Winter shoe care tips. Folk remedies for the care of leather shoes - savings! New shoes: care and storage

23.09.2019

Frosts, high humidity and chemicals used to treat the streets in winter - all this is a real test for shoes. No matter how high-quality, branded your shoes are, they cannot do without proper care.

In winter, shoes come into contact with snow and slush a lot. Of course, moisture settles on the surface of the boots and they get wet. If the appearance of your shoes is important to you, then make sure that after each use it dries. The old tried and tested method of stuffing shoes with newspapers or napkins is really very effective. In addition, special wooden blocks are now sold on which you can dry your shoes without the risk of deforming them.

An important rule: never dry your shoes on a radiator and with the help of some external heat sources. It is enough to leave the shoes at room temperature for a while.

Dealing with salt stains

White salt stains significantly spoil the appearance of shoes. They are especially visible on models with a pile coating (suede, nubuck, velor). Such shoes, after they are completely dry, must be cleaned with a special stiff brush. In order not to spoil the structure of the coating, treat the surface first in the direction of the pile, and then against it. If stains remain after this, rub them with a soft eraser.

Leather shoes are easier to clean, just wipe them several times with a soft, damp cloth. After that, you can fix the result with a cloth soaked in a weak vinegar solution.

We use cream

Leather shoes should be prepared before each use. On a clean surface, apply a special cream. It is desirable that it contains wax and shoe polish. When the cream dries a little, treat the shoes with a water-repellent agent.

Special attention to suede

It should be borne in mind that protective equipment for shoes made of different materials is very different. Do not apply leather cream to suede. The pile coating is treated only with a special water and dirt-repellent spray.

Sole pads

Now in shoe stores there is a large selection of overlays that are attached to the sole to reduce shoe slip. Such devices are useful not only because they reduce the risk of injury, but also because they serve as additional protection for the sole, protect it from chips, cracks, and unnecessary blows.

Alternate shoes

For the winter season, it is advisable to have two or three pairs of shoes. First, different shoes will suit different outfits. Secondly, one pair of shoes may simply not have time to dry in the allotted time. That is, you simply will not be able to properly care for the shoes.

Developing a Habit

Shoe care does not take as much time as it might seem at first glance. You need to get used to doing this regularly, and then you will soon notice that the process is brought to automaticity, and your favorite winter boots begin to look much better.

Understanding how to take care of your shoes in winter is the most important task. After all, the conditions in Russian cities - snow, ice, slush, mud, de-icing reagents - leave her little chance of maintaining a neat and beautiful appearance for a long time. To minimize their negative impact, you should try to follow the rules of shoe care, which we will talk about.

Rule #1 - Substitute

To make shoe care easier, it is better that you have not one, but two or even three pairs for the winter. This will make it easier for you to care for them and help keep each one for several seasons.

Rule number 2 - clean skin

How to care for shoes if they are dirty after wearing? If we are talking about leather shoes, it must first be rid of dirt, and then dried. When you get home, gently wash heavily soiled shoes under running warm water, then wipe with a soft cloth.

Rule number 3 - do not wet suede and nubuck

But water should not come into contact with everyone's favorite shoes made of suede and nubuck. Otherwise, there is a chance that the spectacular appearance will be lost forever. If the sole is heavily soiled, you can carefully remove the dirt from it with a cloth, and then send the pair to dry.

Rule #4 - no battery

Whatever your shoes are made of, from leatherette and rubber to velor and nubuck, drying them on a radiator is a taboo. But warm floors that do not work at full capacity can be used.

Electric shoe dryers are also suitable. Those that can also emit ultraviolet light will help you in the fight against fungi.

You can dry boots or boots pretty quickly by filling a pair of newspapers from the inside. It is only better to change the paper several times during the drying process. You can also purchase special wooden blocks to keep shoes in perfect shape.

There are several popular ways to dry shoes. Perhaps the most harmless of these is the use of silica gel-based cat litter. With salt and soda inside the shoes, as well as outside, it is better to be careful.

Rule number 5 - remove the salt

If, after wearing in snowy and wet weather, salt stains appear on the shoes, you must definitely get rid of them.

