Leather shoes are a great addition to one’s collection of footwear. These classy items are usually produced with various leather types of high quality, making it obvious to everyone that the wearer has a great sense of style.
Agreeably, it digs quite deep into your pocket to purchase a leather shoe, so one expects it to last long. That’s why it is necessary to ensure regular care and maintenance of your classy leather shoes. And learning how to remove grease from shoe leather is crucial most maintenance ritual to keep it shiny and attractive for several years.
It is necessary to be careful when removing grease stains from leather shoes to avoid ruining them, which can amount to an irreparable loss. So, you’ll need the best cleaning materials and employ the right skills while dealing with grease stain in leather shoes. Here I will show you the best way to remove grease from shoe leather.
How to Remove Grease from Shoe Leather
Usually, leather shoes can get stained in the course of wearing them no matter how careful you are. But such stains are unpleasant to the eyes, and you need to get them off as soon as possible. Removing a grease stain on leather shoes immediately makes them go off quickly.
However, whether you’re looking for how to remove grease spots from leather shoes or how to remove old oil stains from leather shoes, the tips and tricks below are sure to help you.
Prevent the Grease Stains
Making an effort to prevent grease from staining your expensive leather shoe is always better than removing it. You can avoid grease stains by applying leather-protecting creams and polishes to your leather shoes.
These polishes and creams will protect the leather from grease. It makes the greaseless able to soak into the shoe leather, and you can easily wipe it off the shoe’s surface. It is necessary to apply the leather protector early when the shoes are new and after some months.
Blot Out the Grease Immediately
So, you were not successful to prevent the grease, and your expensive leather shoes are already stained? Well then, hurry up, and blot the grease stain right away using a microfiber towel.
Note: do not rub the grease to avoid its soaking into the leather and making it difficult to remove.
Sprinkle Some Absorbent Powder
After blotting the grease, get some powder. It could be either talcum powder or cornstarch, and sprinkle it over the grease stain. Let it sit for about 12 hours or more to allow it to absorb the grease. Use a “soft-bristled brush” to dust off the powder, and your leather shoes should be free from grease stains.
But if the powder method doesn’t work, you’ll likely look for how to get old grease stains out of leather because the stains have soaked into the leather. That takes us to the next step.
Use Dish Soap
Get a dishwashing soap, add a little quantity to your finger and apply it on the spot of the stain. Use a wet cloth to work the soap gently over the stain to form a lather. Then, get a dry, clean, soft cloth and wipe off the soap lather. Allow it to dry, and you’ll have a grease-free leather shoe.
These dish soap and powder methods of cleaning shoe leather are also effective if you’re looking for how to remove grease from leather purses and how to clean leather shoes without leather cleaner.
Use Homemade Leather Cleaner
You’ll need the following ingredients;
- A tablespoon of baking soda
- 1/8 cup of sea salt
- 3/8 cup of distilled water
- ½ teaspoon of white flour
Begin by mixing all the ingredients into a paste in a small clean bowl. Put a little quantity on a hidden part of the shoe leather to check for discoloration. When that is done, use a clean, soft cloth to apply the mixture onto the grease spot and leave it for some minutes. Don’t scrub.
Use another cloth to brush off the mixture gently, and let the area dry. If the stain hasn’t gone completely after drying, you can apply the paste again and again until the stain goes off. But always remember to let the shoe dry after each application before another.
If this homemade cleaner doesn’t make it go off and you’re still wondering how to remove grease from leather shoes using what you have at home, you can also try a mixture of white vinegar and water using a 1:1 ratio. It is also very effective when there’s a need to remove stains from leather items.
Apply a Leather Conditioner
After cleaning off grease from your shoe leather by dint of any of the said tricks, it is advisable to apply a leather conditioner to ensure that the shoe keeps looking great. You can get a spray leather conditioner from leather stores. Spray it on your leather shoe and allow it to dry. It’ll restore any natural oil the leather shoe has lost, hydrate it and give it a shiny appearance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What removes shoe grease?
There are lots of items that can remove grease stains from a shoe. However, the easiest you can try is applying a powder such as cornstarch or talcum powder to the spot and allow it to stay for several hours to let it soak up the grease. Then gently brush off with a soft cloth, and your shoe should be grease-free.
