What determines your gait? From the mood? Lifestyle and clothing? And from this too. But first of all - from comfortable shoes, which need to be looked after daily. Unfortunately, taking on the daily load and all sorts of pollution, even the highest quality pair becomes dull and loses its shine. Buying new ones every time is expensive.
There is a way out: walk with your head held high so that less attention is paid to your feet. But wouldn’t it be easier to restore the shine to your shoes and give yourself confidence in your own perfection? Here are some important rules.
How to treat your skin to make it shine?
It is useful to wipe leather products with glycerin from time to time, especially cuffs and collars - this will add shine. (Glycerin can be replaced with Vaseline or castor oil). Worn and tarnished areas on leather clothing can be wiped with fresh orange peel.
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Dirty, stained shoes will not shine
Before you start working with it, you will need to remove all dirt from a pair of shoes. Scrape off the sole (even so), wipe with a damp cloth on top, sides and back.
Most shoe models are leather or faux leather. They like cool treatment. By the way, hot water also makes them fade. If your shoes are very dirty, wash them with plenty of water, preferably running water.
The remaining drops mixed with soil also add dullness. After washing, it is a good idea to wipe your shoes with a dry cloth. The pair should now be completely dry.
How to polish shoes properly?
Any process begins with preparatory activities. What steps need to be completed before polishing begins?
- Cleaning shoes from contaminants - adhered dirt, dust, stains, etc. To do this, you can use a damp cloth or brush, and then walk over it with a dry rag.
Important! If there is a lot of dirt, then rinse the shoes with water, but do it carefully so that moisture does not get inside.
- Wet shoes must first be dried. To maintain the properties of the leather and shape, fill the shoes with paper, newspapers or special spacers, and applying Vaseline after drying will help maintain their softness.
Important! This must be done without the use of heaters, hair dryers or batteries. Dry naturally at room temperature only.
- Prepare a means to polish your shoes. Cream, wax, aerosol and various brushes. Please read the instructions for use first.
Important! A convenient means of application is an old toothbrush. Use a separate one for each skin color.
- Prepare your work surface. Think over the place where you will polish your shoes, cover it with paper or newspapers.
Now let's look in more detail at the methods of making shoes shine, as well as the stages of these procedures. In addition to the traditional polishing method, there are several other options.
Conventional polishing method
So, you have completed all the preparatory steps! Now let's start polishing:
- If there are laces, they must be removed in order to properly process the tongue of the shoe.
- Place one hand inside the product, palm down. With your other hand, take a damp piece of cloth and rub to remove any dirt or sand that may scratch the surface of the leather while polishing.
- Treat your shoes with polish. Using a soft cloth or brush, apply the product evenly in one layer over the entire surface of the skin. Do this carefully, in a circular motion. Treat each shoe in this manner in turn. Leave the shoes to dry for 15 minutes.
Important! Treat hard-to-reach and heavily worn areas with a toothbrush or cotton swabs. Most often these are the toes and heels of shoes.
- Now remove excess cream. A horsehair brush is best suited for this purpose. Using quick, vigorous movements, scrub the entire leather surface of the shoes with the brush. Apply moderate pressure. Movements should be made from the hand, not from the elbow.
Important! Friction creates the effect of heating the skin, which leads to even better impregnation of its surface.
- We polish shoes with a cloth. The task of this stage is to give a dazzling shine. Suede fabric is ideal for this. Take it by the edges with both hands and apply it to the shoe, moving from side to side across the entire surface of the shoe.
Important! If you put on shoes, then performing these manipulations will be much more convenient.
Thanks to this instruction, you now know how to polish your shoes to a shine.
water glitter
For this method, you also need to repeat all the preparatory steps. Then proceed as usual as described above. The difference in the process lies only in the last stage - adding shine.
Instead of suede cloth, you will need a cotton ball or rag, as well as water at room temperature. Water is necessary so that the cream does not stick to the fabric, but remains on the shoes.
Important! Water can be replaced with medical alcohol.
How it works:
- Using a wet cotton ball or cloth, buff the applied cream layer. Movements should be circular and leisurely.
Important! With this method, thoroughness of actions is important, not speed. It is better to polish in the direction from toe to heel, taking turns on each side of the shoe. We process the second one in exactly the same way.
- Wait until the shoes are completely dry, wet the cloth again and cover the shoes with a second layer of cream. After the second application, the shoes will begin to acquire a noticeable shine.
- Apply the cream layer by layer with a wet cloth until you achieve the desired result. The skin will be perfectly smooth and shine like glass.
Important! The more layers you polish, the more impressive your shoes will look.
This polishing option gives the shoes a dazzling mirror shine.
Fiery shine
This is a rather original way to polish leather shoes.
Important! We recommend completely removing old polish from shoes using medical alcohol. Apply a few drops to each shoe and wipe the entire surface with a cloth.
Well, now the most interesting part:
- Remove the lid, invert the jar of cream and hold it over the fire.
- Use a lighter or matches.
- Let the cream burn for a few seconds and extinguish the flame.
