Anna said, “How do I clean cream Corduroy shoes?”
Cleaning shoes can be confusing, and even more so when they’re made of a material like corduroy. However, they can be cleaned. Follow the steps below.
Regular Cleaning
You Will Need:
- A soft brush
- A dry towel
- A vacuum hose
Steps to Clean the Shoes:
- Wash your hands.
- Run a clean hand over the shoe in each direction to determine which direction the nap is facing. The direction that goes with the nap will be the one that feels softer.¹
- Brush the outside of the shoes in the direction of the nap with a dry soft brush, such as an old toothbrush, or a dry towel to remove any surface dirt and raise the pile.²
- Instead of brushing the shoes, you can vacuum them to remove dirt and raise the pile. Use a vacuum hose in the direction of the nap several times.¹
Deep Cleaning the Shoe Exterior
You Will Need:
- Mild detergent
- Water
- A washcloth
- A dry towel
Steps to Deep Clean the Outside of the Shoes:
- If your shoes have any laces, remove them. Wash the laces in a sink with mild detergent.
- Fill a sink or bowl with warm water.²
- Add a mild detergent, such as Woolite, to the water and stir to mix.
- Gently brush the surface of each shoe with a dry brush or towel to remove any surface dirt. Brush the shoe in the direction of the nap.¹
- Dip a washcloth into the water, wring the washcloth out, and gently brush the washcloth over the surface of the corduroy. Be careful not to soak the entire shoe and avoid rubbing as this can damage the corduroy pile.³
- Repeat step 5 until each shoe is clean.
- Empty the sink and rinse it out, then refill it with warm water.
- Dip a clean washcloth into the plain water, wring the washcloth out, and gently brush the damp washcloth over the surface of each shoe to rinse off any soap residue.
- Gently press a dry towel on the surface of each shoe to soak up the water.
- Let the shoes air dry.
- If any lint has gathered on the surface of the shoes from cleaning, use a lint roller to remove it.
Deep Cleaning the Shoe Interior
You Will Need:
- Baking soda
- A vacuum hose
Steps to Deep Clean the Inside of the Shoes:
- Scoop about 3 tablespoons of baking soda into each shoe.
- Hold your hand over the shoe opening and gently move the shoe back and forth to coat the inner sole with baking soda and, if needed, the upper interior of each shoe as well.
- Let the shoes sit with the baking soda inside for about an hour.
- Dump the baking soda out of the shoes, then use a clean vacuum hose to remove any remaining residue.
- Repeat steps 1-4 until the interior of the shoes are clean.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Do not put the shoes in the washer. If the glue in the shoe soles gets soaked, it can become loose.
- Do not use hot water to clean corduroy as it can cause the material to shrink.⁴
- Be gentle when cleaning corduroy as the pile can become distorted or crushed.²
Sources
- Girls Just Wanna Have Clean by Vicki Christian
- Talking Dirty Laundry With the Queen of Clean by Linda Cobb
- Stain Removal by Stephanie Zia
- The Cleaning Encyclopedia by Don Aslett
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