One of the most critical pieces that can make or break your outfit is your shoes. We all have shoes we love, some are more expensive than others depending on the material quality they are made of. But what happens when they get dirty? Do you just get rid of them and buy another pair? Or do you try cleaning them, saving yourself some money, and extending the life of your shoes? While cleaning your shoes may be the better option, how to properly clean your shoes is the bigger issue at hand. Figuring out what your shoes are made of can determine whether you can clean your shoes at home or take them for dry cleaning in Orange County.
Dry cleaning your shoes can be very beneficial as the professionals who work there have a profound knowledge of stain removal, fabrics, and the type of chemicals to use for specific fabrics. Although this may be a viable option, you should contact your dry cleaners in Orange County to confirm that they do work with shoes as some locations do not work with them.
Below are tips from professionals on how to clean your shoes the right way and which ones you should leave to the professionals:
Tennis Shoes
Tennis shoes are the most common shoes people wear every day. These tend to get the dirtiest compared to other shoes like leather or suede since those are typically worn on special occasions.
Since these types of shoes are durable, they can either be machine-washed or hand washed. If washing them in the washer is your method of cleaning them, then consider putting them in an old pillowcase or mesh bag. Throw in some towels and blankets that need to be washed so they aren’t bumping around as much during the spin cycles. Remember to take the shoelaces off the shoe so they can get an adequate wash also. You will want to set your washer mode on delicate and use cold water.
If you prefer to wash by hand, having an old toothbrush or scrub brush would be the tool to use for cleaning these shoes. Simply using mild laundry detergent or dish soap proves effective in cleaning dirt off the shoes. No matter your method of cleaning these shoes, remember to air-dry them when finished.
Canvas Shoes
Just like tennis shoes, canvas shoes are also made to be durable and are able to withstand at-home washing. When it comes to stains on these shoes, you should specifically spot-treat those stained areas with a couple of drops of soap or detergent and softly scrub your desired area. You can typically wash these shoes just like tennis shoes unless the tag states otherwise.
Leather Shoes
Most dress shoes are made of some kind of leather. Since these shoes are worn for business environments or special occasions, we want to keep these in pristine conditions. Like in the old days where people were paid to polish shoes, you too should polish your fine leather shoes to keep their appearance up and create a barrier to any scuff marks you get from wearing them. Aside from that, a regular cleaning with shoe leather cleaner or even dish soap can help keep your shoes clean and polished. Cleaning with a soft cloth or lightly brushing with soft bristles will do the trick.
Suede Shoes
Suede is a material that is fairly hard in cleaning yourself because there is a chance water will do more harm than good. Also the direction you clean these shoes needs to be strictly followed. This is where you would want professionals at the dry cleaners to handle your shoes. They have special chemicals and methods in cleaning special fabrics like suede, taking the utmost care of your shoes and leaving them looking like new again.
When dealing with everyday shoes, you can usually clean them yourself at home with no problems. When it comes to higher quality shoes with specific fabrics that are harder to clean, consider dry cleaning them in Orange County to prevent any damage to the shoes. Leaving them looking fresh and new again.