with different materials and designs, there will be different ways of preserving as well as cleaning boots to prolong their life.
If you have no ideas about the process, let’s consult the expert’s following advice on how to clean leather boots without affecting the product quality of us.
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How to preserve leather boots?
– Do not throw your boots indiscriminately
The fact that girls enjoy lining up their shoes over the house is not a good way of preserving them. The boots can not be used every season so that they are easy to get dirty, degraded, and difficult to clean.
It’s recommendable to store your “pet shoes” in the box to resist the effects of weather as well as surroundings, humidity, dust. You can cover the boots with a plastic bag first and then, put them in a box which is not too tight.
And remember before storing them in the box, clean and shape the shoes. Finally, keep the box in a cool place away from cockroaches and insects.
– Clear up stains instantly
If your shoes are sprayed with dirt, immediately clean them. Do not be lazy because that dirty spot can be quickly moldy.
When boots are dirty, the first thing you do right after getting home is take off your boot and use a brush to wipe away any dirt. For mud or stains, they are more difficult to clean, so you should use a soft towel mixing with dilute detergent or dish soap to gently clean it.
Remember to dry the boots again, as well as not to soak the shoes in the washbasin or rinse under the tap directly.
– Use spray protection/ shoe polish
To keep the shoes always beautiful, you can also refer to using specialized products. Each person should have at least a dedicated shoe protection spray, a box to re-polish the shoes.
Specialized spray shoes will help your boots get less dirty and less damaged if they are flooded. Meanwhile, if you have a pair of leather boots, you should also equip a jar of shoe polish to quickly colorize when needed.
– Don’t use boots too often
It sounds a bit funny because buying a stylish shoe, you definitely want to wear it often. But you should understand that if used too often, the shoes will also quickly deteriorate and easily fade.
If you like to keep your shoes new for a long time, take an interval between each time of use – 2 days is the most appropriate. Wait until the sweat in the boots is dry enough before continuing to use them. You can also buy more pairs to replace each other.
How to clean leather boots of different types?
1. Short leather boots
Leather is one of the most commonly used materials for boots, which is also the material that is not easy to preserve but requires meticulous attention to keep the skin fresh and beautiful.
Step 1. Wipe off the dust on shoes with a soft brush. You will need to be more meticulous with brown, beige shoes because dust will be harder to see. If your boots have shoelaces, remove them for easier cleaning.
Step 2. Wipe shoes with a damp cloth and specialized soap to clean the leather. Note to choose soft and damp, not wet towels because wet towels will drench your leather shoes.
Step 3. Use a towel soaked in skin sanitizer to rub around the boots. Be careful to scrub the surface in a circular direction, this will help remove any remaining dust on the boot.
Step 4. Wipe the shoes again with a dry cloth. Since the leather cleaning solution will soak into the skin, you don’t need to rinse it off with water.
Step 5. Then, let the boots dry naturally or use the dryer at a moderate mode. With the skin boots scratched or peeled, you can use grease or olive oil to apply in a circular direction.
2. Fur-lined leather boots
Nothing is more wonderful than putting your feet into a pair of warm fur-lined leather boots on a cold winter day. But, do you know how to take care of this fur layer yet? Let’s check the following process:
Step 1. Deodorizing first. Because of the fur lining, the inside of the boots will be quite stuffy and easy to smell. One day before cleaning shoes, sprinkle baking powder inside and leave it there overnight. Pour the dough out of your shoes the next morning to prepare for the next step.
Step 2. Moisten the towel with water and add a small amount of soap water. Gently wipe the inside of the shoe and wipe thoroughly any dirty areas deep in the toe.
Step 3. Use an old brush adding little soap to scrub on stubborn stains.
Step 4. Use a damp cloth to wipe away the soap layer.
Step 5. Dry by leaving shoes in a cool place. If you want the fur to be even more fluffy, use a hairdryer to dry it.
3. Knee-high leather boots
Long boots have a different design than the aforementioned ones. The body of the boot particularly reaches over the knee. Therefore, you not only pay attention to hygiene but also know how to keep the shape of the boots fixed.
Step 1. The knee-high leather boots can make your feet uncomfortable sometimes because the skin is hard and tight around the leg. In this case, don’t forget to moisturize your boots with a preservative made for leather materials to soften the skin.
Step 2. Always keep boots upright. You should not just put it in the closet as the boot will easily fall down, creating ugly wrinkles. You can stuff your boots with a water bottle, newspaper, or anything that doesn’t scratch the leather material.
Step 3. Boots of light colors such as gray, beige, etc., are easy to stick to dust and stains, so they need to be covered with cotton or paper when not in use.
