How to clean leather sandals

Video: Full cleaning and maintenance of Leather Sandal

Content

Part 2 of 3: Removing odor
Part 3 of 3: Preventing Stains and Dirt on Sandals
Tips
Warnings
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1 Determine the types of contaminants to be cleaned. Skin blemishes and discoloration can occur for a variety of different reasons, so the first step is to identify the source of the problem before proceeding to fix it.

It is not uncommon for leather sandals to develop stains and streaks from contact with water, which look unpresentable, but in fact are not contamination. They can be removed quickly with a one-to-one solution of white wine vinegar and water. This solution slightly moistens the affected skin areas. The same solution helps to remove salt stains on winter leather shoes. Be careful not to get your skin too wet.
Stained sandals can carry a variety of contaminants, from traces of dirt to deeper stains from oil, wine and other liquids. To properly clean your leather sandals, you need to determine the type of dirt and the desired results after removing it. You may also want to polish or repair scratches, scuff marks, and other damage to the outer layer of your skin.
If there are only minor stains on the sandals, a liquid dish soap or hand soap will be sufficient to remove them. Refrain from using bar soap as its pH is noticeably higher than the skin's pH and will dry out your skin. To remove large or stubborn stains, try using a special leather cleaner, which you can find in shoe stores, large supermarkets, or online.

2 Remove any dried-on dirt from the sandals. Before you start cleaning your skin with a special product or moisturizing it, you must remove adhering and dried dirt from the sandals. Otherwise, you run the risk of wetting and smearing the dirt on your sandals, and it will be more difficult to remove it.

Take a soft, dry cloth or soft bristled brush (an old toothbrush is great for this) and gently brush the dirt off the surface of the shoe. Remember that soft, elastic leather is easy to scratch. If you use excessive force when removing dirt from your skin, you may leave irreparable scratches on it.

3 Wash your sandals. Moisten a clean, soft cloth and dab some liquid soap or leather cleaner on it.

Then, gently rub the stained areas of the sandals. To create foam, it is necessary to make light, uniform rubbing movements.

4 Wipe off any foam or cleaning agent residue from your skin. Use another clean, slightly damp cloth. Using it, use a circular motion to wipe off any remaining cleaning agent from the surface of the skin. They must be removed completely.

While sandals should be protected from waterlogging, it is very important to remove any cleaning agent residue from them. A damp cloth works best. If one cloth is not enough to complete the job, take another one.

5 Dry your sandals. Dry them thoroughly before wearing them. Otherwise, wet areas of the skin will immediately collect dust and dirt, from which new stains will appear on the sandals.

It is best to dry your shoes in natural sunlight, not in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can erode and crack the skin.
Do not try to dry your sandals with a simple wipe or put them on until they are completely dry.

Part 2 of 3: Removing odor

1 Use baking soda to remove bad smell from sandals. Baking soda is a natural odor remover.It costs very little, and you can buy it at almost any grocery store or supermarket.
- Place your sandals in a large zip-fastened plastic bag. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda inside the shoe, close the bag, and leave the shoe in it overnight.
- You can also try dripping 1-2 drops of lavender or sweet orange essential oil inside the shoe to give your sandals a pleasant scent. You need to drip the essential oil on top of the baking soda, not directly onto the shoes. If you use more than a few drops of essential oil, you can create additional problems for yourself, as the skin can become clammy and become more dirty.
- Be sure to clean the baking soda before putting on your shoes.
2 Try cat litter. If the baking soda fails to completely remove the odor, you can try removing it with cat litter.
- Take old nylon tights. If you do not have old tights, you can buy nylon footprints in any shoe store, which are used for trying on shoes.
- Pour a handful of cat litter into the socks of your nylon tights. If you don't have a cat, ask your friends who keep the cat for some litter. You only need two handfuls of filler, so there is no point in purchasing a whole pack for this.
- Tie up the filled pantyhose, place the resulting pouches in your shoes, and leave overnight. Cat litter is designed to absorb odors, and many brands of litter come with pleasant flavors.
3 Replace the insoles. The unpleasant odor of leather shoes is usually concentrated in the insole, as it gets dirty the most, absorbs sweat and creates conditions for the development of bacteria that emit an unpleasant odor. Replacing the insoles is often the only possible way to save the shoe.
- If your sandals have removable insoles, replace them. New insoles can be purchased at a shoe store and should be sized to fit your shoe. Try to get good quality insoles from a reliable manufacturer that are specifically designed for open shoes.
- If your sandals have a non-removable insole, you can take them to a shoe shop. The specialist will examine the shoes and in most cases will be able to cut the old insoles and sew on new ones. This step will be considered reasonable if your sandals are quite expensive and you cannot afford to buy a new pair yet, as the shoe shop will charge you a certain fee for its services.
4 Kill bacteria. The source of unpleasant odors is bacteria that thrive in the favorable conditions of dirt and sweat that build up inside the shoe. If you want to get rid of the odor, you need to kill the bacteria.
- At the end of each day, treat your sandals with shoe deodorant or a special disinfectant that kills bacteria. Look for a product to treat athletic shoes. This will have the best effect, as athletic shoes usually smell the most.
- You can also try making your own sanitizer with water, tea tree oil, and vinegar and using it to treat your shoes.
- Be sure to let your shoes dry before putting them on. In warm, dry weather, shoes can be exposed outside, but not in direct sunlight. You can also just put it in some warm place at home.

