Help cleaning shoes

Dutchymonster

I have a pair of shoes. Nice smart ones, not expensive, but I don't want to chuck them away just because they are looking a bit grotty!

They are a very light brown leather, but have a slight pile on them. Not enough to use a suede brush on but the first time I wore them some (nice person in the pub) decided to spill theire drink on them. I don't want to make them too wet or scrub them in case it damages them, but would like them to look as clean and new as possible. Would white vinegar/bicarb get them clean? or is there some other "magic" treatment I can use?

thanks in advance for your help

Sarahsaver

NO! Step away from the vinegar! SOunds like they are not suede but the type of leather which has a soft surface to it, the name of which I should remember... Nubuck Iis what it's called. Google 'cleaning nubuck' I would steer away from coloured polish, maybe try a clear/uncoloured shoe cream.

Quackers

You need to get either a 'nubuck cleaning block' or a 'crepe brush'. Either costs around £3 from Clarks or probably cheaper from a supermarket or timpsons type shops.

If you have sprayed your shoes with a protector spray before you got the spillage on them then they will be easier to clean.

If not, it may stain.

If you took them into a good shoes shop then they'd be able to recommend the right product.

If all else fails and they dont clean up then you can also put a darker cream polish on them and they'd just end up as a leather finish.

You can do this to any nubuck shoes. Nubuck is leather with the top surface skimmed off. Putting cream polish on them will just 'return' them to a leather finish. Its a good thing to do to revive old nubuck shoes that just wont clean. Just use a darker polish than the original colour and after 2 or 3 coats they will look loke a new pair of leather shoes.

culpepper

the nikwax site has all sorts of advice on cleaning different types of leatherhttp://www.nikwax.com/

guineapig

I always try the "cheapo" option first, so I would dig out an old dry toothbrush and a bit of fullers earth powder ( if you have any) failing that a bit of cornflour, work the powder into the stain and leave for half an hour or so................wipe excess flour off shoe and old toothbrush and brush and brush again.

Get any remaining powder off shoe with an old synthetic bath sponge ( or old sponge pan scrubby).
(In a pinch if you have no old toothbrush you could use the rough side of an old sponge pan scrubby).

Worth a try before anything more drastic?