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Sneaker Cleaning 102: The Don'ts

We’re back and we can’t lie. We’ve been puttin’ this article off for some time, friends. When it comes to shoe cleaning, we take it pretty seriously over here. We’ve received countless calls and seen numerous new clients come in after they've cleaned their shoes themselves. They’re usually extremely stressed out due to the fact they messed them up worse and hope we can "fix 'em." Most times.. we can’t. It inspired us to (finally) write the article. The “Don’ts of shoe cleaning. Here we go! 

Stop cleaning your shoes. Leave it to the Pros!

Quite truthfully, shoe cleaning isn’t rocket science. With that said, it’s also not as easy as buying some “shoe cleaner” product off Amazon and scrubbing your kicks either. Each pair of shoes is different. Textures matter. Scrubbing techniques and particular tools are necessary to ensure your shoes are pristine and blemish free. Some chemicals are guaranteed to cause permanent damage.

We can’t give you all the “does”, but we can definitely give you some “don’ts.

1. Stay away from Bleach

We get it. Bleach has been the go to solution since as long as we can remember, right. It can (supposedly) remove any stain. You know what else bleach can do? Turn your white shoes yellow and/or brown. Bleach is a powerful tool and you must be careful, homies. Too much and you're in big trouble. We’re not sayin’ don’t do it, but we highly suggest keeping your shoes away from it at all cost. 

2. The Magic Eraser. Is it really “magic”?

If we had a dollar for every time a client told us they cleaned their shoes with a “Magic Eraser”, we’d be rich. We admit, it can clean some parts of the shoe pretty decently, but it’s not enough. There's way too many styles and textures of shoes to be able to use an “eraser” for them all. It’s a cute, little starter kit, but you’re gonna need a lot more tools to get your shoes to “clean kicks” standards.

3. Drying Methods Matter. 

The way shoes are dried post Sneaker Treatment (shoe cleaning) matters almost more than anything. Placing them in too warm of a drying space may cause them to shrink or stain. Placing them in too cool or a drying space may cause them to harden, creating an issue with the long term elasticity. Refrain from placing your shoes in the dryer or they may burn and/or melt. Natural air is the best method to drying your shoes after a Sneaker Treatment.

4. Watch the Bristles. 

Make sure your bush bristles aren't too rough. We've seen plenty of shoe surfaces be mishandled causing them to rip, roughen or crack,. We have soft brushes, intermediate brushes, toothbrushes and harder/tougher brushes that ensure most (if not all) textures are cleaned correctly. The wrong brush can move the dirt deeper into the texture of the shoe. 

Sidenote - We highly suggest soft scrubbing (in a circular motion) when it comes to “brushing” your kicks during a shoe cleaning.

5. Call clean kicks

 We’re always just a phone call away, friends. Give us a call and schedule a Sneaker Treatment. We offer all kinds of services to ensure your kicks are secure, cleaned or painted to our standards, dried naturally and respectfully delivered back in a timely manner. If you have any reservations as it pertains to a texture, brush, or ingredients to utilize.. STOP! Call clean kicks, schedule an appointment and we’ll take care of the rest. 

Schedule a Sneaker Treatment Service today. 

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