How to quickly clean nubuck shoes at home
Nubuck resembles suede, but only to the inattentive observer. The specially treated surface creates a soft pile, a unique look. But, unlike smooth, patent or dyed leather, these products do not tolerate contact with liquids. They need specific care. To understand how to restore and clean nubuck leather clothing or shoes, we first study the nuances of technology and secret tricks.
Hardware Features
The main difference between nubuck and its suede sibling is how it is made.Suede leather is tanned in a fatty environment, usually with processed fish products. The technology provides a tanned and durable suede of various thicknesses that is soft and breathable.
The weak point of these shoes is their extremely high hygroscopicity. It is worth wearing light shoes made of soft suede to enter in the rain, and they quickly get wet, lose their appearance.
But nubuck is made differently: the cowhides are tanned with chrome, which increases the strength of the finished material. But at the same time, in elasticity, it plays very well with suede. Not so simple and with cleaning: you will need special means, designed specifically for nubuck products. Otherwise, the relatively short coat quickly becomes "greasy", leading to the loss of the outside of the shoe.
In rare cases, a special oiled nubuck is used to sew boots or boots. It is not afraid of water, but it also cannot be cleaned by standard methods.
Important cleaning rules
According to the production technology of nubuck, the velor on the surface is created due to the action of an abrasive, this is how a special velor structure appears. The "maintenance" of shoes requires taking into account a number of simple rules:
- Nubuck products react negatively to contact with water, so you can't walk in them in the rain, snow, let alone wash them.
- Fat-based creams and impregnations are strictly prohibited.
- Excessive force is not allowed during cleaning. It negatively affects the heap, harms it.
- To avoid wiping the villi, you will need a special brush, as well as a spray can. Other methods are not suitable.
Before starting the cleaning procedure, the shoes should be thoroughly dried. Otherwise, there is a risk of damaging the surface, disrupting the structure of micro-hairs on it. Funds will need those who say "for nubuck". It is very important.
Clean only dry shoes
The emphasis on pre-drying is because otherwise the root cause of contamination cannot be eliminated.
Microparticles will be driven deep into the pile, which is not very long on nubuck, making it impossible to restore the look and structure of the material. And from a dry surface, dirt is removed with a special brush, which is necessary for all owners of nubuck shoes.
Cannot be washed under running water
Not all shoes are designed to be cleaned under running water, with the exception of rubber boots. Leather, suede, nubuck, contact with liquids should be avoided. Wipe only with special solution or spray treatment, no rinsing. Otherwise, you will have to forget about the attractive appearance of shoes, boots forever.
How to use stain removers
Various manufacturers "took care" to solve the problems of owners of nubuck shoes, providing special cleaning products. These are mainly foams or sprays that are applied to the surface and then removed with a special brush. Sometimes a nozzle is included in the kit with a cylinder; it is also used to clean nubuck. The rules of use are simple: follow the instructions.
What can be used
The category "allowed" for the use of funds includes everything, on which there is a mark "for nubuck".These are chemical agents contained in cylinders, brushes and erasers. Sometimes a cleaning or impregnating agent contains a colored pigment: this is necessary to restore the appearance of shoes, to paint over damaged areas. The choice of formulations offered is so large that it makes no sense to recommend any particular brand, spray.
You can always choose a housekeeper on the advice of the seller, according to your tastes and your wallet. Additionally, nubuck care products can be found at shoe stores.
How to dry well
Drying nubuck products does not involve the use of an open flame, heat sources, including heating radiators. It is better to use special electric dryers that are inserted inside the shoes. Another reliable and trouble-free way is to fill the inside with crumpled paper (newspaper). The cellulose absorbs moisture, ensuring the nubuck dries evenly.
Use of impregnation
An aerosol composition with a water-repellent effect is useful when walking through puddles, snow cannot be avoided. Impregnation will not completely eliminate contact with a liquid medium, but it will help prevent negative consequences.
Apply to a clean, dry surface. Then it remains to wait until the solvent evaporates and the shoes are ready to walk.
Cannot be machine washed
Machine washing shoes is stressful, regardless of the material of which it is made: leather, nubuck or synthetic. The consequences are, predictably, the saddest: a clean pair of shoes, but hopelessly damaged, low shoes. Therefore, contact with water for nubuck shoes is categorically excluded.
What do we need
The task was set: to clean the nubuck weekend shoes at home. You will need: a can of foam or spray, a brush, an eraser and a bit of common sense. Funds are applied alternately, depending on the degree of pollution and the expected effect. It is also allowed to use improvised methods, which will be discussed separately.
Aerosol impregnation
The initial stage involves the treatment of nubuck with an aerosol impregnation. It is sprayed from a balloon, dries quickly, leaving a hydrophobic protective layer on the surface. Of the most famous and prominent, the salamander is used, there are also simpler options - Shtrikh, Centro, Erdal.
