cleaning shoes

How to Clean Velvet Shoes?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

Velvet shoes seem to never go out of style. In fact, they have been on trend for centuries. If you have a great pair of velvet shoes, you can literally wear them for a lifetime without feeling outdated. This means you’ll need to make sure you keep them clean and in good shape. If your velvet shoes are clean, they can maintain a luxurious appearance. Check out the information below with tips on how to clean velvet shoes.

Materials Used for Velvet

Velvet can be made from different materials. There was a time when they were only made out of high-end materials, such as silk. This was when velvet was mostly worn by people considered to be high-class, wealthy or royal. When synthetic materials were first introduced to the world, the use of velvet expanded because it was made from affordable materials. As a result, velvet shoes became accessible by a greater number of people.

In addition to silk, now you can find velvet made from rayon, cotton, polyester and microfiber. This means the velvet shoes you have might include any of these materials. When learning how to clean velvet shoes, start by looking at the list of materials.

Eliminating Stains from Velvet Shoes

Given that shoes are usually on the floor, there’s a good chance something will spill on them or you’ll step into a substance that needs to be removed. The goal should always be to make sure your shoes don’t get stained. You can achieve this goal by wiping off whatever is spilled before it can set in and create a stain.

To clean velvet shoes, you’ll need a soft towel, warm water, mild liquid soap and a soft toothbrush. It’s best to use a microfiber towel. You will then create a cleaning solution by filling a bowl with a cup of warm water and then adding a drop or two of liquid soap. Make sure the soap is mixed well into the water until you see suds. For a natural solution, use white vinegar and baking soda, which can work just as good as soap. Now it’s time to use the toothbrush to clean your velvet shoes. You should scrub them gently and spend extra time where there are marks or stains.

After scrubbing your shoes, use the microfiber towel to blot the water until it’s fully absorbed. You should keep your shoes out in the open to make sure they are entirely dry. After a sufficient amount of time has passed and your shoes are completely dry, use a lint brush to improve the appearance of your shoes. Make sure you brush them in one direction.

Removing Dust and Dirt from Velvet Shoes

If your shoes just have dust or dirt that’s on the surface, you may not need to use a liquid solution. Instead, you can use a cloth and soft toothbrush to clean them. Sometimes the type of materials used to make the shoes will warrant a non-liquid method of cleaning to prevent damage. This is especially true if your velvet shoes are made of silk. This works best if you remove all of the dust, dirt and particles after each wear. If the dirt sets in by sitting for a long period of time, this method might not work. When brushing your velvet shoes, make sure you brush them in the same direction. To keep your velvet shoes clean, store them in a place where they are not susceptible to particles in the environment. An enclosed shoebox is the perfect location.

How to Clean Used Shoes?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

Everyone wears shoes and at some point they need to be cleaned, especially if you have purchased shoes that are already used. The information below will teach you how to clean used shoes with ease. From sneakers to flip flops, you can clean them up in very little time.

Tips on How to Clean Your Used Shoes

White Sneakers

White sneakers are a popular fashion trend and they have been for a long time. Despite the fact that they often get dirty, men and women of all ages wear white shoes. To clean a pair of used white sneakers, you’ll need white vinegar or nail polish remover. You’ll also need gloves, a toothbrush and a handful of cotton balls. Put either nail polish remover or white vinegar on a cotton ball and scrub areas that have scratches or marks. You can use the toothbrush to scrub large sections that are dirty. Complete the process by rinsing the areas cleaned using warm water.

Leather Shoes

The way you clean leather shoes is different from how you should clean other types of shoes. Leather shoes require you to remove particles with a solution that’s not as strong as what’s used for other materials. You can start by diluting white vinegar with water in equal parts. You’ll need a soft towel that will be used to eliminate any stains. If there are scuff marks on the shoes, use pure baking soda and a damp towel to buff them out.

Suede Shoes

Suede shoes can be cleaned using a scrub brush with medium bristles. No solution is required and the scrub brush should go back and forth with pressure to eliminate stains. If this brushing technique does not eliminate stains, consider using an eraser or a nail file to buff them out. As a spot treatment, you can use rubbing alcohol or white vinegar to lighten or eliminate spots altogether. When learning how to clean used shoes that are suede, take your time and do a little bit at a time until you develop a good technique.

Running Shoes

Since they’re often worn during rigorous activity, used running shoes tend to have a lot of dirt on them. You can start the process of removing that dirt by scrubbing them with a toothbrush. Once you have removed the dirt, create a solution that includes a tablespoon of laundry detergent and two cups of warm water. This solution can be used on mesh, rubber and fabric. It’s best to avoid using it on leather. After cleaning the shoes, use a soft towel or sponge to wipe them down. You should remove the shoe laces before you get started and wash them with a load of clothes. If the method provided for cleaning the shoes does not work, consider putting both shoes into the washing machine on a delicate and short cycle.