First, let's figure out how to care for suede shoes. Suede can be cleaned only when it is completely dry. First, try removing the salt with a brush. You can rub your shoes with an eraser. The last resort is a cotton swab moistened with ammonia. But when applying it, be careful and first test on an inconspicuous part or on the inside. There is a chance that the alcohol will dissolve the paint. Trying to dye suede without removing the salt is a temporary fix. Very soon, white stains will appear again.

To remove streaks from leather shoes, a weak solution of vinegar is suitable. Pat them gently traces of salt. Also, to remove salt, rubbing contaminated places with castor or mink oil is suitable.

Let's move on to the secrets of how to care for nubuck shoes. To remove salt from nubuck, you will need soapy water. Wash her shoes clean by dipping a soft cloth in it. True, after this procedure, the nubuck villi will stick together. Steam will help restore the original appearance of the pile. Run a garment steamer on your shoes or hold them over hot water - just be careful not to scald yourself!

Rule #6 - Precleaning

You have already understood that you do not need to clean your shoes from dirt before leaving the house. Now let's learn another rule: the main principle of how to care for leather shoes - you need to apply the cream in advance. It's best to do this in an hour. The recommended frequency is every day. In the composition of the cream for the care of leather shoes, wax should be listed in the first position.

10 minutes before going outside, remove excess cream with a soft cloth and spray boots or boots with a water-repellent spray.

Rule number 7 - special attention to the protection of suede and nubuck

A water-repellent spray is your best friend for your shoes made from these delicate materials. It is best to apply it 10 minutes before going out in two passes: carefully treat the surface, let it dry and walk over it again. The spray will help keep your feet dry and prevent salt stains.

Rule number 8 - leave leatherette alone

Faux leather shoes will not get better no matter how much you rub them with expensive products for genuine leather. Rather, on the contrary: they will not be able to be absorbed and will create a sticky layer that will attract dirt. There are special care products for such shoes. They contain a lot of silicone.

Rule number 9 - special treatment for varnish

Patent leather is very practical, as you need to clean shoes from it quite rarely - about once a week. You need to choose a special cream - it should contain lanolin, glycerin and castor oil. And every day after wearing, just wipe the shoes with a wet cloth, and then remove excess moisture with a dry cloth.

Rule #10 - Sneakers are no exception

Sneakers are no longer considered shoes exclusively for sports. Of course, sports shoes in which you go outside also require care. Its rules will depend on the materials from which a particular pair. But a universal remedy is a spray that repels moisture.

Use the "auto heel" - this is a special lining on the back of the shoe, designed for drivers. It will help preserve the beauty of any shoe, but is especially useful for those who love bright colors, suede and nubuck or patent leather models.
For smooth skin, use creams that contain at least 30% wax, as well as solvents and silicone. Wax softens the skin and protects from water, solvents fight dirt, silicone adds shine.
If shoes made of colored or light suede or nubuck are heavily soiled, it is better not to “finish off” them by trying to clean them yourself. Better try to find a dry cleaner who will take care of it.
Experts warn that using the old-fashioned method of cleaning shoes, such as rubbing with baby cream, you will make yourself a hassle. It will cover the skin with a greasy film, on which dust will immediately sit.
An impregnated sponge is an emergency cleaning agent, but not a permanent cosmetic for shoe care.

Hello! Winter is in full swing, so it's not too late to learn how to take care of your winter boots. There are a lot of good shoes in the stores. Learn how to properly care for her, and your efforts will certainly pay off.

If you follow all the advice of shoe experts, then there is hope to preserve the appearance of boots or shoes.

Let's start with suede shoes. Suede boots are afraid of dampness and various chemicals that are sprinkled on snow-covered sidewalks. Suede should be covered with a high-quality water-repellent aerosol. Salt stains are well cleaned with an eraser or brush.

How to save leather boots

For leather shoes, you need to buy wax for natural leather, then grease the seams with it. Droplets from snow water will roll off without filling the seams, and salt will not corrode the skin.

All manipulations for cleansing natural skin are easiest to carry out at home with folk remedies. Take or oil and gently coat the seams with a brush. In ancient times, boots were protected with unsalted lard, and then rubbed with a cloth to a shine.

If you ever have to glue a peeling sole, then the fat can prevent gluing, but it saves you from reagents. Salt does not act as aggressively on leatherette boots as it does on genuine leather.

