Tips to extend the life of your shoes: How to make leather shoes last longer
Everyone knows that it is super important to invest in high-quality leather shoes because they’ll last longer and look as good as new. However, just a few fashionistas know how to clean leather shoes properly in order to maintain their appearance through the years.
At 4CCCCEES, we’re here to help you, so if you’re looking for good advice on how to clean your leather shoes, you just found the perfect page!
Nonetheless, how could we teach you to take good care of your footwear without filling in some tips on how to store shoes appropriately? Because there’s more than just cleaning and polishing that will help you to extend the life of your shoes.
Recommendations on how to clean your leather shoes:
A 5 step super easy shoe cleaning routine that will make your leather footwear look as good as new in less than 10 minutes.
1st: You’ll need to remove the excess dirt with an old newspaper or a soft dry sponge. This step is crucial, because it will help you to prepare the shoes to be able to properly clean them after without making any extra mess.
2nd: In a bowl, mix warm water (not boiling hot) with a little bit of non-abrasive soap and stir for a minute so the product can be dissolved into the water. Let the water cool down a little bit before using it, the temperature should be around 38º celsius/100º fahrenheit approximately.
3rd: Grab a clean micro-fiber cloth and soak it into the mixture. Rinse it out until it's damp and gently scrub the dirt away from the shoe. It’s very important for you to rinse off the dirt from the cloth with clean water several times to avoid soiling the shoe again.
Once you’re done with all the heavy stains on the upper part of the shoe, we recommend you to also clean the soles if you’re going to store your shoes until next season and spray some shoe-deodorant on the insole. These extra steps will make them smell amazing and be perfectly ready for when you have to use them.
4th: Let the shoes dry completely without applying any heat - because this could damage the leather - in a fresh, well-ventilated space. Once they’re dry, you can proceed with the 5th and last step.
5th: Apply leather conditioner to the shoes. This will help to protect the leather from future damage and nourish it so it can return to its original strength and shine. You can find the perfect leather conditioner for your shoes at your nearest supermarket, on the internet or by taking advice from a professional cobbler.
Following these leather shoes care tips you will extend the life of your shoes and make them look fabulous through the years!
10 easy tips to store your footwear in order to extend the life of your shoes:
Super useful and easy to follow tips that will help you to extend the life of your shoes and maintain a well-organized shoe closet.
1st tip: Use any kind of shoe organizer. Finding a designated space to store your shoes will not only help you to keep all your footwear arranged in the same place but also to maintain a clean hall.
Here are some shoe storage ideas: a shoe-rack, a hanging closet-caddy, a cupboard, a cabinet, shelves, a dresser etc.
2nd tip: Clean your shoes meticulously before storing them. This is going to help you extend the life of your shoes in order for you to enjoy them for many years.
3rd tip: Keep the dust-bags that come inside the shoe-box and use them to protect the shoes from dust. If you don’t have any shoe dust-bags, you can buy them online for very fair prices.
4th tip: Don’t throw away the shoe-stuffing paper that comes inside your shoes when you buy them; using it will help you to keep the structure and original shape like the first time.
5th tip: Get some floating pool noodles, cut them adjusting its length and put them inside your boots so they don’t get wrinkly. Super useful tip for your boots!
6th tip: Store your shoes in a cool, non-humid dark place. Avoiding direct sunlight and heat will help you to maintain their original color.
7th tip: Organize your shoes into categories, this is a super practical and efficient method that will help you to get ready in the mornings/evenings faster than ever! Here are some examples, you can choose the one(s) that adapt to your lifestyle and closet better:
. Sort your shoes by season: autumn-winter and spring-summer
. Organize them by color, print or tonality
. Classify your shoes by occasion: daily wear, special events, outdoor activities…
8th tip: Keep your daily/ most-used shoes clean in a designated space in your entryway for easy access. However, do not accumulate them in your hall, we recommend you to keep a maximum of 2 shoes and, when a new pair gets in, an ‘old’ one gets out and goes directly to your closet again.
9th tip: Clean your less worn shoes at least one time per season. This will help you to keep the dust away and to extend the life of your shoes.
10th tip: Last but not least, declutter your shoe collection once a year. If you haven’t worn a pair of shoes in a 12 month period, you probably won’t wear them again. You can donate them or resell them.
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