How to clean boots of different leather materials?
Full-grain leather boots
Full-grain leather is the type of material that has not been sanded and polished to remove scratches, natural scars, mosquito bites, etc. – everything will be originally retained.
However, it’s hard to find beautiful full-grain leather with fewer scars and scratches, only about 10 – 15% on the market, therefore, the price of products made from full-grain leather is also the most expensive.
To commensurate with their high values, everyone should have a standard caring attitude, especially keeping them hygiene. A smart owner will never use silicone or liquid polishes to clean a pair of boots with this material.
Instead of that, you should use a dry cloth to gently wipe the dirt away, then blot the cloth in warm water and clean again. Finally, dry the boots – don’t let them be exposed directly to sunlight.
Patent leather boots
Patent leather is tanned, dyed, and treated like other normal leather, but its entire surface will be coated in a high gloss chemical at the final finishing step to create a bright leather patent like a mirror.
To keep them beautifully shiny, we had better use a cloth soaked with warm water and a little soap to clean frequently. In addition, using silicone spray or specialized detergent is also an effective method to clean these kinds of patent leather boots.
Oiled leather boots
To clean oily leather boots, invest in a quality cleaning product, then use a dry cloth soaked in this solution and rub the stains.
Suede boots
An interesting tip to remove dirt on suede is to use an eraser, then use a dedicated brush to brush in a single direction (up or down). With suede boots, you should never forget to spray waterproof silicone to avoid stains.
Things or products we can use to clean leather boots
Spray waterproof product
This is a solution to help you avoid problems from water seepage (especially when it rains) or when the air is humid. This product will create a slippery surface with water that prevents them from seeping into the material.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch is an extremely helpful ingredient in removing stains from grease. Specifically, rub the cornstarch on the stain, then use a soft cloth to soak with soap and scrub it again and let the stain dry naturally.
Vinegar
In addition to cooking and baking, vinegar is also very useful for cleaning objects. In this case, what you need to do first is to mix equal amounts of vinegar and water.
Then take a cloth and soak it in water and vinegar solution, then dab the cloth on the stains. Once done, let the boots air dry. In the end, to make them shinier, polish them up with a bit of olive oil.
Dish soap
If you regularly clean your leather boots, then dish soap would be the most convenient option. What you need to do is dilute the soap with a little bit of water, then use a paper towel to soak in the mixture and clean the boots.
Next, use another towel in the water to take the soap off the boots and then wipe away the water using another paper towel or tissue.
Don’t forget to take the laces out before cleaning as the cotton laces usually take more time to dry than the boot itself.
Baking soda
When your leather boots encounter small ugly scuffs or scratches, brushing these spots with baking soda will be more helpful than scrubbing with water and soap.
Use a soft damp paper towel soaked in baking soda powder to brush gently on the scratches. Then, use a dry cloth to remove the moisture.
Note:
This method works only on small, shallow scratches.
Toothpaste
Along with baking soda, you can also use toothpaste to take off scuffs from leather boots. Put a little paste on a brush, then smoothly apply it over the scratches, let it there for a few minutes. Then, use a cloth to wipe away the paste – put some pressure while removing the toothpaste from the boot surface.
Shoe conditioner
If you want your leather boots to look polished and shiny, then using the shoe conditioner is a great idea. In fact, this product is totally good at preserving the leather for a long time thanks to the waxy texture, which keeps the boots always looking new.
All you have to do is apply small amounts of conditioner all over the boots. Following this, you take a tissue to spread it around and wait until the boot’s air dries completely.
Olive oil
Another effective solution to clean leather boots is applying olive oil to your lovely boots. Olive oil is not only a cheap thing easy to find at homes but also a method that takes action quite fast. All in all, it’s a great deal for you.
Leather cleaner
Leather cleaner is something you should have at home if you own leather products. This can be used for your shoes, bags, and even leather car seats. It is especially good if you have wet leather shoes. The leather cleaner keeps them away from harm’s way. Additionally, they do a very quick job.
Final thoughts
It can be said that leather boots are a worthy purchase if you are looking for an item that can be used on multiple occasions to change your style. Moreover, easy cleaning and recovery also make this investment much more worthwhile.
With the above fast-easy-cheap ways to preserve and clean leather boots, you will make your favorite pair of leather boots last years longer if you just need to spend a little time to do that. Besides, you can easily save yourself some money by using any of these methods.
If you have any problems while doing the process, let us know so that we can help you out. Or, in case you have any new solutions on how to clean leather boots faster and more effectively, feel free to leave a comment. Thank you!