If you’re reading this article, I’m willing to bet that you have a pair of nicely-worn leather shoes that have taken quite the beating from the elements. It’s not uncommon for raw leather products to get greasy and grimy over time as the oils in the leather surface begin to break down. With this in mind, it’s time to put your research skills to work by learning how to remove grease from shoe leather in no time at all. After all, if you want to keep wearing those awesome suede brogues or those nifty chukka boots, then we need to take action ASAP! Read on for advice on how you can quickly and easily restore those once-cheap leather shoes into something that looks brand new again!
How To Remove Grease From Shoe Leather
- Firstly, clean and dry the shoes as much as you can. This is important because if you don’t, then you are just letting more oil build up on the leather and making it harder to remove.
- Next, use a soft cloth to gently rub the shoes down with a mixture of warm water and baking soda. This will help to remove any excess grease that has built up over time.
- You should now be able to see that the surface is looking much better, but there may still be some grease left in the pores of your shoes; this is where a simple paste made from white vinegar and water comes into play! Mix together 2 parts white vinegar with 1 part water until you have a thick paste – this should be enough for most people’s needs! If it’s not enough for your needs, then just add more vinegar or water until it feels like it’s thick enough for your application needs.
- Now apply this paste onto the surface of your shoes using a soft cloth. It will only take one or two coats at most, so don’t worry if they look a bit messy after applying – it doesn’t matter too much! Just make sure that you have covered all areas of the shoe with this mixture so that no bare patches remain anywhere on the shoe! With this done, leave them to dry completely before proceeding with any further steps below!
- Once your shoes have dried completely, it’s time to start rubbing in some leather conditioner. This will help to restore the oils that have been lost over time and make the leather feel much softer and more supple than before.
- Once you have rubbed enough conditioner onto your shoes, you can now safely remove the paste you applied earlier! Just go over all of the areas of your shoe that were covered with the paste with a soft cloth, then allow them to dry completely before putting on your shoes again!
Bleach Is Your Friend
- When it comes to removing grease from leather, nothing quite compares to the power of bleach. For starters, a little bleach can do wonders for restoring the shine on those old, heavily-used shoes. Not only will the bleaching process help remove the greasy residue that has seeped into your leather shoes, but it will also help restore the original color of your boots or shoes.
- As a bonus, if you happen to have some old t-shirts in your closet, then you can use them as a makeshift cloth while bleaching your shoe leather. Just throw a few old t-shirts into a large tub of water and add some bleach to get things started!
- It’s important to note that most leather products are made from animal hides or other materials that contain natural oils and fats within their composition. So if you’re trying to remove grease from leather shoes and other products made with animal materials, then you should be careful not to use too much bleach at once! A small dab of bleach applied directly onto your shoe’s surface is usually sufficient when it comes time to clean up those greasy spots!
- If you need some extra help cleaning up after using too much bleach on your shoe leather, then try using a mixture of 1/3 white vinegar and 2/3 water (or plain water) for about 10 minutes before rinsing off with clean water for good measure! This simple trick will help to neutralize the bleaching effects of the bleach so that your leather shoes can once again look as good as new!
- If you’re still having trouble getting rid of the grease stains on your leather shoes after trying out these three tips, then you may want to try using a cloth soaked in warm water and a little bit of dish soap. Simply dab it onto the greasy spots and let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing off with clean water!
Shoe Shine And Leather Conditioner
1. Shoe Shine
The first thing you’re going to want to do is to buy a shoe shine kit. These are available at most shoe retailers and are fairly cheap, so it’s not a bad idea to pick one up the first time around. The reason for this is that you’ll need help getting rid of the grease and grime from your shoes in order to prevent them from smearing all over again. If you have a good shine kit, then you can make use of their included brushes and cloths to quickly remove all the dirt and grime from your shoes.
2. Leather Conditioner
Once that shoe shine is done, then it’s time to condition your leather shoes with some leather conditioner. This will help restore the natural oils in your shoes, which will eventually lead to a more durable and long-lasting pair of footwear. It will also help keep those leather surfaces looking new and sparkling clean
3. Polish Your Shoes
As I mentioned before, after applying leather conditioner or polish, it’s important that you apply some sort of protective layer on top in order to prevent any further damage from happening. Therefore, I recommend using some sort of wax on top of your leather conditioner or polish (like this wax spray). By using this type of wax spray on top of your polish or conditioner, then you can easily brush away any excess surface dirt without having to worry about smearing things all over again.
4. Remove Grease
Now that your leather shoes are all shiny and clean, it’s time to take care of the grease on them. There are a number of different methods you can use to remove grease from your leather shoes, but I recommend using the following method.
Mix Up Some Cornstarch
- You’ll need to begin by mixing up some cornstarch with a little water.
- Now, use a brush or a rag to apply this mixture directly onto the greasy areas on your shoes. You can also use a cloth and apply the mixture directly to the leather in order to help soak up all that nasty grease!
- Once you’ve applied the cornstarch mixture, leave it on for about half an hour, and then give it a good rub-down with your clean cloth. This will help loosen up any stuck-on grease and allow you to remove it easily with ease.
- After letting this mixture sit for about half an hour, use your fingers or a brush (or both!) to work some of that nasty grease out of your shoes. If you have stubborn areas that refuse to budge, then simply reapply the cornstarch mixture and leave it on for another half an hour before rubbing down again! The longer that you leave this stuff on, the more effective it will be at cleaning away all of that gunk!
- Once you’ve finished removing any stubborn gunk, give your leather shoes one last rub down with your clean cloth and they should look like new again!
- To protect them from future stains and grime, simply apply shoe polish once every week or so – especially if you don’t wear them often enough!
Conclusion
Grease is one of the most common reasons why leather shoes start to look worn out and dirty. By following the advice in this article, you can easily remove the grease from your leather shoes and restore them to a like-new condition. The best thing about these cleaning methods is that they are extremely easy to use and only require a few simple ingredients. So, there is no reason why you can’t clean your shoes and make them look new again!
