How To Clean Leather Boots With Household Items

Leather boots can cost you a good amount of money, right? And how would you feel seeing your beauty investment looking old and rusty after only a few wears? Do not worry; the problem is easy to solve. You do not need to spend more paper looking for professional cleaning. You can use readily available household items to maintain and restore the condition of your boots.

Several household items you are sure to find around your house are all you need to make your shoes look as good as new. Here are some of the household items you can use to clean your leather boots.

Household Items for Cleaning Leather Boots

Hair conditioner

Well, you are pretty familiar with the conditioning effect that a hair conditioner does to your hair. A hair conditioner gives your hair a healthy shine living it smooth.

Leather has microfibers that have a pretty similar texture and characteristics to hair strands. And believe me, the hair conditions will have a similar effect on your leather boots.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a must-have in your home—the benefits of baking soda range from cooking to having medicinal value. You can take a little bit of the baking soda mixed with lukewarm water when you suffer from heartburn. Baking soda also comes in handy in beauty. You can use baking soda for facial routine and for softening your feet when having a homemade pedicure.

That’s not all; you can also use baking soda to remove any stubborn stains on your boots.

Saddle soap

Many people think that saddle soap is explicitly meant for leather saddles. However, this is a misconception. The name might make you feel that saddle soap is only used to clean saddles, but saddle soap does more than that.

Saddle soap is a perfect cleaning and conditioning agent used to clean leather products like boots, shoes, jackets, and belts.

Typically, if it is made of leather, saddle soap is perfect on it.

Vinegar

White vinegar is a perfect cleaning agent for your leather boots. Vinegar helps in removing salt stains on leather boots. However, vinegar can cause your boots to get too dry.

After cleaning your leather boots using vinegar, be sure to condition your leather shoes to restore their softness and shine.

Dish soap

Dish soap works perfect for your dishes, leaving them clean and fresh. You wouldn’t be disappointed either when you use dish soap on your boots.

Dish soap is perfect for regular cleaning of your leather boots.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste is among the household items that you can use to clean and maintain your leather boots. Toothpaste removes scuff from leather boots.

Toothpaste works on synthetic leather, pure leather, patent leather, and rubber shoes as well. All you need to have is a piece of cloth or a toothbrush to apply toothpaste on the scuff of the boot.

Talcum Powder

Grease stains can be a headache. Whether it is in the kitchen or on the surface of your boots, grease stains are always stubborn to get off.

However, talcum powder helps absorb excess sweat from your body, and it is also a good water absorbent.

Hair Serum

Hair serum helps your hair to restore shine. It also conditions hair and removes dullness. When you use hair serum on your boots, this is precisely the same effect that you will see on your boots.

How to Clean Boots Using Household Items

Now that you have an idea of the household items you can use to clean leather boots let us look at how you will use them to clean and condition leather boots.

Cleaning using Vinegar

Items: Water; vinegar; Cup; Paper Towel

Step 1: Pour a tablespoon of vinegar into a cup of water

Step 2: Dip a paper towel into the mixture and scrub off salt stains from your boots.

Step 3: Using a dry paper towel, soak the excess vinegar solution from the boots.

Result: the vinegar solution clears all slat stains from the boots, leaving them very clean. However, never use undiluted vinegar to clean your shoes. Always remember to dilute with water.

Cleaning using toothpaste

Items: Toothpaste; towel.

Step 1: Spread a generous amount of toothpaste on the boot scuff marks on your leather boots using one corner of a damp towel. Leave it to rest for about an hour.

Step 2: After that, use another corner of the towel to rub off the toothpaste from the areas you had applied it.

Result: The scuff marks will disappear from your boots without any hard work

Cleaning using baking soda

Items: Baking soda; mixing bowl; water; spoon; damp cloth; sprinkle bottle

Step 1: Put two tablespoons of baking soda in a mixing bowl and add water to it to create a thin paste. Stir with the spoon.

Step 2: pour the paste into a spray bottle, and then spray the mixture on the surface of your boots, concentrating on spots with the oil stains. Allow the boots to stay overnight or for at least 4 hours.

Step 3: Take the wet piece of cloth and rub off the baking soda. Ensure that you rub gently.

Step 4: Live your boots to dry naturally under the sun. You can also dry them using a hair drier.

Result: Your boots will be clear from all the oil stains.

Cleaning using saddle soap

Items: saddle soap; horsehair brush; towel; water

Step 1: using the horsehair brush, buff your leather a little to remove excess dirt like mud.

Step 2: Mix the saddle soap in water and use a towel to form a light lather

Step 3: Rub the lather over the boots using a towel. Concentrate on stained areas that need scrubbing.

Step 4: Dry your boots in a cool, dry place.

Result: Your boots will look as new as the way they were the first day you unboxed them.

Cleaning using dish soap

Items: Dish soap; mixing bowl, water; a piece of cloth

Step1: Mix the water and the dishwashing soap in a mixing bowl

Step 2: Deep the piece of cloth in the soap solution and use it to scrub off dirt from the leather boots in a circular motion until the dirt and stains come off.

Results: Since dishwashing soap does not have harsh chemicals, it will not damage your boots. Your boots will be clean and in good condition.

Cleaning using Talcum powder

Items: Soft-bristled brush; talcum powder

Step 1: Scoop a generous amount of the powder and sprinkle it on the leather boots. Leave it to settle for about an hour. After an hour, the talcum would have absorbed the grease from your boots.

Step 2: Now, use the brush to rub off the talcum powder and the absorbed grease.

Results: The talcum powder will remove all the grease from your boots, leaving them fresh and clean. If the talcum powder is scented, it will also leave a pleasant smell on your boots. This process does not make the boot wet at any point.

How to Condition Your Boots Using Household Items

Some of the household items mentioned in the list above are specifically used to condition your boots. Cleaning the boots and leaving them at that can leave your boots dry. Therefore, you need to condition your boots after cleaning and drying them.

Conditioning using hair conditioner

Items: Toothbrush; hair conditioner; water; a wet piece of cloth; mixing bowl

Step 1: Mix water and air conditioner in a mixing bowl

Step 2: Use the toothbrush to rub the mixture on the boots. Ensure that you rub gently in a circular motion. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Now, use the wet piece of cloth to rub off the conditioner from the surface of the leather boots. The cloth should not be too wet to avoid making the boots over wet.

Step 4: Let the boots dry.

Result: Hair conditioner has great waxing properties; therefore, it will leave your boots looking clean and conditioned.

Conditioning using hair serum

Items: Mild shampoo; lukewarm water, hair serum; towel/ soft-bristled brush; hair drier

Step 1: Use the soft bristles brush gently to remove dust from the leather fibers.

Step 2: Now apply the hair serum all over the boot and leave it to stay for an hour.

Step 3: Mix water and shampoo in a bowl and form a light lather

Step 4: Apply the soapy water to the boots and use the toothbrush to clean off the serum from the boot.

Step 5: Tap dry the boots using a dry towel.

Step 6: Use the hair drier in low heat to dry the leather fibers.

Conclusion

You do not need to spend a lot of money on professional cleaning of your boots when you can use these readily available household items to clean and condition your leather boots.

Besides, you will not encounter any hardships cleaning your leather boots since cleaning methods are very simple. However, should you encounter any problem or concern about cleaning and maintaining leather boots, let me know. I will be more than glad to help.