Effective Cleaning Tips – This time for your shoes.

We ask a lot of our shoes. They must take up from A to B and back again, several times a day. They must keep out the rain, protect our feet and look good while doing all the above.

So it is too much to ask that they receive a good, effective cleaning in return every once in a while? Here’s how to show your shoes some love.

1. New shoes often cause painful blisters on heels as the owner wears them in. Help avoid this by rubbing the backs of new shoes with soap, thus softening them and helping them get eased in.

2. Waterproof leather shoes by covering them with boiled linseed oil while they are still brand new. Repeat three times, drying thoroughly between each coating. You can also seal new or fraying shoelaces by dipping the ends in nail varnish and allowing to dry.

3. Stop patent leather shoes cracking by rubbing them occasionally with petroleum jelly, milk or olive oil. Remove scuffmarks by rubbing the area with egg whites and polish before wearing. Store them in a warm, dry place, preferably in their own box or shoe bag.

4. Remove water stains from leather shoes with warm water and olive oil – leave the oil on for a few days. Dry wet shoes by filling them with crumpled newspaper, then wrapping in more newspaper and leaving them in a warm place to dry.

5. Restore old suede shoes by holding them over a steaming kettle. Allow drying, and then using a suede brush to raise the nap.

6. Clean leather shoes with the inside of a banana skin for a beautiful shine. For brown shoes, the pithy side of a lemon can work just as well. Use cleansing lotion on white leather.

7. Get gold or silver evening shoes looking at their best by wiping them with cotton wool, dampened with soapy water. Dry and store in tissue paper to prevent tarnishing when not in use. A sprinkle of baking soda will get rid of any nasty residual smells.

8. Use a raw potato on children’s leather shoes to remove scuffs and marks. Apply a layer of hairspray after polishing them so the polish doesn’t come off so easily. Or apply nail varnish to areas that are frequently scuffed. If possible, buy two pairs of shoes and have the child alternate them, to cut down on wear and tear.