Cleaner (foam)
A relatively easy way to restore the exterior of nubuck boots. The consistency is similar to shaving foam. It is applied to the surface to be treated, then the active reagent binds the dirt particles, "dislodging" them from the pile. It remains to wait for the foam to dry, and then clean the nubuck with a special stiff brush.
Nubuck Shoe Spray Paint
This tool is exclusively decorative: the cleaning is done separately, the spray paint on the wiped areas, restores the beautiful appearance of the shoes.
Among the manufacturers are the famous Salamander, Centro, Erdal. It is important not to confuse the color of the shoes with the color of the spray, so as not to hopelessly ruin the shoes. There are no universal (colorless) dyes, specific instructions, recommendations are indicated on the bottle with the composition.
Gum
A special rubber band will help remove dirt from shoes and restore the pile. They work with an eraser on a dry surface, systematically wiping away foreign inclusions.
Sometimes this helps to avoid the use of radical cleaning products when the shoes are not too dirty or worn.
Special brush
Let's book right away: we're not talking about toothbrushes, old clothes, or the like. You will need special tools - with rubber and metal bristles. By the nature of the effect, the brush resembles an abrasive, which initially creates a nubuck structure: it also restores the hair, removes stubborn dirt.
Shoe deodorant
A special tool allows you to get rid of unpleasant odors, clean the inner surface of the shoe. The appearance of specific amber is associated with various reasons: the habit of wearing boots, barefoot shoes, excessive sweating, etc. Deodorant eliminates odors, restores shoes to their original state.
How to clean at home
To “revive” your favorite summer shoes, soft boots, it is not at all necessary to turn to experts in nubuck shoe reading. What will be needed:
- dirty boots, ballet flats - one pair;
- cleaning products (eraser, spray, foam);
- alternative (salt, starch, ammonia).
Before cleaning, shoes must be prepared - dried, large fragments of dirt are removed from them.
My soles of dirt
Of course, you will need to wash your shoes thoroughly before cleaning them. This must be done so that the liquid does not get on the nubuck.
It is best to wipe the sole and heel with wet wipes or a wrung-out cloth, but do not wash them under running water. You will need to remove as much dirt as possible and then dry the shoes.
Drying
Nubuck products are not dried randomly, but in a special way. Better to get a special electric dryer that works from inside the shoe.There is no such device - it does not matter. Old newspaper, split into sheets and crumpled, has long been known as a proven folk remedy for drying out shoes. Just put a few pieces of paper in the shoes, then when they get wet, replace them with new ones.
Use an eraser
Eraser - standard office or special nubuck - will help remove small spots of dirt from the surface.
Shampoo solution for surface treatment
For cleaning it is permissible to use a special shampoo. Experts do not recommend using this method too often. Contact with liquid nubuck is harmful in any way.
We use paint and tape to protect the decorative elements
The use of special impregnations with a coloring effect (spray paints) on nubuck requires prior preparation. Inserts in different color material, the heels are sealed with paper tape (masking) so that they do not change color. And then the paint is gently applied to the shoes. Once the process is complete, the tape is removed.
Using Home Remedies
In addition to the factory compositions, the use of henchmen, folk, is not excluded. To do this, you do not need to go to the store, it takes a long time to choose the means. Nubuck-friendly reagents can be found in every household.
Sal ammoniac
To get rid of the characteristic whitish spots that appear after walking in the snow, the rue sprinkled with salt, ammonia will help. Diluted 1 to 3 with water cleans nubuck.
Vinegar of impurities
The acetic acid will treat the dirt on the nubuck. You will need 1 tbsp, which is diluted in a liter of water.The resulting composition is used to clean shoes.
Salt to remove greasy stains
Salt has been used successfully to neutralize greasy stains on clothing. It is also suitable for cleaning nubuck. It is enough to sprinkle the dirt with a pinch of salt, then carefully remove the resulting gruel with a stiff brush.
Starch
Dry materials such as potato starch or talc clean nubuck well, especially greasy deposits. These substances always end up in the kitchen.
How to use a nubuck brush
Working with a brush requires precautions not to destroy the heap. Therefore, the contamination is removed with light and gentle movements.
The brushes are available in polymer and metal, versatile, combined with a spray cap for cleaning. The main condition of use is the dosed effort.
Cleaning characteristics of a slight variety of materials
Lightweight nubuck requires special handling. It is advisable not to use wet cleaning methods. When choosing chemicals, select them carefully to match the color of the material to avoid unwanted stains. Before you start cleaning, you need to check the action on a small area, and only then process the entire area.
The secrets of good storage at home
Nubuck boots should be kept clean and dry so that they can serve for a long time. Launched and entrenched pollution will subsequently be difficult to eliminate.
And poorly dried nubuck deforms, loses its appearance. Therefore, before being sent to storage, your favorite shoes are cleaned of dirt (sole and surface), dried, treated with paint, then put in a box and sent to a closet or closet.