Five crucial tips for taking care of fine leather

Here at Elitefeet.LongIslandWiki.com a large portion of our product line is leather so we have a passion for the care and feeding of leather and we want you to get the most value from your purchases here. If you want you leather shoes and bags to keep their appearance and maintain a long life then you need to take care of the leather. Fortunately this is neither a time consuming nor expensive process.
 
     Taking proper care of leather is an important step in maintaining its appearance and longevity. Preserving and caring for leather is an easy process, and the results are always worthwhile. In order to lengthen the life of your favorite leather shoes and accessories, we recommend you follow these simple steps:


01 Get rid of the dust
Keep your leather dust free - put your (clean and dry) shoes and handbags back into their boxes. Dust will settle into lines and creases of shoes and bags - you can use an air blower (vacuum) or soft brush for deep creases and just a piece of cloth for surface treatment. You don't need any special equipment to do this. Dust and grit will act like sandpaper over time, embedding itself into the leather and grinding away at the finish - just a little care up front will go a long way.

02 Remove marks
Try to remove spots and marks as quickly as possible so that they don't stain or damage the leather. A quick search around the internet will provide a number of tips for removing stains - just remember if you're not sure about a treatment then try it on a small and incospicuous spot first. A pencil eraser, for example, can clean off many spots and marks on leather - this works particularly well on white leather. A 50-50 mixture of white vinegar and water works well for sugar and alcohol (e.g. wine) spots.

03 Conditioning
This is a process to replace the natural oils and conditioners that leather contains that often dry up over time. Depending on wear some leathers, boots and shoes for example, may need more conditioning than say a purse or handbag. In this case more is not good so don't overdo it as the leather can only absorb a finite amount of conditioner.

04 Polish
Close to conditioning is polishing although this will generally apply more to shoes and boots than handbags and purses. After you first wear your new boots or shoes it is a good idea to polish them. First, clean them to remove and dirt and dust and the polish to help keep soil and dirt from damaging the leather. No quick-drying quick-shine polishes - these contain alcohol which will dry out the oils in the leather - cream polishes are best and they can clean and shine in one operation. The olish should either match the color of the leather or be 'clear'. Test on a small area before first use.

05 Protection
When your leather shoes or bags get wet, then let them dry naturally do not put them within range of a direct heat source. Wipe off any excess moisture with paper towels and then for shoes, stuff the shoes with paper towels if the insides are wet.

If you follow these basic tips your leather goods should provide you years of enjoyment.

Wilton Landry
Elitefeet.LongIslandWiki.com
Designer Shoes and Handbags