Q: How can I get grease out of leather naturally?
You can get grease off your leather item naturally by using ingredients that you can find in your home. You can combine equal parts of water and white vinegar in a bowl. Get a cotton ball, and use it to dab the solution onto the grease spot on the leather.
Then, use a soft, clean cloth to gently blot the spot to remove more of the grease stain and dry. The grease should be out or less visible after drying.
Q: How do you degrease leather?
Most items at home can help degrease a leather item. Alternatively, you can purchase a degreaser from a leather store and use it for degreasing. Use a brush to apply the degreaser on the areas of the leather item that have grease patches and allow it to absorb the grease and dry.
It will dry into a white powder. Now, vacuum the white powder and use a leather cleaner to clean off the white patches left. Allow it to dry, and repeat the cleaning until the white patches and grease stain have all gone off completely. Apply a leather conditioner, and the leather will be as good as new.
Q: Can you get oil out of leather?
Seeing your leather item stained with oil can be disheartening and make you wonder how to remove the oil from the leather. Yes, you can get an oil or grease stain out of leather by spreading a generous quantity of talcum or cornstarch powder on the spot stained with oil.
Let the powder sit for some hours so that it can draw up the oil. Then, get a soft cloth and gently clean off the powder, and the oil would have gone out. You can also use dish soap or a mixture of water and white vinegar to remove the oil from the leather.
Q: What dissolves dried grease?
The best thing is to remove grease once you see one because leaving it to dry may mean more work to do. However, a good degreaser can dissolve grease when it has dried. So, if you cannot get a chance to clean off grease until it has dried, you can get your choice of degreaser and get to work.
Q: How do you remove dried grease stains?
You can buy a commercial degreaser or prepare one at home. For example, a mixture of; 3 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 cup of water will do.
The steps to remove dried grease stains are as follows:
- Use a cloth to wipe the spills or any food particles in the area to ensure you don’t spread the grease while cleaning.
- Apply the degreaser on the area with dried grease.
- Allow it to soak in for some minutes, then wipe it with a clean cloth.
- Dry with another clean cloth, and the grease stain should be gone.
Q: What is the best leather degreaser?
There are lots of quality leather degreasers you can get. Some of them are Simple Green 13005CT Industrial Cleaner and Degreaser, Chemical Guys CLD_201_16 Signature Series Orange Degreaser, Greased Lightning Super Strength Multi-Purpose Cleaner and Degreaser, and many others.
Q: Will vinegar break down grease?
Vinegar has been trusted over the years as a multi-purpose cleaner, and it serves the best in cleaning grease off different surfaces. Yes, vinegar can break down grease stains. You’ll need to mix a part of vinegar and an equal amount of water.
Apply it to the grease, leave it for about 10 minutes or more, then scrub it off with a dish soap and water solution. Allow the surface to dry, and you’ll have a clean surface.
Q: Does coca cola dissolve grease?
Some people agree that coca cola can dissolve grease. For grease on surfaces such as battery terminals, what you should do is pour a can of coca cola over it, let it sit for some minutes, and scrub off the grease using a brush. Then rinse the surface with cloth soaked by warm water to remove residues.
Q: Can old grease stains be removed?
Yes, you can remove old grease stains. Although, it is better to remove them as soon as they happen because they’ll come off easier. However, if you want to remove old grease stains from materials, you may cover the area with baking soda and detergent. Leave it on the spot for some minutes.
Next is to scrub the grease with a soft brush or toothbrush. Then dip a clean cloth into warm water, and use it to clean off the spot again. Allow it to dry.
Q: Can grease stains be removed after drying?
Yes, you can remove grease stains after drying. You can make an effective degreaser at home or buy one from the store. Apply the degreaser with a brush, let it set, and dry leaving off a white patch. Wash off with a cleaner repeatedly until the white patch and grease stain are gone. Let it dry.
Final Words
Grease stains are not cute to see, and removing them from leather can be tricky and requires that one applies extra care to get the best result. The steps listed in this piece show you how to remove grease from shoe leather and maintain its classy look.