How to get water stains out of leather shoes and a jacket? Snow melted on both of them. Now they have dark marks. I think there’s salt stains on the shoes too.
Gina Thompson, Brigham City, UT
Winter weather is hard on footwear and clothing. But I can tell you how to get water stains out of leather shoes and your jacket. It’s not hard to do–it just takes a little work. And everything I’ll summarize here comes from this article: https://www.tipsbulletin.com/how-to-clean-leather-with-simple-homemade-leather-cleaning-recipes/
To begin, I’ll share cleaning tips for finished leather. Even though suede is a type of leather, it doesn’t have a smooth surface and may change color when cleaned. Nevertheless, test these methods on a small spot out of sight to be sure they won’t cause damage.
First, if you don’t have a leather cleaner or saddle soap, you can use one part mild facial soap diluted with eight parts water. Spray that on a cloth and wipe the leather with it, rubbing against the grain. Once the leather has fully dried, treat it with a leather conditioner.
Second, it’s very simple to create a homemade stain remover for leather. All you need is a paste that combines one part lemon juice with one part cream of tartar. Use a microfiber cloth to rub that into the stain.
If the first application doesn’t remove the marks, apply more and let it sit for a few hours before you wipe it away. Then use a leather conditioner. This remedy will also work for old leather like a saddle, but be sure to rub gently.
Furthermore, if you don’t have a commercial conditioner, you can make your own at home. To mix up your own leather conditioner, you’ll need one part beeswax, one part cocoa butter, and two parts almond oil. This is also a great homemade shoe polish.
This mixture will need to be blended with medium heat in a pan on the stove. Once it cools, you can massage it into the leather, then polish it with a cloth.
In closing, I hope your boots and jacket will look like new again.
Joan