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General winter care tips

Shoe care rules:

After coming from the street, immediately wipe dry with a cloth.
Dry at room temperature, or with a shoe dryer. Shoes can be stuffed with crumpled newspapers, changing them often. If there is an insole, then it is dried separately.
Do not dry on a radiator to avoid cracking and shrinking.
After drying, lubricate with glycerin.
Lubricate leather shoes with cream before going outside.
Change every other day, letting things dry.

Don't wear yesterday's pair every day.

How to care for winter shoes if reagents got on them:

Rinse them off immediately with cool water first. Can't be washed hot.
Always have care products on hand, colorless ones are best. Vaseline or glycerin can be used.
Apply a thin layer with a special sponge.
For brown shoes, choose a brown colored paste to brighten up the product.
After applying the product, leave the shoes for 15 minutes so that the composition is well absorbed.
Rub your boots with a piece of cloth to a shine.

Folk remedies

The greatest harm to shoes is to apply salt and sand, chemicals that are sprinkled on roads. Our resourceful people came up with a great way to protect:

In equal parts, mix baby soap, water and ammonia.
Using a sponge, apply the product to the surface of the boots.
Polish the surface to a shine with a soft cloth.

Care immediately after purchase

Nubuck shoes need such care.

To clean nubuck fabric from white stains, you need to buy foams or shampoos, and if they are not available, then ammonia is suitable:

Dilute it with water in a ratio of 1: 4;
Soak a sponge in the resulting mixture, wipe the soiled areas;
Hold over the steam to straighten the pile.

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Salt is not for salting

Everyone knows how our roads are sprinkled with salt from the heart. How to protect shoes from salt? With salt stains on nubuck, vinegar does an excellent job:

Pour 1 teaspoon into 1 liter of water;
moisten a cotton pad;
clean the dirty spots, dry the product well and comb the pile.

Grease stains should be sprinkled with salt, then rub it into the stain with a sponge. Salt will have to be changed several times.

Leather shoes are the most popular. There are many reasons for this: such footwear is durable, beautiful and comfortable, the foot breathes in it and therefore does not sweat, which means it does not freeze in winter. But in order for the shoes to retain all these excellent qualities, they need to be looked after, especially in winter, because dampness, dirt, reagents spoil the skin, gradually destroying its surface. To protect your favorite shoes or boots, you need to follow simple rules that will help keep your shoes looking great for a long time. So, let's talk about caring for leather shoes in winter.

Daily shoe care

Leather shoes require daily care. There is nothing difficult in this, you just need not to leave the cleaning for after, since it is easier to deal with fresh pollution than with old ones. If you do not regularly clean the boots, then the dirt will penetrate deep into the skin, and it will not be possible to clean it so easily - stains may remain on the surface of the product and you will have to mask the remaining spots with cream.

How to care for leather boots every day?

When you get home, clean your boots of dirt. You need to start cleaning them from the sole. This can be done with a stiff brush.
If spots remain on the skin, then you can moisten a soft cloth in warm water, wring it out well and wipe the surface of the boots with it. You can make a weak soapy solution and treat the surface of the shoe with it.

Important! Do not use hot water and make sure that water does not get inside the boot.

Wipe with a dry soft cloth until completely dry.
Lubricate with cream. You can use colorless, but experts recommend choosing a cream of the appropriate color.
After cleaning, it is recommended to apply a water-repellent spray.

How to dry leather shoes?

Often in the cold season, shoes become damp and have to be dried. The long life of your favorite leather pair also depends on proper drying.

Important! Do not dry leather shoes on batteries or other heating devices or put them in direct sunlight. It is also not recommended to dry it with a hair dryer.

This is what the process should look like:

Leather shoes should dry on their own in a dry, well-ventilated area.
If your shoes are damp, then put old newspapers or paper inside - they will absorb moisture. Change paper as needed.
Take out the insoles and put them on the battery to dry, unless they are made of leather, of course.

Important! Experts believe that it takes about two days for leather shoes to dry completely in winter. Therefore, you need to have at least two pairs of winter shoes.

Folk remedies for shoe care

You can take care of leather shoes at home with folk remedies.

How to make shoes shine?

