How To Remove Salt Stains From Your Shoes

If it wasn’t for sidewalk salt in the winter we would all be slipping and sliding all over the place, however, it can make a huge mess of your shoes. Leaving those awful, highly visible, white stains behind, not to mention permanent damage to the leather.

In the last few weeks I have heard a number of people say they have thrown their shoes out due to the salt damage. Growing up in Canada, this is a problem I am all to familiar with, but there is a solution that will help your shoes see it thought to another season.

Just follow the following steps and you will have your shoes looking as good as new.

Things You’ll Need:
Warm water
White vinegar
Bowl
Paper towels
Soft cloths
Shoe polish (optional)

1) Remove any grains of salt that may be stuck to the outside by brushing your shoes down.

2) Create a mixture of two parts water and one part white vinegar. It’s OK to approximate the amounts, and just use your best judgment to make sure that you have enough to clean the both Shoes; the required amount will vary depending on the size and of the salt-stained areas.

3) Dip a folded paper towel into the water and vinegar mixture and rub the solution onto a small stained area of one shoe. After it appears that the white stains have been rubbed out, switch to a clean, soft cloth and buff the area dry. Continue moving along the surface of the shoe, cleaning one small area at a time and immediately buffing it dry with a separate cloth.

4) Let both shoes air dry for at least 30 minutes after you finish cleaning them. Check them again to see if you missed any spots. They may only show up after the leather has fully dried.

5) Polish your your after they’ve completely dried. Regular polishing throughout the winter season will help strengthen the integrity of the leather and put up an additional barrier to the harmful sidewalk salt.