Boots are fashionable, stylish, and easy to rock. But cleaning off the dust and giving them that mirror shine look can be quite difficult.
While you may want to leave your boots worn out and weathered, it doesn’t take much time and energy to give them a good shine.
The steps for cleaning out and shining your boots are easy. In this exciting article, you are sure to learn how to polish boots.
What You Need to Make Your Boots Shine like Glass
There are a few things you need to have handy when trying to polish your boots. Before you learn all the shoe-shining tricks, here are some essential boots care materials.
Clean, Soft Cloth
First, you need a clean, soft cloth or rag to wipe dust and dirt off your boots. You can get a microfiber cloth material online if you are too keen on your boots. But a piece of old cotton sock or T-shirt will do the trick.
Shoe Polish
To make your boots shine like glass, you will need shoe polish. Get a shoe polish that’s the same color as your boots. You can get a neutral polish if you are not sure of your boots’ color or shade.
Shoe Conditioner
If you don’t have the luxury of time, you will need a shoe conditioner. They give your boots a good shine without having to polish them. Shoe conditioners offer good ways to polish shoes without polish. Thus, they are must-haves for every boot owner.
Shoe Brush
You need a brush to apply the polish or buff the boot to the sheen. Make sure you get a good horsehair shoe brush. A good brush makes all the difference when you polish your boots.
Steps on How to Polish Your Boots
The following steps will teach you how to shine boots and the right boot care procedure for your shoes.
Brush Off Dirt and Mud
The first step to the ultimate boot shine cheat is to clean off any dirt, dust, or mud on the shoe. To do this, you will need a shoe brush or a clean rag. You can dampen the rag with water to remove all the dust on the boots.
Let the boots sit for a while before you move over to the next boot polish step.
Apply Shoe Polish
After cleaning your boots, the next step would be to apply boot polish. You can use a polish brush, soft cloth or a rag. Using the brush, rub the polish into your boots. Use a small circular hand movement to spread the polish around your shoe.
Always remember to protect your floor while your polish your boots. Polish stains are not easy to remove. You can use an old newspaper or other protective barriers for this.
Remove Excess Polish
For even and consistent sheen, you have to remove the excess polish from the shoes. You can do this by using your brush to deliver short strokes on the shoe. This process ensures the polish gets into the leather material for a good shine.
Buff till It Shines Like Glass
The final step is to get the shine on your boots. To do this, you need a clean, soft rag—Buff the boots using a consistent back and forth movement. The result is always a glossy, shiny appearance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to Polish Boots Using Kiwi?
Polishing your boots with kiwi gives it a perfect sheen finish. It’s easy.
First, brush off dirt’s/dust from your boots. You don’t want to add polish on a dusty boot. Use a horsehair bristle polish applicator or a neat, dry cloth to apply kiwi on the boots.
Make use of a cream color that matches the boots you are polishing. They’re neutral cream shade for colors you can’t find. Leave the boots to dry so that the polish can absorb in the leather, then use the polish applicator to buff to a sheen.
How to Polish Boots Fast?
No matter how dirty your boots are, making them shiny does not need to take a whole lot of your time. First, remove the shoelace to avoid getting it stained with the polish. Stuff it to make it firm and easier to polish.
Use a polishing cloth to dab the polish on the shoe in a circular motion. Making use of a welt brush allows you to apply polish on the neglected areas.
Dry it for about 10 minutes, then wipe off excess using a dry rag to ensure every part gets an equal amount of wax. Sprinkle water and wipe off using the polishing cloth to achieve a shiny finish. Dry again and re-lace the boot.
How to Polish Boots with a Lighter?
Place an old newspaper on your work surface, and unlace the shoe. Brush off dirt using a neat cloth, then ignite the shoe polish’s content using a lighter.
Cover the lid to put out the fire. Open it and dab the polish on the shoe till it gets to every part of the shoe.
Apply water and another layer of polish. Make sure it gets to every part of the shoe. Wipe off and brush to shine. Re-lace and keep the boots to dry.
How to Polish Boots without Polish?
Not having a shoe polish should not stop you from rocking shiny well-polished boots. They are other things that can substitute the shoe polish. These are common items we use at home.
They are:
Banana Skin Shoe Polish:
With banana, you can get proteins and use the skin peel to polish your boots, that way, nothing goes to waste. All you need is banana skin and a soft cloth.
Brush off dirt from your shoe, use the white part of your banana skin to rub on the boot. Clean off using the soft cloth, then buff with another clean cloth to shine your boot.
Petroleum Jelly:
Apply petroleum jelly on a neat shoe surface using a rag to avoid leather cracking. Apply on every part of the shoe.
Olive Oil:
Using a soft cloth, apply a little amount of olive oil on the shoe surface. Leave to dry for few minutes. Use a soft cloth to buff to a shine.
Toothpaste:
Use a soft brush to apply some toothpaste on white leather shoes—buff to a shine.
Beeswax:
Beeswax helps in conditioning leather and helps to keep it lithe. You can heat a small amount of beeswax till it is soft. Use a cloth to lay it on the shoe and buff.
Wrap Up
Maintaining a boot can be demanding. You have to always clean and polish, or they will look dull and unkempt.
They are different ways to polish boots within few minutes, even if you don’t have a polish. Walnut oil, lip balm, vegetable oil, alcohol, and hair gel can substitute a shoe polish.
For a proper shoe shine, make sure you clean off dirt’s from the shoe with a damp cloth or brush before polishing. Never forget to allow shoes to dry after polishing.
