How to clean nubuck shoes at home?

Variation of tanned leather (nubuck) is a material of natural origin. Nubuck shoes began to be sewn for a long time, mainly for those who are actively involved in sports: tourists, climbers, etc. Over time, this material has gained popularity from other people, because the shoes from it have a number of excellent qualities. You need to know how to properly clean these products.

Currently, nubuck shoes are not only comfortable, but also fashionable, acting as a good competitor for leather or suede products. But not everyone is ready to go get a similar pair of shoes, as this material needs some care. And at first it seems to many that it is very difficult to clean it. Consumers immediately begin to worry about the question: how to clean shoes from nubuck at home alone, without causing harm to the material.

When purchasing shoes from any natural material, you should immediately buy special care products and tools that you need to use from the first day on. Also suitable for nubuck cleaning equipment for cleaning products from suede and velor.

First you need different brushes. They can be soft or hard, rubber or metal. As a rule, at specialized points of sale of shoes you can find a brush for each type of material, which allows you to easily clean your favorite shoes, boots and shoes at home on your own. Depending on the availability of cleaning surfaces, brushes are divided into several types:

• with one cleaning surface;
• having an additional layer, which is a soft sponge;
• combining rubber pile with a metal and spongy layer to remove dirt in hard to reach places.

Thus, there are both inexpensive simple brushes, and double or triple universal brushes, which cost more, but they are more functional. Therefore, when choosing this tool, it is important to rely on your own wishes and preferences:

• convenience of position in the hand;
• the size;
• possibility to fit in a purse or pocket, etc.

As an alternative, you can buy a rubber "eraser", which cleans the material from small and lightly stubborn stains, without causing damage to the quality of the material. Sometimes unscrupulous sellers may advise you to buy an ordinary clerical eraser. To do this in any case it is impossible - it badly spoils the nubuck.

The second thing that nubuck boots need is impregnation. It is important to put on the shoes immediately before the first putting on. It is necessary to apply impregnation three times, carefully processing the entire surface. After each application, it is important to wait until the product is completely dry. and only after that repeat the procedure. Such treatment will protect shoes from leaks and the negative effects of moisture on the material.

In the future, splashing water-repellent impregnation on the shoes can be once every two weeks, then they will fully receive protection from the formation of stains and stubborn dirt.

The third item on the list of main care products is shoe paint. Thanks to her, you can extend the life of shoes and regularly return her original beauty. To use the paint is simple: you must first clean the shoes from external contamination, dry thoroughly, and then apply a coloring agent. That's just not to get involved in painting shoes.It is needed only if there are worn places, the material has become dull, the color is uneven.

It is also important to know that natural nubuck has a rough surface with fine fibers. Therefore, only paints in the form of an aerosol are suitable for caring for them, and not colored creams or emulsions, as for smooth skin.

And finally, the fourth thing you need for care is a special shampoo. It is useful for general cleaning shoes. Industrial shampoo is quite aggressive, so they clean their shoes 1-2 times a year after the end of the season socks and strictly according to the instructions attached to it.

It must be remembered that nubuck shoes can be cleaned only if it is completely dry. It is forbidden to dry nubuck products from the battery. You can only in open space, putting the paper inside. It is impossible to remove even dust from wet shoes, because during cleaning it will only eats into a matte surface.

For evening, office, sports and summer shoes daily dry cleaning should be carried out. If it was dry outside, it is recommended to dry your shoes for two hours. Then using a damp cloth or cloth gently, without touching the material, removes dirt from the sole. The very nubuck should be combed with a metal brush.

For more polluted shoes, wet cleaning is applied. In a large amount of moisture is very harmful for nubuck, so it is unacceptable to wash under a tap, machine wash and soak. Special products are used for wet cleaning: shampoos, foams, stain removers and others.

The order is the same:

• remove dirt from the sole;
• brush nubuck;
• apply the necessary tool;
• fix everything by applying a water-repellent impregnation.

To care for nubuck shoes you need to constantly, and not from time to time. This ensures the durability of wearing, but can significantly hit the pocket, because special tools are expensive. In this situation, the popular methods of home cleaning will help:

• To get rid of white spots arising in the spring from the ingress of paving agents, ammonia will help. It must be mixed with water in the ratio of 1 to 4. Soak a sponge, cloth or cotton wool in a small amount of the composition obtained and wipe it off. After that, the shoes must be dried well, you can even hold them for some time over the steam to straighten the pile.
• Excellent win spots vinegar. A teaspoon of vinegar should be diluted in a liter of cold water. And in the same way as in the first case, wipe the shoes.

• To remove grease stains, salt is used, which everyone has at home. A pinch of salt should be rubbed into the stain with a sponge, and remove the residue with a napkin. If necessary, you can repeat the manipulation several times. In the same way, chalk or talc are used if the shoes are white or natural coffee, if black.
• Small, fresh specks are easily removed with stale bread. Crust can be used as a gentle brush.
• Gasoline, alcohol, kerosene, turpentine will help remove complex stains, such as oil. For cleaning you need to make a weak solution. The procedure is the same as with vinegar or ammonia. The main thing is to check before use how the substance acts on the material in its invisible area.

A few more practical tips to help extend your favorite boots, shoes or shoes life:

• Means in the form of an aerosol and spray can not be applied to shoes indoors.
• It is necessary to follow the instructions when using any chemical means.
• You need to comb your shoes every day and put them in the closet for the night.
• Remove dust better rubber and rubber brush.
• Deeply eaten dirt, complex stains and white stains are removed, if you hold a nubuck shoe for a quarter of an hour over the steam. The material will soften and it will be possible to clean it with a non-coarse sandpaper or a brush.
• Can not be used on a nubuck cream or emulsion. If there is an urgent need for this, the tool must first be applied to a sponge or cloth, and then on the shoes.
• Do not wash natural nubuck with soap or detergent. They form divorces that are very difficult to reconcile.
• Artificial nubuck shoes do not require such a complex cleaning that allows you to significantly save on materials for care.

Remember that as soon as the season is over, it is necessary to carry out a general cleaning of the nubuck pair of shoes in order to prepare it for storage:

• In order for boots or shoes to delight their wearer in the next season, it is important to follow a few simple rules: dry your shoes well; remove all dirt, damage and stains; take out the old insoles and sanitize the shoes from the inside so that the mold does not appear.
• Store nubuck shoes can only be in a spacious, but tight-fitting box, with the possibility of ventilation. Storage in the package is unacceptable - an unpleasant smell will appear.
• From time to time, shoes must be checked. If the material is dried up, then you need to treat it with a special means to soften the skin, dry it and put it back in the box.

Shoes made of this material are valued for its beauty, wearing comfort and quality. Of course, the easiest way to clean it in dry cleaning. But since it is expensive, and the nubuck needs almost daily care, you can clean it at home yourself. There are many methods to remove dirt and not spoil the material. Wash light shoes at home without problems.

On how to properly clean and restore the nubuck at home, see the following video.