How to Shine Shoes With Household Products

Shine your shoes with household items in a pinch.

Imagine this situation: It’s 10 PM and you start a new job at 6 AM tomorrow. Your best clothes are ready. You already programmed the alarm clock. When you go to get out your best shoes they look like they survived the dust bowl. You go for your shoe polish only to discover the cap wasn’t sealed properly and polish is dry.Now what do you do? With a few simple tips you can give those shoes a spit polish look with household items.

Things You'll Need

• Furniture polish
• Wax paper
• Floor wax
• Panty hose
• Toothpaste
• Petroleum jelly
• Milk
• Banana peel
• Spray Starch

Instructions

1. Polish shoes with spray on furniture polish. Most modern furniture polish contains oils which will not only clean but will shine leather shoes quickly.

2. Use floor wax. It's a great substitute and its neutral color works well on light or dark leather.

3. Buff the shoes with wax paper. After polishing your shoes, rub them with a sheet of wax paper from the kitchen. Not only will it give your shoes a nice shine, but it will leave a light, protective wax coat.

4. Use toothpaste. To clean scuff marks off your light-colored leather shoes, apply some toothpaste with a soft cloth and then buff. Follow up with clear shoe polish as soon as possible.

5. Grab a banana. Raise a good shine on your shoes by rubbing with the inside of a banana peel. Then buff with a clean, dry rag making sure to remove any clinging fruit.

6. Use petroleum jelly on patent leather shoes. Using petroleum jelly for patent leather maintenance makes good sense even when you are not out of polish. Petroleum jelly helps prevent cracking and splitting of patent leathers.

7. Clean patent leather with a little milk wiped on with a soft cloth. Buff with a dry, soft cloth, or a nylon stocking.

8. Buff with pantyhose. Grab that pair of pantyhose that have a run in them out of the trash and give the shoes a good buff with them.

9. Give your shoes a Spit 'n Polish. Of course you don’t use real spit. For patent leather look, try this army tip. Apply shoe polish with a duster stretched over your forefinger. Rub the polish in with small circular movements of the finger tip. Every so often dip the duster in clean water and continue with the same rubbing motion. Finally, buff it with a clean duster.

Tips & Warnings

• Use spray starch on canvas or fabric shoes to keep them in great shape. They'll be easier to clean.

• Always check the shoe care specifics before attempting any of these tips.