Velvet is a very stylish and expensive-looking material that gives a portion of chic to your look easily. For this reason, many of us choose to buy a pair of velvet shoes to accompany our looks with them.
However, when it comes to cleaning velvet shoes at home, many of us find it a complicated task.
Velvet is apparently not the type of fabric that can be washed, some of us think. But how to clean it then? Shall I brush it? Or what?
If you also feel unsure and puzzled, this article will be very helpful for you!
You are going to learn in detail how to clean velvet shoes at home and also, we will explain to you how you can protect your velvet shoes from dust and dirt so that they require less cleaning.
Cleaning Your Velvet Shoes. A Complete Guide
Velvet looks expensive and stylish, but keeping this fabric clean and the same good-looking is quite a complicated task.
Velvet is definitely not the kind of material that you can just brush or wipe with a damp cloth! Moreover, such “cleaning” can even damage the material, making its appearance much worse.
Luckily, we have a few velvet care instructions for you today that will help everyone keep their velvet shoes in a perfect state.
Below, you can find a detailed guide on how you should remove dust from your velvet footwear, and also, we will explain to you what shall be done in order to cope with something more serious – for example, stains.
How to Get Stains Out Of Velvet?
If your velvet shoes got stained somehow, it is important to act as quickly as possible! The sooner you remove the liquid or whatever ended up on the surface of your velvet shoes, the better the results of the cleaning process will be. You just need to make sure you follow the velvet cleaning tips provided below.
Step 1. Remove the Liquid First
The very first thing that should be done if your velvet shoes got into trouble and became dirty is to remove the water or mud as soon as possible! If you let it soak the material, you will have to spend ten times more effort and time saving your footwear!
Blot up excess liquid with a microfiber cloth. Microfiber cloth is very absorbent, which is why it is better for this task.
See, thanks to its texture, it works well for blotting up stains before they manage to set in. Use the cloth to lightly dab at the stained area and soak up some of the stains before it dries.
Step 2. Create a Cleaning Solution
Now you need to get some cleaning solution ready. Mix some dishwashing soap and water for this purpose.
- Fill a small bowl with water
- Add 1-2 squirts of dishwashing liquid to the bowl
- Mix the contents together to create some sudsy water
When used sparingly, this mixture can help to clean off stains on your velvet shoes. As an alternative, you can fill a small bowl with lemon juice and add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to it.
Stir the lemon juice and baking soda together until you see that foam forms.
Step 3. Remove the Stain
Once your cleaning mixture is ready, scrub the stain with a toothbrush and wipe away the mixture. Make sure you use a soft brush since harsh bristles can damage the velvet surface!
- Apply a conservative amount of the mixture to the stained part of your shoes
- Then, scrub the stain gently with the brush
- Leave the shoes alone for a couple of minutes so that the mixture could do its job
- Then wipe away the mixture with a clean, dry cloth
Step 4. Dry Your Shoes
Dry the area you have just cleaned with a microfiber cloth by gently pressing a fresh microfiber cloth against the stained area. If you don’t have fresh microfiber cloths, feel free to use paper towels instead. They will work the same fine.
The cloth (of the towel) should soak up the moisture from the stain-removing mixture, which may help to dry the spot.
If you have tried applying a stain-removing mixture a couple of times but there are still stains that are visible, it may be a good idea to consider getting a professional’s help.
Velvet is a tricky material, so instead of trying a more aggressive approach to getting the stain out yourself, it may be best to find a professional shoe cleaner who has the experience and can delicately and effectively remove the stain from your shoes.
How to Clean Dust Off Velvet?
It may seem to you that cleaning dust off of your velvet shoes is much easier to do than dealing with dirty stains. However, dust can even become trickier!
If you try to brush the dust off, for example, chances are very high that the bristles of your brush will only make that dust get deeper into the material.
So in order to avoid ruining your velvet shoes instead of cleaning them, follow the simple guide we have prepared for you below. It is very easy, so even if you have never cleaned velvet before, you will manage!
Let Your Shoes Dry If They Are Wet
This step is needed just in particular cases. To be precise, in case your velvet shoes are not just dusty but wet. Should this happen, make sure you allow them to dry completely because velvet can become easily damaged when it is wet.
If your velvet shoes have some mud on them, you should try to clean them once they are no longer wet. Wait for the shoes to air dry completely before you try to remove any mud or dirt.
Remove Dirt And Dust
Remove dirt and dust by using a cloth or toothbrush. When your velvet shoes are totally dry, take a soft, clean, dry cloth and try to wipe away the dirt or dust that sits on the shoes.
If this doesn’t work, it may work better with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Either way, make sure you wipe or brush the velvet carefully in the same direction so that you don’t accidentally damage it.
Brush Your Shoes After Every Wear
To keep dirt and dust from getting onto your shoes, brush the velvet lightly with a clothing brush or a soft-bristled toothbrush after each time you wear your shoes. This will help keep the dirt and dust to a minimum, and should also prevent the velvet from becoming crushed.
Like this, now you know exactly what shall be done in order to clean your velvet shoes should tey get dirty or dusty.
As you can see, the cleaning procedure is pretty simple, so don’t be afraid to ruin your footwear! Just follow the recommendations precisely, and your shoes will look like new again!
How to Maintain Your Velvet Shoes?
If you want your velvet shoes to look awesome all the time, it is not enough to simply clean them regularly. Proper daily maintenance and care are also important. And for this purpose, we suggest you choose one of the protective ways for velvet suede shoes.
This stuff will let you keep your velvet shoes in a decent state longer without much effort.
Select the Right Product
Make sure that the product you will be using is safe for velvet. There is a popular belief that fabric and furniture protectant sprays work the same well for suede and leather, as well as for any velvet items. However, this is not true and such products can even damage your velvet shoes!
This is why you should look for shoe or upholstery protectant sprays. Luckily, they can be easily found either online or in general department stores. As you shop around, read the label to make sure that it’s suitable for velvet.
Make Sure to Do a Spot Test!
A spot test is mandatory. This is the only way you can make sure the product is safe on velvet. Even if you find a product that you think won’t damage your velvet shoes, it’s best to try it out anyway before spraying the whole thing.
All you have to do is to spray just a little protectant onto the back of one of your shoes.
Then, observe it to make sure that the spray doesn’t have a negative effect on your shoes. If you notice that the color is darkening or the material is hardening, be sure the spray is not your option.
Apply It Correctly
What could be easier than applying a shoe spray, you may wonder? However, people often make mistakes when doing this! They either hold the bottle way too far from the shoes or they keep it too close to it. Both ways are wrong.
Instead, you should hold the spray 6 inches (15 cm) away from the shoes when spraying them. Also, don’t apply too much of the product. Lightly mist the entire surface of each shoe instead.
Let the Shoes Air Dry Before You Wear Them
Set your misted shoes outside underneath a covering, such as a carport, for best results. This way, your shoes can dry thoroughly in the fresh air while being protected from the elements.
Touch the velvet to make sure it’s totally dry before putting them on and wearing them out and about
Well, now you know how you can clean your velvet shoes at home with just a few tools and some homemade cleaning products needed. Velvet is well-known as quite a tricky and difficult to clean and maintain the fabric.
Nevertheless, you don’t have to spend crazy money on professional shoe cleaning to keep your velvet shoes in a decent state! With these life hacks that we have shared with you today, you will be able to keep such a tricky material as velvet clean and good-looking with minimal effort.
All you need to do is to make these recommendations and tips a part of your regular shoe cleaning routine. And you will see how easy it can be to maintain this beautiful material clean and good-looking.
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