Do you wear your clothes once they have faded?
Similarly, I am sure you do not do the same thing with your boots!
I mean you obviously do not have to discard your boots altogether just because they have faded, as unlike faded clothes, faded boots can be restored thankfully to return the shine and life in them.
But everything has a particular limitation to it and proper ways of doing the task, so while you must know how many times to polish your boots, it is equally important for you to know the best ways to polish your boots i.e. which products are safe for which boot material and this article is solely focused on that!
You can clean your boots of loose dust and dirt with a microfiber cloth or a horsehair brush before polishing them. Products like coconut oil, jojoba oil, mink oil, and few other natural ingredients work great for leather boots, while suede and nubuck boots need to be polished with their particularly designed artificial polishes.
Let’s get into the details to understand better…
13 Ways to polish boots
Before we learn about the various polishing agents for leather boots, it is important to know the proper cleaning method because dirty and stained leather is of no use when polished:
1.) Remove the laces from the leather boots and wash them separately with mild detergent
2.) Take a horsehair brush and rub off the loose dirt and dust from the boots
3.) Take a bowl and mix water and dish soap or a mild shampoo in it
4.) Dip a microfiber cloth in the mixture and use it to clean the leather boots thoroughly. Remember to move your fingers in gentle circular motion while cleaning
5.) You can also use a toothbrush in case your boots are extremely dirty and rub with it using the soap-water solution
6.) Take a clean cloth and wet in in water and use it to remove the soapy solution from the leather boots
7.) Let the boots dry thoroughly under the fan overnight
8.) If your boots have stains in it, you can use cornstarch for grease, rubbing alcohol for stains and artificial leather cleaner for other spots
9.) Now is the time to begin polishing your leather boots. For this use a fine microfiber cloth and dip it in any of the following mentioned polishing agents and massage in small circular motions with your fingers to bring on the shine and lustre of leather
Remember to work with the minimum amount of product because the key to shining leather is in polishing with your fingers wrapped in the cloth and the polishing agent or using a polishing brush
1. Polishing leather boots using coconut oil
While you might think coconut oil can leave behind a white cast on the leather, if you apply it in the correct way coconut oil will not only provide a lustrous shine to the leather boots, but will also condition them well.
2. Polishing leather boots using mink oil
The many benefits of mink oil on leather is not unknown to any. Besides polishing the leather, it adds conditioning effect, nutrition and waterproofing coating to the leather as well.
3. Polishing leather boots using vegetable oil
Vegetable oil is the most readily available oil in our homes. But never go in excess with it as it can turn the leather rancid in future.
After polishing your leather boots with it, do not forget to wipe off the excess with a tissue paper.
4. Polishing leather boots using jojoba oil
Jojoba oil is known for its deep penetrating and conditioning nature and the best thing is that it does not darken leather.
So, applying a small amount of jojoba oil to shine your leather is the best way of giving it a polish as well as the needed nutrition.
5. Polishing leather boots using baby oil
Baby oil from any brand is often very light in weight and mostly chemical free. So it is very safe to be used on your leather products.
Dab some amount of the baby oil on a microfiber cloth and using your fingers wrapped in the cloth, move in small circular motions on the leather boots to polish them and gain back the lost shine and lustre.
6. Polishing leather boots using Obenauf’s leather oil
Obenauf’s leather oil is one very effective ingredient used in polishing and conditioning leather boots. Apply it using a brush or a clean lint free cloth. Apply layers if necessary.
7. Polishing leather boots using tartar cream and lemon juice
A mixture of cream of tartar and lemon juice is very effective in removing stains from leather and in the process, the lemon being citrus and acidic in nature returns the shine to the leather.
8. Polishing leather boots using lip balm or petroleum jelly
We all have a bottle of petroleum jelly or lip balm at our homes. Using a clean lint free cloth dab some amount of any of the product to the leather boots and then work in small circular motions to get the shine.
9. Polishing leather boots using lemon juice and olive oil
In a bowl, take just 2 to 3 drops of olive oil and a spoonful of lemon juice and mix the ingredients well. Take a clean cloth and rub the mixture in small amounts and in circular motions onto the leather skin.
This will add a lustrous shine to your leather boots. Remember never go excess with olive oil and rub excess product with a tissue paper as olive oil has a tendency to rot the leather in the long run.
10. Polishing leather boots using banana skin
Banana skin is yet another effective and the rarest known agent used to polish leather boots. What you need to do is just take off the banana and rub the inside of the skin to your boots to gain a polished look. Do not forget to wipe off any residue behind with a tissue paper or a horsehair brush.
11. Polishing leather boots using wax polishes
Wax polishes like beeswax are the best for your leather boots as besides providing the shine and polish to the layer, they add a waterproofing coating to the leather as well.
12. Polishing leather boots using liquid polishes
There are a number of liquid polishes available in stores and online for leather boots. Just pick your favorite brand and do not forget to match the color of the polish with your boots.
Liquid polishes often come with a sponge in the nozzle of the bottle through which you can apply a layer of polish to the leather boots.
13. Polishing suede and nubuck boots using suede renovator sprays
Polishing suede and nubuck boots is a bit different from that of leather. You really don’t need to polish these boots like leather, but cleaning them thoroughly and spraying them with renovators and protectants does the job quite effectively:
1.) Open the laces of the suede or nubuck boots and wash them separately with a mild detergent and then let them dry completely
2.) Using the suede brush, brush the suede hairs to clean off the loose dirt
3.) In case your suede or nubuck shoes have stains, use the suede stain eraser to clear the stain spots
4.) In case of more intense stains, you can use rubbing alcohol dipped in piece of lint free cloth
5.) Once the stains have been removed, use the suede cleaner to clean the boots thoroughly
6.) Spray the suede/nubuck renovator to renew the colour and shine of the boots
7.) Use the brush to bring on shine to the boots and you are all done!
And it’s a wrap!
Hurray!
Today you have learnt about so many ways to return the lost shine and color to your leather, suede and nubuck boots!
Wasn’t that exciting?
Well, all my posts are full of such exciting and mind-blowing tips and tricks for caring for all your work wear.
So, stay tuned to the site and take care till we meet again…
