Cleaning leather shoes properly

5 steps for cleaning leather shoes: 

1. Clean them and put them away every time we wear them to avoid unpleasant surprises the next time we want to wear them. It is best to keep leather shoes in a box or a ventilated place. 
2. Remove any loose dirt with a soft brush or a moist cloth and sponge. 
3. Apply the right colour shoe polish, or colourless shoe cream, as you prefer. 
4. Allow the shoes to dry in the shade. When they are dry, brush them to a shine. It is best to use a special shoe polishing brush making sure we use a different one for each different colour to avoid staining other shoes with the wrong colour. 
5. And for a dazzling finish, use a soft dry cloth to bring out that extra shine. 

If there are any stubborn stains on your shoes, you can use some ordinary household products that can be very effective. 

• Talcum powder for grease or oil stains. 

• A soft cloth with a few drops of ammonia for coffee or tomato stains. 

• A rubber eraser to get rid of any ink. 

When you use these remedies, remember to apply them to the whole shoe to avoid patches of different colours afterwards. 

These tips work well for cleaning the outside of our shoes, but if we want to keep our shoes as clean as possible and to prevent them from smelling, we need to clean them inside too. Follow these 3 steps to clean the inside of your shoes: 

1. Moisten a cloth with a little water and a few drops of ammonia and then wipe the inside of your shoes.  
2. Use baking soda to get rid of bad smells. Put a couple of spoonfuls inside and shake it around the shoe for it to soak in. Shake out any leftovers.  
3. If they still smell afterwards, try some of the specific foot powders.