Skip to content

A Quick Way To Clean Your Leather Shoes

Leather Boots

Leather boots

Image courtesy of nuttakit FreeDigitalPhotos.net


From couches to coats, and my favourite of all, shoes, leather is one of our favourite materials to invest in. The soft, supple feel and that genuine leather scent are just intoxicating. It’s one of those things you covet and over protect.
So what is a girl to do when a mistake happens and you’ve dirtied or stained your best pair of leather shoes? Well, lucky for you I’ve got an awesomely simple DIY trick to help you clean up that mess and even protect your leather for the future!

A Down and Dirty Sit-shoe-ation

Doesn’t that sound appealing…no! It’s sad but true, after too many jaunts in the rain, spilled drinks and sweaty feet, without proper care your shoes can develop mold. Fret not, for I have a quick fix for this and all you’ll need are three easy-to-find ingredients:

  • 1 part water
  • 1 part rubbing alcohol
  • 2-3 drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil

Mix your solution together, grab a clean, soft cloth, and just scrub, scrub, scrub. You don’t want your shoe to be soaking wet, but you do want the alcohol to seep into the molded areas. Allow your shoes time to thoroughly dry and you should see and feel the improvement.
Want to know the best part about this simple solution? The Tea Tree Oil! It’s a well-known fact that Tea Tree Oil is a natural antibacterial/anti-fungal oil so adding it to your solution helps fight off future fungus and best of all, makes your tootsies smell fresh!

Keeping It Clean

You don’t have mold, but you sure do have dirty shoes.
Well, not for a long!

All you need is:

  • 1/4 cup of Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup Vinegar

Mix it together your two ingredients then dampen a soft cloth with your solution and rub away the dirt. Be careful not to soak the material and also, be gentle when buffing that leather exterior.
Though we tend to think that leather will survive all we throw at it, it’s actually a very sensitive material. Once you’ve cleaned off all that much, let your shoes thoroughly air dry. Vinegar is a great natural cleanser that my mother, and her mother and her mother’s mother (you get the picture) have been using for centuries. It’s natural acidity helps cut through bacteria and grease leaving the surface squeaky clean.
Conversely, Olive Oil is a great conditioner so not only are you cleaning your shoes, but you’re polishing and protecting them from future wear and tear. That’s definitely a win-win scenario!
So go ahead, get dirty, just remember to use my simple DIY leather shoe cleaners to undo the damage you do to your shoes!
[hr]
Author: Jill is a shoe blogger who blogs about, what else, shoes! From reviews on shoes such as the Steve Madden Candence boot, to handy DIY tips and tricks, she covers it all! The best part about her job? She gets to help her readers look their very best, toe to heel, for less!
[divider_flat]

Guest Post

This post was written by a guest author. Want to write guest articles for WomansLiving.com?
Click the button to fill up and send us just a few details. We will certainly be responding to you within a responsible timeframe.

[button link=”https://womansliving.com/write-for-us” color=”#D7467F”]Write for us[/button]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *