Do you love your footwear? If yes, then you can’t just toss them in the washer and hope for the best. Machine washing is only suitable for canvas sneakers. Even with those, you might anticipate your shoes’ quality to deteriorate or their colour to fade. Even though the washer is not a suitable option, simply scraping the dust away with a filthy cloth or a brush isn’t enough to maintain your clean shoes. Leather, mesh, and suede require extra care to stay youthful and gleaming.
It is not difficult to keep men’s shoes in good shape, but it does require some time and work. So if you want your shoe to last longer, here’s the right way to do it:
The proper way to clean sneakers
The first step is to bang the soles together to loosen any mud that has caked on. Remove the excess muck using a microfiber towel.
Proceed with the spot cleaning now. You can use a shoe cleaner or an all-purpose cleaner for this.
Try not to use anything wet, including wipes. To avoid this, you can dab white vinegar on any scuffs or stains that you see.
If it doesn’t get your sneakers shining, you may want to try a more in-depth cleaning.
It’s time to take off the laces and the insoles. Mix a little amount of gentle detergent into warm water.
some dish soap or shampoo, just a few drops. To create a lather, scrape the surface softly with the brush.
Squeeze off the surplus moisture using a cloth.
The laces may go through a regular wash cycle. Get new ones if the old ones are worn out.
After you’ve let your clean shoes air dry, put them in a shoe box or closet, preferably out of direct sunlight.
The proper way to clean leather shoes
If your shoes are soiled, take off the laces and wash them in the machine.
By wiping it with a soft cloth or brushing it off, remove any dust or debris that has embedded itself in the leather.
Combine dish soap and warm water. Dip a gentle washcloth into the mixture. Wring out the shoe and clean it down to remove stubborn stains from the surface.
If you want to remove the soap, use a moist towel. Dry your clean shoes using a towel.
Protect the leather from spills and give it a nice sheen by using leather polish.
The outside air is the best place to dry a pair of clean shoes or boots. Don’t leave them in the hot sun or next to the stove. Because of this, the leather might dry up and break.
The proper way to clean suede shoes
To maintain the shoe’s shape during cleaning, stuff crumpled paper inside.
Get rid of grime using a clean, fluffy towel. Since suede is a soft material, you shouldn’t rub it too roughly.
When caring for your suede shoes, always massage in the direction of the grain.
To clean and revitalise your suede footwear, use a sturdy brush. If you do this on a regular basis, your suede shoes will always look like new.
In addition to removing surface dirt, it may also be used to clean deeply.
Apply a final coat of spray to your clean shoes. Your suede will be protected and rendered watertight.
The proper way to clean white canvas shoes
Take off your laces.
To make the solution, combine 1 cup of baking soda with lukewarm water in a bucket.
Put in a little bit of detergent.
For one hour, submerge your footwear and laces in the bucket of water.
Take them out and scrub the stained areas with a brush.
Keep your clean shoes in a dark, cold, and dry place out of the sun to avoid cracks and marks.
The proper way to clean mesh shoes
Scrub the grime off your shoes using a gentle shoe brush. Always keep the pressure lower than you would use on a heavier material like leather.
Use a mild detergent and some hot water. It’s important that the texture isn’t overly thick or sticky.
If you want to clean your white or light-coloured mesh sneakers, don’t use bleach. This might ruin the material and even discolour it.
To use the cleaning solution, dab a soft cloth into it. If you have a stain that won’t come out, grab the brush and get to work.
If there are a lot of stains, have a bowl of clean, warm water nearby to rinse the cloth. You should avoid using soiled material if you don’t want the stain to spread.
If you have any leftover soap or water, just wipe it off with a dry towel. You shouldn’t soak the shoes.
Keep them out of direct sunlight and in a cool, dry place. Leave them alone until they are completely dry.
You can put a thin layer of shoe protection on your clean shoes to stop more stains from getting in.
Protect your clean shoes for a year with just one treatment.
Bottomline
Since you now know how to care for shoes made of any material, keeping clean shoes should be an easy task. An additional step that you can take to protect your clean shoes is to invest in a decent shoe rack. It’s necessary to consider the conditions in which you store your shoes to make them last longer and maintain the quality of the material.