How to Polish Shoes With a Lighter

Knowing how to polish shoes with a lighter can make leather look like glass, but if you do it incorrectly you can ruin a decent pair of shoes. Never worry! This article will give you step by step instructions to ensure inspection-ready shoes every time.

Things You'll Need

• Leather shoes
• Can of shoe wax
• Shoe buffing brush
• Soft cotton cloth (t-shirt)
• Lighter
• Water
• Rubbing alcohol (optional)

Instructions

How to Polish Shoes with a Lighter

1. Apply an even base coat of shoe wax using the shoe buffing brush. Buff wax until the shoe has a soft shine. If needed, apply additional wax by lightly tapping the brush bristles on canned shoe wax and then continue to buff shoes until a soft shine is established. This begins to fill in the pores in the leather.

2. Warm the wax with a lighter. Hold the open can of wax with one hand and the lighter in the other. Pass the lighter over the wax to make it look wet. Do not hold the lighter to the wax or it will ignite. If this happens, calmly put the can down and replace the lid; the flame will extinguish. You might need to rewarm the wax during the shoe shining process.

3. Place the wax can lid next to the wax; fill the lid half way with water. To aid with evaporation during the smoothing of the wax you might want to add a cap full of alcohol to the water in the wax lid.

4. Hang a soft cloth (cotton t-shirt material is best) from your index and middle fingers and pull the cloth down tight, then twist the remaining material and hold it with your thumb, ring and little fingers. Place the tips of your cloth covered fingers in the water and then softly dab it in the warm wax.

5. Smooth warm wax over the shoe using small circular motions, rewarming with the lighter as necessary. When you need to pick up more wax, dab the cloth in the wax and then in the water. Repeat the circular application of small amounts of wax with water until the shine begins to reflect light. Dark colors can reflect colors of objects or even your face.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also obtain warm wax by sitting the wax can in direct sunlight in warm weather.

• Shoe wax is flammable --- be sure to warm it only outdoors and away from other flammable materials. Never try to warm wax on a stovetop or burner. Add wax sparingly because too much wax will cause clumping and cracking.