This can be done with baby soap and ammonia. Dissolve some baby soap in water and add a few drops of ammonia. Soak a cloth in this solution and wipe the surface of the leather.
Whisk milk, sugar and egg white in equal amounts. Apply the resulting foam to the shoes with a woolen cloth and polish the leather.

From dry skin

In order for the skin to be always soft, smooth, and not cracked, you can lubricate your shoes with castor oil.

Important! If it is not at hand, it can be replaced with ordinary vegetable oil.

Rub some oil into the leather and buff it with a woolen cloth. Such simple actions will prolong the life of your favorite shoes and keep their beautiful appearance for a long time.

Protecting the skin from moisture:

Linseed oil has a good water-repellent effect.
Unsalted lard will also help protect your skin from water. Just rub it on your skin, and you can safely go out even in the rain.

How to get rid of an unpleasant smell?

There are times when an unpleasant smell begins to come from the shoes. You can get rid of it in several simple ways:

Rinse your shoes with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then treat with hydrogen peroxide.
You can do without potassium permanganate - just treat with hydrogen peroxide.
Wipe the shoes from the inside with formalin, wrap in a plastic bag and leave for a day. Then ventilate the product, and there will be no trace of the smell.

Do-it-yourself cream for leather shoes

You can make a cream for the care of leather shoes with your own hands:

Melt natural beeswax and add some castor oil and refined turpentine to it.
Stir the mixture well.

Cream is ready! Apply it to your boots or boots and they will serve you faithfully for a long time.

Folk remedies in the care of light leather shoes

Light-colored shoes look very impressive, but at the same time they get dirty quickly and require special care. It has to be cleaned more often, so it scratches faster, and with improper care and storage, yellow spots and stains may appear.

Let's see what folk remedies can offer us in this case:

If your light-coloured shoes are chafed and have lost their beautiful appearance, they can be helped by rubbing with a mixture of milk and refined turpentine.
Light skin is recommended to wipe with a swab dipped in milk.
A protein-milk mixture will help preserve and refresh the color. Beat the egg white and add half a glass of milk. Apply this mixture to the entire surface of the shoe.
For cleaning, it is best to use a mild foaming shampoo. It cleanses the skin, but does not wet it too much.
If stains appear on light-colored shoes, do not worry, they can be wiped with lemon juice or table vinegar. Oily stains will help remove soda or oxalic acid.

Important! Apply products and wash light skin only with a soft sponge to avoid scratches.

Caring for new shoes

How to care for new leather shoes and is it necessary to do it at all, is it new anyway? When you buy a new pair of leather shoes:

Treat the entire surface of the shoe with impregnation and dry it properly.
Apply protective cream and polish your pair.

Important! Before the first exit in new shoes, it is advisable to wear them at home for several hours. If you feel that she is rubbing you, then the problem area can be treated with soap or a candle. On sale there are also special preparations for stretching shoes, or you can use vodka or cologne, moistening the shoes with it from the inside.

Skin care products

There are many different leather care products on the market. They are designed for a variety of purposes:

Shoe deodorants eliminate unpleasant odors and have an antibacterial effect.
Sprays, aerosols will give your pair of water-repellent properties.
Special impregnation will soften the skin, as well as protect it from dirt and moisture.
Shampoos, foams will help you remove stains.
The cream will soften the skin, as well as restore its lost properties.

We told you about how to properly care for genuine leather shoes, and finally we will give you some more useful tips and recommendations:

If you do not want the heel of your shoes to quickly lose their shape, then use a special horn.
When taking off boots or boots, unzip the zipper to the end, and untie the laces.
Give your shoes in for repair in a timely manner.
For white shoes, you can use a colorless cream, but for colored and black it is better to choose a product of the appropriate color, otherwise your boots will quickly fade.
Water-repellent impregnation should be used at least once a week.
Do not leave your shoes for a long time in a damp place or near the battery - this will damage the product.
You should not use sponges with silicone, as it clogs the pores, which eventually leads to negative consequences.
Also, contact with bleach, gasoline, acetone is contraindicated for the skin.

How to care for winter boots so that it not only pleases the eye, but also lasts as long as possible? Winter draws us beautiful winter images, wonderful landscapes and a lovely atmosphere, but what our shoes feel at this moment, one can only guess! In a few months of a cold season, boots can go into snowdrifts, ride on ice and plunge into the slush of melt water and mud! To all this, add sand, frost, salt and other realities that strive to ruin your favorite shoes.