- The consistency of the cream will become viscous.
Important! Only those products that are packaged in tin boxes are suitable.
Next we take the following steps:
- Soak a cloth in water and then dip it in the melted liquid.
- Rub the cream into your shoes using circular motions.
- Leave the boots for a while to dry.
- Cover your shoes this way in several thin layers until they begin to shine.
- Heat the leather surface of the shoe using a hair dryer or lighter. Do not place the heat source too close, move it constantly so that the shoe polish can melt. The melted cream will cover the shoes smoothly and evenly.
- After this, let the cream dry again for 15-20 minutes.
- Again apply the final coat using the same method and polish with a suede cloth.
After such exposure, your shoes will shine!
Toothpaste
The white soles of our athletic shoes tend to take on a yellowish or even brownish tint due to direct contact with floors and dirty surfaces.
Of course, most of such contaminants can be removed simply with soapy water, but there are also those when the use of special cleaning agents is indispensable...
Try toothpaste: in a matter of minutes and without any extra effort on your part, it will help restore the whiteness of your sports shoes and make them spotlessly clean!
How to use it?
- Apply a small amount of toothpaste to dirty shoes and scrub them with a brush.
- Leave to act for 5 minutes, then rinse with water.
Baking soda
Due to its properties, baking soda has long been considered a very effective and versatile cleaning agent. It helps remove dirt and fight bacteria that cause unpleasant odors.
How to use it?
- Wet a small amount of baking soda with water and you should get a white paste.
- Apply it to fabric shoes with a brush and leave for 5 minutes.
- Then rinse with water and dry in the sun.
Recommendations for shoe care
You already have a clear idea of how to polish leather shoes. The tips below will help you do this even more efficiently and effectively:
- You need to coat your shoes with cream when you come home, and not before going outside. Otherwise, dust will stick to it and settle.
- Shoe polish gives the leather elasticity, and wax has a water-repellent property. It is better to use a sponge for cleaning shoes soaked in polish outside the home, since frequent use of it causes shoes to become dull.
- If you have shoes of different colors, then it is more rational to buy colorless cream.
- If there are wrinkles on your boots or shoes, make sure that the cream gets inside the recesses.
- The polishing brush should have natural bristles.
- Additional shine can be added by spraying water or breathing on the shoes.
- After applying the cream, place your shoes in the sun or under a warm radiator. Not for long, just 2-3 minutes. During this time, the product will be better absorbed into the skin and cover it with a smooth layer.
- The end of polishing is your reflection on a shiny surface.
- It is better to store shoes in a cool place to prevent the leather from drying out. The best place is in a shoe box.
Important! With constant use, the cream can contribute to the formation of cracks. To prevent this, periodically treat your shoes with a leather softener.
How to clean shoes?
How to clean combat boots and other sports shoes at home? Our shoes are constantly worn outdoors and indoors, leaving traces of dirt, dust and moisture on them. In addition, it is also affected by temperature changes. All this does not have the best effect on its appearance and strength.
Important! Simply brushing off the resulting dirt is not enough. Lack of careful care will ruin your shoes and they won't last long.
To keep your boots in excellent condition, polishing them will help. You need to care for them in this way at least twice a week. And in bad weather, perhaps more often.
Therefore, it will be very useful for you to learn how to polish your shoes to a shine.
How to polish shoes and what is needed for this?
In order to organize the process of caring for shoes or boots, it is important to understand how to polish leather shoes. Specialized products can be purchased in many stores. The range presented in them will allow you to choose the most suitable one. Related products for the application and treatment of shoes will also be useful.
So, for polishing you need:
- Cream, aerosol or wax. Be sure to choose the appropriate color of the product.
- Horsehair brush.
- Water. Helps add shine to shoes.
- Textile. Flannel is suitable for removing dust and dirt, and suede is suitable for polishing.
- Toothbrush.
- Petrolatum.
Buy the necessary shoe care items and put them in one place. For example, in a box or drawer. So, you will always have everything at hand.
Banana peel
In fact, the white part of the banana skin (which, let's face it, most of us usually just throw in the trash) has many beneficial properties. As for leather surfaces, banana peels can remove dirty stains from them.
How to use it?
- Take a fresh banana peel and rub the inside (white) part of it on your leather shoes.
- Leave the pulp to act for a couple of minutes and then wipe with a clean cloth.
Corn flour
Using cornmeal to clean your shoes is a quick trick to prevent stubborn grease stains. If you just dropped oil on your shoes, take action immediately.
What should be done?
- Sprinkle cornmeal directly onto the stain and let sit for 30 minutes to absorb all the grease.
- After the specified time has passed, shake off any remaining residue and clean with a brush. The shoes will be like new!
Orange
Using half an orange, you can clean your leather shoes or boots that have lost their shine due to stubborn dirt.
How to use citrus?
- Cut an orange in half and rub it on your shoes until the juice comes out.
- Leave to dry (for a couple of hours) and then polish with a soft cloth or a special shoe brush.
