Nothing will ruin a good pair of shoes more than a run through the spin cycle in the washing machine, but what else are you supposed to do when they start to look dirty and gross?
Getting your shoes to look and smell as new as the day you bought them is a lot easier than you think!
In fact, you probably have everything you need already tucked away in a kitchen or bathroom cabinet. Some of these items can even spruce up notoriously hard-to-clean materials like suede and leather with total ease!
Clean Your Shoes With These Tips (Plus Pool Noodle Trick)
The directions on the back of cleaning products and personal care items will have you believe that you can only use them a specific way, but they all have multipurpose uses! Using the below items you can have your shoes looking brand spanking new again.
- Glass cleaner
- Toothbrush
- Q-tips
- Nail file
- Mr. Eraser Magic Eraser sponge
- Nail polish remover
- Scented dryer sheets
- Banana
As for the totally random pool noodle trick mentioned above? Well, you’ll just have to keep reading to find out where it “fits” into this shoe story.
1. Suede
If your shoes look like they’ve been permanently tattooed with your toe-prints, then you’ve probably already come to the realization that suede is a magnet for toe jam.
Unfortunately, you can’t spray suede shoes with anything liquid – you’ll be left with water stains on top of everything else!
However, you can agitate the fibers by buffing a toothbrush over the dark spots. And for tougher stains, use a filing motion with a nail file to lift the dirt away.
2. Patent Leather
Patent leather has a coating of plastic that makes it incredibly shiny, and it’s much easier to care for than regular leather. The downside is that patent leather shoes can start to lose their gorgeous sheen as soon as they come in contact with anything and everything!
Thankfully, you can just use Windex glass cleaner (or generic equivalent) and a soft paper towel to wipe it clean.
For ugly scuff marks that refuse to budge, here’s a quick way to revive the leather’s beautiful shine: dip a Q-tip in nail polish remover and apply it to the scratch mark. It’ll disappear like magic right before your eyes!
3. Tennis Shoes
Okay, so some of us have tossed a pair of dirty sneakers into the washing machine when they got too gross to look at, but running it through the spin cycle can make them a little bit worse for wear.
The better way to clean your athletic trainers is with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser sponge. And yes, it’s as easy as it sounds.
4. New Shoe Smell
New car smell, new house smell, new shoe smell – there’s no scent in the world that’s better than “brand spanking new!”
No one likes a “stink feet” scent, so to get your shoes smelling somewhat decent again, stuff them with your favorite dryer sheet.
5. Shoes That Stay In Shape
Boots are made for walkin’, or so the song goes. But, when you’re not walking in them every day they start to lose their fabulous shape.
Long boots tend to flop over to the side, and if you store them in the closet that way for any length of time, they’ll start to develop an unsightly crease.
This is where that random pool noodle comes to the rescue. Yes, the same ones kids whack each other with! Just insert them into your boots, and it’ll keep them standing at attention.
6. Leather Banana Peel Shine
Banana’s aren’t just for eating! The banana peel contains many natural oils that help keep leather shoes shiny (and even smelling sweet). The combination of the peel and the leather conditions the leather to ensure it remains scuff free and smooth.
Just keep the peel after enjoying a snack and rub the peel onto the shoe. Wipe off any residue with a cloth afterward and voila!
That’s it! These 6 simple shoe cleaning hacks are all you need to get old shoes that have seen better days look almost brand new.
Be sure to check out the video below to see David Mesquita, from the Leather Spa in New York City, explain these tips and tricks in further detail.
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