Maintaining our unpolluted footwear is not always a simple task. It depends on the type of footwear and the use that we are going to give, among other things. Also of the time that passes until we remember a cloth over them. Being constant with your maintenance can save us enough effort when cleaning our shoes and getting rid of some more complicated spots.
It is not the same to clean some shoes or leather boots; An suede ankle boots or canvas shoes or other cloth. Nor will it cost us the same to leave them as new if we have used them to walk through the asphalt or to go to the office that we have put them on a dirt track on a rainy day or have been kicking balls in a grass field all week artificial.
In each case we will use ourselves differently to remove stains from our footwear. We will use different products and methods depending on the material of which they are made. And although in the case of sports and canvas shoes the temptation to put them in the washing machine to have them clean quickly and without much effort is there, it will not always be necessary. There are other less aggressive formulas with our shoes that we can successfully put into practice.
There are times when a machine washing can be essential and that the balance is decanted by this method, but we will also see in those situations how to do so to avoid sporting more than the account. What is totally advisable is to put them in the dryer. It is quite easy for doing so – for the effect of the centrifugate – you damage the material they are made, even that they breathe and you can no longer use them again. The high temperatures that the dryer reaches can also make the ends or some part of the sole take off.
The best thing we can do to dry our footwear is to have patience and follow a series of very simple but very practical and effective recommendations:
- To start, we will avoid leaving it exposed to a direct heat source. We will prevent the sun from giving them, so they are better to be outdoors in a shadow area or inside, but never on a radiator, for example.
- We are going to remove all the elements that we can from the shoe: the cords and the templates. When removing the laces we will try to make sports as open as possible to circulate the air.
- We can fill in the toe of the shoe optionally with newspaper, which on the one hand will help absorb moisture and on the other, to maintain the shape of the footwear. We will prevent the newspaper ink from being in contact with the shoe skin.
- Now, it’s time to wait. In some cases, it can take even 12 hours to dry the shoes.
Vinegar, bicarbonate or ammonia
But before reaching this process, we have to clean our footwear. We explain some formulas without having to resort to the washing machine and with products that you are very likely to have home:
- White vinegar. It is one of the basics that should never be missing in the closet of cleaning products. Vinegar is a very powerful multipurpose, in addition to acting as a disinfectant. It will serve us to clean different types of footwear. It is valid for leather shoes by mixing it with water in equal parts. But we can also use it for suede or suede shoes, to eliminate some spots. In this case, we can use 1/3 of vinegar with 2/3 of hot water and a few drops of soft detergent. We will delicately rub with a cloth.
- Sodium bicarbonate. Another formula that is very effective in the case of sports or white canvas shoes is to use a sodium bicarbonate paste with warm water. With a rag or a soft brush what we will do is apply the paste on the entire shoe (we will have previously removed the laces). We are going to leave at least half an hour and after that time, we remove the leftover paste and rinse well. Now, we will let them dry.
- Soap in scales and ammonia. Another method that can help us leave our sports or canvas shoes as new is to use some hot water with two tablespoons of soap in scales and about 50 ml of ammonia. First of all what we will do will gently brush the shoes to remove superficial spots and the dust they have been able to accumulate. We will then apply the mixture we have made, we brush them and after carrying out that operation we put them in a sweep with hot water and two pearbonate soups between 2 or 3 hours. Then we clarify and let dry.
Washing machine as last resort
In case the shoes in question (canvas or other type of fabric) have very difficult stains to eliminate and decide to put them in the washing machine, follow these recommendations to extend their life as much as possible:
- The first thing you should do is withdraw with a cloth the dust from the shoe and be careful not to introduce it in the washing machine with soles full of mud or small stones, for example.
- It is better not to mix shoes with other types of garments. Better wash them separately or with other shoes of the same color. If you are going to mix shoes and clothes, do it with the footwear inside a special bag to put in the washing machine and do not come in direct contact when turning the drum.
- The program has to be short, without centrifuged or the possible minimum, and cold to prevent the parts that are attached to be damaged with heat.
- Obviously, you can only put in the washing machine canvas shoes or other fabric. They are not suitable for machine washing other materials such as suede or plastic or leather sports.
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