How to remove salt from suede and leather shoes?

Cleaning suede and leather shoes from salt is not as complicated as it might seem at first. All you need to know is a few basic rules on how to clean salt shoes, and keeping them clean and in good shape for several seasons will be really easy. Footwear made of leather or suede is not fond of excessive contact with water.

However, this does not mean that this type of shoes can only be worn in nice weather. As much as we can wear them in autumn and winter during rain and snow. However, there are two conditions. Firstly, we should clean these shoes regularly and waterproof them properly. Nubuck, a material very similar to suede, should also be cared for in a similar way.

How to clean suede shoes from road salt? Practical tips

Cleaning suede shoes from a fine layer of sand or dust should not be a major problem. However, the problem may appear when suede shoes start to be worn in autumn and winter. Unfavourable weather conditions may contribute to rapid wear of shoes, so it is best to take special care of them before the season. It is primarily about their proper impregnation. Specially designed for this purpose preparations can be purchased in most shoe shops. We should necessarily equip ourselves with a spray dedicated to cleaning suede.

How do I remove salt from suede shoes?

You can first try combing out this type of contamination with a special suede brush. This is the basis of suede shoe care. It is best to choose one with fine bristles. Another very good accessory for cleaning this type of footwear is a special suede eraser. It is perfect for smaller dirt and is available in shoe shops. It is very important to remove salt from suede shoes as soon as you get home. Leaving it on the shoes can cause irreversible discolouration of the material.

Importantly, light-coloured suede shoes should be cleaned with special care, as they can very easily become even more dirty during daily care. To avoid this, there are a few rules to keep in mind. Firstly, the brush used to clean them should always be clean, and after each use we should rinse it with water and let it dry. In addition, we should carefully choose the right care products. Ideally, they should be colourless and very gentle.

To clean shoes of salt, we should categorically not wash them. Suede very badly tolerates contact with water, especially full immersion. Washing this type of footwear in a washing machine or even by hand can lead to its deformation and discoloration of the material. If we want to refresh our shoes, a definitely better solution is, for example, a steam cleaner. Thanks to hot steam we will refresh suede leather, get rid of unpleasant smells and microorganisms, and our shoes will look almost like new.

How to remove salt marks from leather shoes?

Many people choose to buy shoes made of natural or synthetic leather. These types of material are much easier to clean and require little effort. Leather is not as delicate and susceptible to water as suede, nevertheless it also requires appropriate treatment. We should start cleaning leather shoes by wiping them with a slightly damp cloth dipped only in water beforehand. And how to remove salt from leather shoes? In this case, it is worth using a solution of water and vinegar. Remember that the water should be warm. The right proportions of water and vinegar are also very important, namely 1:1. Dampen a cloth in the solution prepared in this way and wipe the stains lightly with it. Then, leave the shoes to dry completely, preferably in a well-ventilated place. It is still worthwhile to polish and impregnate the dried shoes, which will make them more resistant to salt stains.

Read also:

- How do I clean mud from my shoes?
- How do I clean white leather shoes?
- How do I clean suede shoes?