Cleaning Tips

Basic Cleaning

Basic Cleaning

When I say basic cleaning, what I mean is using a very simple method with simple common
everyday items that you probably already have at home.

This is in my opinion, the most essential and versatile way to clean your shoes.
Some people have mentioned using a washing machine to clean their shoes but I am staying away from that. What I've heard is that you need to put the shoes in a pillow case then put them in the washer.

-Use a toothbrush/hand brush, Water and a Dry Towel
Basically start off with running cold water from the faucet and clean using a brush (dishwashing soap can be added if needed), then use a cloth/towel to wipe dry. Optional: You can use a small electric fan to speed up the drying process.
If the dirt/stain is persistent, you might have to repeat the cleaning process a few more times.
You can also use a damp towel to clean shoes as well, that's if you want to deal with really dirty towels to be tossed in the washer. The damp towel method can be used on white leather uppers as well as midsoles for quick cleaning.

Notes: if you're still cleaning the soles (bottoms) with a toothbrush, you might want to get a midsize or a bigger brush. It's a lot more efficient in terms of cleaning as opposed to using a toothbrush.

Getting Gum Off Your Shoes

Probably the most common occurrence and issue out there is having gum stuck on your shoes. There are time when it comes right off, then there are times when it's a desperate struggle to remove every single sticky bit of it off your shoes. There has been many remedies out there for removing gum off, some may even opt to stick their sneakers int he freezer, which I really don't advise especially if your sneaker contains air units. If you can remember from science class, air molecules slow down in colder temperature, thus air units or air bags will or should deflate. Other options include products such as Goo Gone or Goo Off.
 
The method that I use to remove gum from the bottom of my sneakers is to use a Suede/Nobuck Gum Eraser, which can be found in the Suede/Nubuck Kit they sell at Footlockers. They normally cost $9.99, so preferably you might want to buy one when they have Friends and Family sales, which should knock the price down by 25-30%. The reason why I prefer to use a S/N Gum Eraser is because it is a much faster method to remove gum in my opinion. The eraser will cause the gum to roll up and flake off whatever it is stuck to. I don't have to deal with ice water getting all over the place. Nor do I have to deal with the awful odors of Goo Gone or Goof Off.