How to clean shoes from salt: useful tips

We encounter the problem of salt stains on shoes in winter, when road services, taking care of our safety, sprinkle ice and snow tracks with sand and salt. However, salt on the road is not only comfort and safety. Mixing with snow, it melts, and salt stains remain on winter shoes, which can completely ruin the mood. After all, it is not only ugly, but also very harmful. If salt stains are not cleaned in time, the natural coating may crack and winter boots and boots will be permanently damaged. That is why it is necessary to deal with salt stains as soon as they appear.

How to clean shoes from salt and dirt

1. Arriving home, shoes need to be dealt with immediately, without waiting for the coating to dry. First, gently wipe the shoes with a damp cloth or sponge. Rinse the rag more often to wipe the surface with clean material rather than smearing the salt.
2. Then tightly wrap the outer surface of the shoe with paper towels or a simple dry cloth that absorbs moisture well. Excess salt, standing out from the shoes, will be absorbed into the paper and will not leave streaks.
3. In this form, you need to leave the shoes to dry. It’s best to dry your winter shoes near the battery, but not right next to it. If leather or suede boots are left in close proximity to a hot object, the surface may crack. Leave the shoes on a small stool 50 cm from the hot radiator and in a few hours all excess moisture will come out.
4. When the surface of the shoe dries, inspect it. If there are salt traces that have not been washed, you can treat them with ammonia. Mix ammonia in equal proportions with water and use a cotton pad to apply to the surface of the shoe. Do this very carefully. It is necessary to erase the saline solution, each time using a clean cotton pad. In no case do not smear the stain, otherwise it will be difficult to get rid of salt.
5. After that, dry your shoes and grease them with fat cream or oil. Allow the oily structure to soak into the surface of the shoe, then wipe the boots with a dry cloth. Shoes will look very well-groomed, from salt pollution there will be no trace.

In winter, shoes should be looked after more carefully. You can protect the surface of suede and leather boots with a special water-repellent shoe polish. It will not allow aggressive substances to be absorbed and will preserve the surface of natural material.

How to clean shoes from different materials from salt

The principles of cleaning leather shoes and suede boots are fundamentally different. Therefore, we have collected for you the most effective ways to clean winter shoes from salt stains from various materials.

1. Leather. Natural surfaces are most prone to the formation of salt streaks, due to their porous structure. If leather shoes are covered with traces of salt after being outdoors, they should be washed immediately. Wipe the surface with a damp cloth, rinsing the fabric each time. After that, wrap the shoes with paper towels and let the salt come out. If the salt spots are firmly ingrained in the structure of the skin, you can use vinegar. Dilute the essence in a ratio of 1: 4 and soak a cotton pad in the solution. Gently wipe it with the inside of the pad to check the reaction of the material. If the skin has not changed color and structure, you can wipe the white salt stains with a vinegar composition. After that, wipe the leather surface again with a clean damp cloth and let the shoes dry to the end.
2. Suede leather. Suede, unlike leather shoes, is more moody in operation. However, few can deny themselves refined suede boots that look very elegant and noble. If you got into a snow mess in suede shoes, you need to immediately begin rehabilitation measures. The first thing to do is to moisten the surface of the shoe. It is not recommended to wet a suede, therefore we will process it with steam. If you do not have a steam generator, you can simply hold your shoes over boiling water. However, do not keep it too low so that hot steam does not stick the seams on the boots. After that, wipe the surface of the suede with a clean cloth. Salt stains can be removed from suede shoes with toothpowder or baking soda. Pour the white compound over the wet surface of the suede and allow the powder to soak up excess salt. When the shoes have dried, you can remove the remaining powder with an ordinary brush.
3. Nubuck. Most often, high-quality uggs, which are so popular in winter, are made of nubuck. To clean shoes from this material from salt, you need to use a soap solution. Just wipe the shoes with a soapy rag or sponge, paying attention to the joints and seams - where salt accumulates most. If this does not help, you can use raw potato juice. Cut the potato in half and wipe the saline streaks with the cut. Starch neutralizes salt and you only need to clean the surface of the shoe with a dry brush after drying.
4. Leatherette. Imitation leather products are also exposed to salt, although much less frequently. It’s easy to clean them, for this you will need alcohol. Just soak a cotton pad in it and carefully walk along the line of salt divorce. After that, wipe the boots with a damp cloth and let dry at room temperature. A great way to get rid of stains and small cracks is to use castor oil. It will remove excess salt and protect the surface of the shoe from the aggressive effects of road reagents.
5. Felt boots. Recently, felt boots are gaining popularity, however, they are also subject to pollution and salt. It is easiest to clean the felt boots - you can simply wash them without fear. Moisten your boots and walk over them with a soft soapy brush. After that, rinse your shoes under running water and allow them to dry at a certain distance from the battery.

Before cleaning shoes from salt stains, you need to take into account the material of the surface and in relation to this use certain cleaning agents.

How to clean light shoes from salt

Beige and white boots look incredibly beautiful and stylish, but are at risk. To spoil them is quite simple, therefore they require more careful leaving. To get rid of white salt stains on light shoes, you must first clean the surface of road dirt. This can be done using ordinary soap and sponge. When the surface dries a little, treat the shoes with a cotton pad dipped in ammonia. It will not only relieve salt traces, but also whiten the surface. If the shoes are generally clean and there are only a few salt traces, let the boots dry thoroughly, and then walk over them with a brush with hard bristles. There will be no trace of salt.

How to protect shoes from salt

After being outdoors, immediately clean shoes and boots from dirt and salt. Just wiping with a damp cloth is enough. Saline solutions are difficult to remove if they are old. And fresh traces are very easy to remove.

When choosing winter shoes, give preference to wedge models. They are located above the sidewalk, so the leather part will be more secure. Suede shoe models should only be worn in dry or frosty weather, suede is afraid of moisture, so you should not wear it in the thaw.

Proper care can protect your boots from slush, salt and reagents. Use our tips to make winter shoes last for more than one season!

Video: how to clean suede shoes from salt