The choice of products is varied. Fashionistas and women of fashion try to buy several pairs to match scarves and bags, and in the end they are content with old, battered boots. And all because cold weather conditions negatively affect an unprotected pair of shoes.

In this article, we will introduce you to the rules for cleaning, drying and storing various types of shoes made from artificial and natural materials. And also tell you a few tricks that will help save your boots.

Caring for winter shoes made of natural base

It is extremely important to properly care for winter shoes made from a natural base. Footwear made from natural materials is quite picky to wear in the autumn and winter seasons, and needs special care. But many prefer just such warm shoes: they are soft to the touch and look unusually attractive and impressive. But before you buy this type of shoes, you need to consider that a special approach to it is required. In order for the outlines and color to remain intact, pile and smooth leather must be subjected to three stages of processing: cleaning of impurities, impregnation of the material and protection from external negative influences.

Necessary care

Boots, boots, ugg boots and other models must be taken care of, following all the manipulations in order and based on the type of skin. Excluding at least one item, the surface of the shoe may deteriorate ahead of schedule. It is necessary to make it a rule that it is better to process any shoe pair long before going out and after each wear.

Material	Processing example
Suede, nubuck, velor	It is advisable to wear suede shoes in winter in dry or frosty weather. Moisture is very detrimental to the delicate fibers of the material. In order to clean surface dirt, you can use a fluffy brush or a special crepe brush, or a polyurethane foam sponge designed specifically for the respective products. For difficult dirt, you need to use a specialized suede cleaner. This tool is applied specifically to pile types of skin and therefore must have an appropriate inscription. In the absence of household preparations, you can use an improvised remedy in the form of ammonia. Ammonia must be diluted in cool water in a ratio of 1: 4 and with a sponge dipped in such a solution, wipe the contaminated areas. A special impregnation will help to give velvety leather a new look, which can refresh products, lift and soften the pile. It should be remembered that each impregnation must be applied to dry and clean shoes. And when choosing impregnating preparations, pay attention to the composition, in which natural oils and waxes should be present.
Smooth skin	Leather shoes are considered the most practical at any time of the year. But this does not mean that it requires less care. The advantage is that such models can be in contact with water during cleaning procedures. Water cleaning means wiping with a damp cloth or sponge. In general, shoe experts strongly recommend not rinsing shoes, but removing absorbed dirt with individual means such as foam. Winter boots cleaned from dust or dirt must be impregnated with an appropriate cream based on natural oils and waxes. Thanks to this nutrition, leather products will not crack and retain their excellent external shape.
Polished leather	Patent leather shoes have always been a sign of special elegance and good taste. Winter boots or boots made of dark leather in any weather will give a feeling of gloss and sophistication. But the one who loves these models knows about the need to wear such a pair mainly “on the way out”. Lacquered shoes are considered the most capricious in operation. She should not be worn in wet weather or at low temperatures, and she does not like sudden changes in temperature. Cleaning of dust, dirt and other contaminants from varnished boots is done with a dry or slightly damp cloth or sponge. Well-dried shoes are polished with special products that nourish the leather and give it extra shine. If such creams are not available, then you can resort to folk methods. One such remedy is milk with a high fat content. Moisten a cotton pad with the liquid and wipe your boots, then polish the pair with a soft flannel material. You can also grate the surface with cut onions. Onion juice will not only protect the surface from negative factors, but also add gloss. Vegetable oils and glycerin are considered good remedies. Apply the mixture to the shoes, let it soak in, and thoroughly ruin the residue over the entire surface of the varnish.

Proper care of winter shoes under our weather conditions is a duty, not an excess, especially during the period of generous sprinkling of roads with salt and other reagents.

Preventive action

It is the precautionary measures and the initial processing of various natural shoes that give an excellent and long-lasting result of operation. Specialized impregnations and sprays will help not to detect white saline solutions after long wear on suede, patent or plain smooth leather.

Before the first wear, pile shoes should be treated with a water-repellent spray. Moreover, the aerosol must be sprayed 3 to 5 times, thoroughly drying the product after each application of the product. If, after the next application of the spray, droplets form on the shoes, this means that the material has already been sufficiently saturated. After such a procedure, liquid or dirt will literally roll off the shoes, but at the same time, the material will retain the ability to "breathe".

