Getting rid of salt on shoes?

[nordicstyle]

Does anyone have any good tips on how to remove salt stains/salt marks from shoes? They put a lot of salt on the streets during winter where I live, so getting it on the shoes is inevitable. I have tried drying the shoes with a cloth as soon as I enter the house. Someone also recommended me to clean the leather with dishwashing soap (not the kind you have in the machine washer, but the kind that you use when washing up by hand--green stuff), but it didn't seem to make much of a difference.

I know I can just "cover it up" with shoe polish, but something tells me it would be better for the leather if I could get rid of all the salt first.

 

[Per]

I was searching for solutions to the same problem and noticed that quite a few recommend white vinegar and water, mixed 1:1. As I didn't have any vinegar at home I still didn't try. I have tried leather care products which I use for the leather in my car without success.

 

[Niels]

I also use a wet cloth as soon as I get home. If the shoe looks dryed out I polish it if need be with leather grease.

 

[DrZRM]

Fiebing's Salt Stain Remover

Works great, but dries the leather, so I always use something to condition the leather afterwards.

http://shoeshinekit.stores.yahoo.net/fisastre.html

 

[Biggskip]

Originally Posted by Per

I was searching for solutions to the same problem and noticed that quite a few recommend white vinegar and water, mixed 1:1.

The guys who run the shoe shine stand at Nordstrom told me the same thing. Put the solution in a spray bottle, spray the affected areas, wipe clean with a damp cloth when dry, and repeat as necessary. They told me that it can take several applications to remove all of the salt.

 

[zjpj83]

saddle soap?

 

[TRINI]

Originally Posted by Per

I was searching for solutions to the same problem and noticed that quite a few recommend white vinegar and water, mixed 1:1. As I didn't have any vinegar at home I still didn't try. I have tried leather care products which I use for the leather in my car without success.

Originally Posted by Biggskip

The guys who run the shoe shine stand at Nordstrom told me the same thing. Put the solution in a spray bottle, spray the affected areas, wipe clean with a damp cloth when dry, and repeat as necessary. They told me that it can take several applications to remove all of the salt.

+ 1

My shoeshine ppl tell me the same as well.

 

[nordicstyle]

Originally Posted by zjpj83

saddle soap?
Yeah, I also heard this, but I don't have any to try out. I also read that saddle soap dries out the leather in the same way as vinegar or dishwashing soap do. Judging from what other people have replied, I think it's fair to assume the leather will dry out no matter how you get rid of the salt, and the best thing is to clean it, let it dry, and apply a conditioner/wax/cream after. It does however seem a bit tedious to do this every time I have been out in the snow...

 

[gougoul]

Best I found so far is like this (leather shoes...)
1. You let warm water run over the shoes, for quite a long time.
2. Once they dried up, while the salt comes back, repeat 1.

Then just apply wax etc. as usual.

 

[HORNS]

Originally Posted by zjpj83

saddle soap?

See, this is what I would think to use at first - a light concentration of saddle soap to allow the water to "work better" by penetrating the leather better and dissolving the salt. Then use a conditioner a couple of times then polish.

I'm unclear on the logic of vinegar. Does someone know?

 

[zjpj83]

I've used some saddle soap in the past with no ill effect. Saddle soap, then cream and polish.

 

[Nexus6]

VINEGAR on a Terrycloth.
100%
Rub gently
Let dry (at least one hour)
Repeat until the stain is gone.

Best to do this asap.
Once salt starts to raise the leather, its almost impossible to remove those ridges.

IF you have the salt ridges,
do above procedure, only get a metal spoon, and use the back of the spoon to burnish the ridging.
Don't get carried away.

Be patient and dedicated and you'll get the results.

Vinegar is 100% safe and natural too