Flip Flops

Used flip flops can be cleaned by simply putting them under warm water and then using a little bit of baking soda and a toothbrush to scrub off the dirt. Depending on the durability of the flip flops, you might be able to put them in the washing machine. If you choose this option, use cold water and a delicate setting.

Patent Leather Shoes

Patent leather shoes are quite easy to clean. You can start with a cotton ball and petroleum jelly. By rubbing the petroleum jelly onto any areas where marks exist, you’ll likely eliminate the marks. If that doesn’t work, consider using glass cleaner.

After learning how to clean used shoes, you can take advantage of great deals and fill your closet with your favorite shoe styles.

How to Clean Toms Shoes?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

Having to clean Toms shoes is something that you will likely have to do as they are made of material that is comfortable and can easily get dirty. There are different methods on how to clean Toms shoes. There is a certain method that works best for the situation going on with your shoes.

Cleaning Your Shoes by Hand

The first step to cleaning your Toms by hand is to remove all the dirt and debris from your shoes. Use a bristle cleaning brush to get the dirt off your shoes. Make sure you get all of it off. Then go ahead and fill a bowl with one cup of cold water. Add some laundry detergent or a dish soap to the water. Mix up the water and laundry detergent until some small bubbles form on the surface of the water. Then take your scrubbing brush and dip it into the water and detergent mixture. Scrub the outside of your shoes as best you can all over to get all the dirt and grime off. Once it’s clear of dirt, go ahead and lay them somewhere to air dry off. Don’t put your Toms shoes in the dryer. Doing so could cause the fabric on the shoes to shrink and then they may not fit you anymore. Spot treat your shoes with some laundry detergent if there is still some dirty spots on your shoes. Allow your shoes to air dry after spot treating. Following drying, if they are still dirty go ahead and toss them in the washing machine to get a more thorough washing.

How to Clean Toms Shoes in the Washing Machine

For especially dirty Toms shoes you may need to use a washing machine to take care of the stains. To wash your Toms in the washing machine you will need to select the most delicate wash setting on your machine and cold water. The most delicate setting on a washing machine is usually labeled delicates or lingerie. Don’t use as much detergent as you would typically use with a full load of clothes being washed. Instead opt to use about a fourth cup of detergent. Use a gentle detergent and absolutely no bleach. Bleach and strong detergent could destroy your shoes. Run the washer and let your shoes get washed. When your shoes are done in the wash go ahead and put your shoes somewhere so they can air dry. Do not put the shoes into the dryer. After you allow your shoes to dry, then you can go ahead and spot treat your shoes with some dish soap or detergent. Then let the shoes air dry after being spot treated.

One of these options should help you to adequately wash up your Toms shoes so they’re nice and fresh. You can also repeat the washing process for either one of these options. If both options fail, you may need to go shopping for a new pair of fresh Toms shoes. Which isn’t really so bad if you are a fan of the shoewear and want to have some fun searching for a new pair.

How to Disinfect Shoes?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

If your shoes seem to have an odd smell, then you might want to learn about how to disinfect shoes so that they don’t have a lot of bacteria in them and so that they smell fresh.

Keeping your shoes disinfected can often mean preventing the spread of some types of fungus as well including athlete’s foot. When you clean your shoes, you should do so in a way that prevents damage from occurring. If you wash your shoes in a washing machine with laundry detergent, then they will usually get clean. However, you want to add Lysol or another type of disinfectant to the machine to remove as much bacteria as possible.

Aside from the outer areas of your shoes, you also need to clean the insoles. This is where a good bit of bacteria gather, especially if you wear your shoes without any socks or if you wear the same pair of socks for more than one day. After removing your shoes from the washing machine, you should put them in the sunlight to dry as this can help to disinfect them naturally. If you choose to dry them in the dryer, then you need to make sure the heat is turned up high. Remove the laces from your shoes to keep them from getting tangled.

Even though washing your shoes should get them clean, you might notice that there is still an odd smell if they were excessively dirty before washing them. Baking soda can be put inside your shoes to help eliminate odors. You need to keep the baking soda in your shoes until you can no longer smell the odor as it could come back if you clean them too soon. Lemon juice can also be put inside your shoes to remove odors. A product that can remove bacteria is vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is an option to consider that can remove odors while also disinfecting your shoes.

Common materials that need to be cleaned and disinfected by hand because they are a bit more delicate than cloth include leather and suede. Avoid getting these materials too wet as they can deteriorate over time. The color of the material can also become darker. A mixture of soap and warm water can be used to wipe off the surface of shoes that are made of these materials. Avoid putting them in a washing machine as they could come apart.

Rubbing alcohol can be used to disinfect shoes if you don’t have other products on hand. You can use bleach on white shoes, but make sure they have no colors on them as the bleach will usually remove or lighten the color. There are a few deodorizing sprays that can be used as well if you want to clean and disinfect your shoes while making them smell better. You’ll want to clean your shoes based on how often you wear them and what you wear them for as some situations could result in sweating more on your feet, which could then lead to more bacteria and odors developing.