For centuries, people have found leather shoes to be very reliable to wear. And just like today, it has always been a challenge to take care of leather shoes as it was hundreds of years ago. With no wax and liquid shoe polish in the market yet, people found a way to solve leather problems. They came up with folk remedies in cleaning leather shoes. Here are some of the remedies that would never become obsolete for you to use.
Olive and walnut oil. They are very good on soft leather. All you have to do is apply a small amount of it onto the surface of the shoe with the use of a cloth. Then buff it with a cloth made of cotton.
Lemon juice. You must have heard that lemon juice is good at removing stains. In shoes, it is very good to take away dirt smudges. All you need is to mix the juice with cream of tartar. Then apply the mixture to the smudge using a cloth. Leave it for an hour or two. Wipe it clean and shine it.
The inside of banana peels. This works for leather shoes. Just simply rub the inside of the peel to the shoe. Then using water and cloth clean it dry.
Vinegar solution. This will remedy the road salt that wears out shoes. Just mix water and vinegar. Immerse cloth into the mixture and rub it to the shoes to take away the salt. This process might have to be done several times until the surface is clean. Then wash the shoes with water when done.
Toothpaste. Simply apply a pat of toothpaste over a cloth or toothbrush. Then rub it to the stains in the shoes. Rinse off with water.
Petroleum jelly. Not only is it reported to be an effective leather cleaner but also a good leather protector. To use the jelly, simply apply it with a clean, soft cloth. Make sure the cloth is free from lint though. Then, rub it in a circular motion over the shoe. Leave it for a few minutes. Then finally, take off the jelly by using a cloth.
Certain gel for hair conditioning is also effective to clean leather. First, take off dust and dirt using a brush or moist cloth. Dab some gel on the shoe surface and use a cloth to shine it. Remember not to apply too much gel. A small amount of it is enough.