Cleaning > Clothing > ShoesMarch 21, 2010

Cleaning Patent Leather

I bought 8 pairs of patent leather shoes. There's glue around the tip of the shoe from when they were made; how can I get rid of it? I have already tried Zippo lighter fluid, vinegar, and eucalyptus oil. Nothing works. Thanks.

Damien from Milwaukee, WI

Answers

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By
03/22/2010

I don't know if this will work, but when I was a kid, patent leather was polished with a little vaseline and buffed. I'm thinking if you put some vaseline near the glue, and then put a shoe [for testing] in the freezer for an hour in a grocery plastic bag of course. Then take it out and using a soft rag [like old t-shirt piece] see if the glue hasn't raised a bit where you could shove the vaseline under the glue and softly work glue loose using vaseline.

Not sure if glue will raise up, but things freeze differently and I thought it might and you'd want something harmless and non scratchy to ease it off. There are things which take off glue, but I think they would take off patent finish as well, though nowadays patent finish is probably plastic, and baked on from the beginning. How noticeable and large is the glue?

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Archives

Here are archived discussions related to this page.

How do I clean black patent leather children's shoes?

jg


RE: Clean Patent Leather Shoes

Next time you make biscuits, save a little dough for you patent leather shoes. Rub patent leather shoes with raw biscuit dough and then wipe off the shoes with a cotton cloth. Then rub a dab of petroleum jelly into the shoes for a glistening shine. (06/23/2005)

By Stan

RE: Clean Patent Leather Shoes

Milk will clean the shoes. (06/24/2005)

By cindy

RE: Clean Patent Leather Shoes

Rubbing vaseline on the shoes causes them to have a nice shine. (06/25/2005)

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