Ardent fans of inverted leather during intensive use should use a water-repellent liquid about 1 time per week. And the lost bright color and pleasant appearance of pile products will be returned by spray paint, which can be matched to any shade of suede material.

Water-repellent creams or aerosols will help prevent any defects on smooth skin. Such products are created for leather products with a smooth surface and often perform two tasks at once: nutrition and protection. When purchasing a protective agent, you should always pay attention not only to the composition, which should include natural impurities of wax, resins, oils and others. You should also specify the expiration date, and to which specific type of product it applies. It is advisable to soak a newly purchased pair of leather boots with a moisture-repellent cream. In the absence of such funds, you can use the folk recipe, which includes castor, linseed oil and beeswax (8:1:1). Apply the mixed ingredients to the shoes with a soft cloth or cotton pad, and repeat the manipulation after an hour.

artificial material

Caring for artificial material is different from caring for natural products. The substitute already initially has a film that mimics the structure of real leather. The top layer protects new shoes quite well, so leatherette does not require excessive care. But it is necessary to clean any products, and boots made of artificial materials are no exception.

Care rules

The basic rules of care say that it is extremely important to try to put your shoes in order as soon as you arrive home. But if the dirt has already dried, then it must be cleaned with a dry cloth or brush. After that, you can proceed to washing procedures, depending on the pollution.

Light deposits can be removed simply with a damp cloth, and for stronger traces, it is recommended to use soap suds applied to a washcloth. Instead of soap, a non-aggressive detergent or hair shampoo is suitable. You can remove the remnants of the cleaning component with the same damp cloth.

Artificial leather is less breathable, so warm boots can sometimes have an unpleasant odor. If drying shoes does not get rid of the smell, then you can use one of the folk methods. You will need 2 tsp. starch, 5 tsp. baking soda, 6 drops of tea tree oil and 2 tsp. peppermint and lemongrass oils. Mix the resulting ingredients until a homogeneous slurry is formed and apply to the inside of the shoe. In this state, the shoes should stand for 6-8 hours, after which they can be thoroughly shaken out and safely put on.

Prevention

Prevention of a well-dried pair of shoes is recommended to be done with a cream that prevents the rapid wear of leatherette. Professional sprays, pastes and paints can also be used for artificial materials. In harsh winter weather, nourishing and water-repellent products should not be neglected, because aggressive reagents can harm even denser artificial products.

the main thing is comfort. Of course, the more expensive the shoes, the better and more practical they are, but if you have 2-3 pairs in stock, then inexpensive products will last a long time (subject to good care);
having several pairs of shoes, you can slowly process and dry each of them, because there should be no hurry in drying;
everyone knows that it is strictly forbidden to dry shoes on a hot radiator, near heaters and gas stoves! For the purpose of proper drying, special devices have been developed that provide the optimum temperature and a safe process;
in the absence of specialized devices, you can use improvised means. Newspapers, paper or paper napkins, well packed into shoes, will perfectly absorb all the moisture and excess smell;
shoe technology experts do not recommend wearing the same product for several days in a row. A winter couple should have enough time to dry and recover;
it is recommended to process products with professional means in a well-ventilated room, on a landing or a balcony;
you can paint shoes from any type of material, the main thing is to process a clean pair and follow the instructions exactly;
before using the purchased special equipment, you need to test it in an inconspicuous area;
crushed suede can be supported for some time over the steam so that the pile straightens;
try not to get wet not only a velor pair, but also shoes in general (fortunately, this does not apply to fashionable rubber boots);
for processing white winter shoes, use a soft sponge dipped in a powder solution and protective colorless creams;
salt stains can be cleaned with an acetic solution (1 tsp of table 9% vinegar per 1 liter of water). Moisten a cotton pad or sponge with liquid and wipe problem areas;
have the necessary tools and shoe care products in your arsenal.

In general, caring for a winter pair of shoes does not require a large investment. What matters is how carefully and carefully you treat your boots. Be sure to follow the helpful tips above. Knowing now a lot of simple tricks, you can easily extend the life of even old shoes!