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HOW TO REMOVE SALT STAINS ON SHOES EASILY AND WITHOUT RESIDUE
Winter is around and with it, unfortunately, also the annoying and unattractive salt stains on the shoes. Here, you can find out how to remove them and do something about them as a preventive measure.
As beautiful as a snowy city may look, this time of year is an endurance test for shoes. As soon as the first snow is on the ground or slippery conditions threaten, the winter road clearance service is on the spot with road salt. And with road salt: The salt edges on your new winter boots.
How dose it actually come to the salt edge on the shoe?
The road salt dissolves in water. The water-salt mixture is absorbed by the (non-impregnated) leather shoe. When the shoes dry-out, the moisture evaporates and the salt remains as a visible edge on the winter shoe.
How can shoes be protected against salt edges?
It is important that the shoes are properly impregnated before wearing them. Simplified said, the impregnation creates a water-repellent film over the shoe and thus the water-salt mixture can no longer penetrate the leather. Salt edges are prevented or at least reduced. You can find out more about proper impregnation here.
How to remove the salt stains?
Once you have caught a salt edge, the removal is not difficult. However, shoes must be treated differently depending on the material (smooth leather, suede, synthetic, etc.). In general, the sooner you remove the salt stains or salt rims, the easier and better you will get rid of them.
How to remove salt marks from smooth leather shoes:
- Soak a clean cotton cloth in milk.
- Gently scrub the salty stains with the cloth until they have disappeared.
- Dry the shoes with a second clean cotton cloth or a microfiber cloth until no more milk residues are visible. Tip: Do not use paper tissues, as these quickly begin to fuzz and easily stick to the damp shoe.
- Then treat the shoe with the matching color shoe polish and an impregnation spray
If you do not have any milk available, you can also rub the salt edges with half an onion or a lemon. After a short period of exposure, clean the shoes with a damp cloth.
How to remove salt edges from suede or velour shoes:
- Carefully wash the salt out of the shoe with lukewarm water. Simply massage the salt out with your hands. Make sure, however, that you only use as much water as necessary and that the shoe is not completely soaked.
- Stuff the shoe with newspaper and let it dry well. Please do not put it on a hot radiator, at most it can be 30-40 °C. Otherwise, the leather could get damaged.
- Roughen the leather with a velour brush so that the shoe spotless.
- Then you should treat the shoes with a special suede leather care foam and impregnation spray.
Alternatively, you can also remove the salt marks with a leather eraser, which is available in any specialist store.
By the way: These techniques can also be used to remove salt stains on your winter coats and gloves. This way, clothes and shoes will be again beautiful to look at despite the winter weather and you can look forward to wearing them for a long time to come.
