You love your leather boots, heels and flats because they're comfortable, stylish and if cared for properly, will look amazing for several decades. However, unlike many fabrics, leather can be easily stained, stretched and is sometimes difficult to clean. Don't let any of these common leather shoe and boot woes end your love affair with this amazing material and instead, utilize these simple fixes:
Leather and Your Sweaty Feet
According to Everyday Health, a typical human foot has about 250,000 sweat glands. If you spend a long, hot day wearing your favorite leather boots or shoes, you might wind up creating some nasty, smelly stains.
Don't hide your smelly favorite smelly, sweat stained leather boots or shoes in the back of the closet and instead, here is how to eliminate the odor and marks once and for all:
- Begin by creating a mixture of one to two drops of mild dish soap and warm water. Choose a dish soap that doesn't contain any dyes or perfumes.
- Mix the soap and water well until you create suds. Dampen a soft cloth with the suds and carefully dab at all of the noticeable sweat stains.
- Dampen a separate soft cloth with plain water and dab away the soapy residue. Once all of the soap is eliminated, carefully dry any wet areas with a separate cloth.
- Allow the leather to dry completely before applying a leather conditioner or saddle soap to the entire outer surface of the shoes or boots.
Now that your shoes are free of sweat stains, it's time to eliminate the nasty odors. Cut both feet off a pair of pantyhose or tights and fill both of them with baking soda or cornstarch. Tie off the ends of the pantyhose or tights and shove one into each of the boots or shoes.
Allow the pantyhose or tights to sit in your leather footwear overnight. Pull them out the next morning and enjoy your odor-free shoes!
My Leather Shoes Are Suddenly Too Small
Leather is an extremely porous material, which is why it is so breathable and comfortable. However, it also leaves your leather footwear vulnerable to shrinkage. If you allow your leather shoes or boots to remain damp or wet for an extended period of time, they can shrink significantly.
Luckily, there is a simple trick that you can utilize to safely bring your leather shoes or boots back to their original size. Here's how:
- Fill two freezers bags with plain water. Close the bags carefully before placing each in a second freezer bag. It is important that the bags are secure and have no leaks.
- Slip one of the bags into each of your stretched out leather shoes or boots. If the bags are too small, go ahead and place another water filled bag into each.
- Place the shoes or boots carefully into the freezer. Allow the footwear to remain for two to three hours. The water will freeze and expand, which will slowly and safely stretch out the shoes or boots.
Make sure to check on the bags periodically. If you notice a leak or if the ice begins to damage the bag, remove them immediately, or you could run the risk of damaging your footwear even further.
From noticeable sweat stains and odors to a pair of amazing leather boots or shoes that suddenly squeeze and hurt your feet, there are several issues that can make you think your favorite pumps or cowboy boots are destined for the trash. However, by following these simple steps, it is possible to quickly and easily bring your leather footwear back to life.