Part 3 of 3: Preventing Stains and Dirt on Sandals

1 Treat new sandals with leather shoe protection. If you bought new sandals or other leather shoes, you can immediately treat them with a water-repellent and stain-proof agent.
- To prevent the product from getting inside the shoe, fill it with crumpled newspapers before processing.
2 Keep your shoes dry. The leather begins to lose color when wet, in addition, wet shoes can provoke an unpleasant odor.
- For rainy weather, choose shoes made from artificial materials, such as flip-flops or rubber flip flops. If you want to show up in leather sandals at a special event, bring them with you so that you can change them indoors later.
- If your sandals get wet, be sure to let them dry. Place them in a warm, dry, sunlit place. However, do not leave your sandals in direct sunlight, as the leather can dry out and begin to crack. A window is a good location.
3 Do not allow dirt to enter the shoes. In hot weather, it is not uncommon for dirt, dust and sand to get into sandals. When dirt comes into contact with sweat, it forms a sticky substance with a rather unpleasant odor. This problem is exacerbated in humid climates where moisture in the air contributes to a warm, humid atmosphere inside the shoe. That is why in the summer season, even those people who usually do not suffer from an unpleasant odor from their feet may develop an unpleasant odor from shoes.
- When walking on sand (playground or beach), wear closed shoes such as tennis shoes. If you want to walk barefoot on the sand, take off your shoes and don’t put them back on until you’ve washed your feet.
- Make sure that dirt does not get inside the shoe. If dirt gets into your shoes, it will take very little time for it to become a source of unpleasant odors. This is especially true for shoes with textile insoles that are difficult to clean.
4 Practice good foot hygiene. It is quite obvious that sometimes unpleasant foot odor is the cause of unpleasant smell from shoes. The only way to combat this problem is to maintain foot hygiene.
- Wash your feet with soap and water every day after returning home from school or work, and before bed.
- Use a special anti-sweat and foot odor product that will absorb odors and reduce perspiration. You can also try starting an antiperspirant on your feet, which will mainly block sweating. To choose a quality product, try to set an appropriate search query on the Internet and read reviews.

Tips

Clean your sandals for long trips or heavy use. It is best to get rid of dirt and water stains as soon as possible. However, sandals should not be cleaned too often or just before heavy use, as the cleaning procedure is somewhat harmful to the shoe.
It's okay if your sandals will take on a slightly different color after cleaning. Skin discoloration with heavy use is a natural process. Thanks to this, over time, the leather item acquires its own individuality. If you are concerned about this, applying a skin protectant can help maintain the color of your shoes. Alternatively, you can use shoe polish to darken the skin tone a little.

Warnings

Never soak leather shoes in water. Taking proper care of your shoes means avoiding any actions that could harm them. Sometimes people begin to understand this only when they see that after long hours of wetting and scrubbing, the stains on the shoes only increase in size. Always use a moderate amount of moisture to clean your shoes and rub gently.
Some coated leathers and suede are difficult to clean at home. If you have spent a large enough amount of money on the purchase of sandals and want them to last you more than one year and keep their fresh appearance, it is wise to periodically give them to a professional cleaning.