DIY water-repellent impregnation for shoes. How to make shoes waterproof? Why do leather shoes get wet?

What is this text about? How to make shoes waterproof at home. DIY water-repellent impregnation for shoes - photo step by step

Shoes that leak water can cause a severe cold. How many times have I been seriously ill, lying at home with a fever and a sore throat, getting my feet wet on the street. The question arose before me of what to do to make my shoes and boots waterproof.

I want the shoes to last as long as possible and be waterproof. Accordingly, constant care is required and water-repellent impregnation is necessary, which I do with my own hands. Now I treat even new shoes with a product prepared at home.

It is very important to regularly apply a waterproof coating to prevent moisture penetration on your shoes, be it melted snow or spring and autumn puddles. I’ll tell you how I prepare and apply shoe moisture impregnation step by step with a photo.

Why do shoes get wet?

There may be several reasons:

shoes are made of fabric materials that allow moisture to pass through;
moisture penetrates through the seams and joints of the sole and upper;
the shoes are cracked and no longer waterproof;
the sole gets wet - it is poorly stitched, worn out, cracked or damaged in some other way.

It is easy to determine that the sole is to blame for shoe leaks. In this case, the feet or toes will be wet, but the top of the foot will be dry.

Universal recommendations

In order for boots, boots or shoes to last a long time and at the same time look beautiful, you need to wear them correctly, namely according to the weather. Then the question of how to make shoes waterproof at home will not be so relevant. Here are some general tips for preserving your shoes:

You should always carefully study the manufacturer's recommendations. If they say the boots are waterproof, that means they can be worn in slush and rain. If shoes or boots are not designed for high humidity, you should not walk in them through snowdrifts and puddles, otherwise they will quickly become unusable.
If financial opportunity does not allow you to separately purchase shoes for the rainy season, it is enough to get ordinary galoshes. There are even transparent models on sale today that are not at all conspicuous. A great way to protect your boots is to temporarily make them rubber. Galoshes are better than rubber boots because they take up less space and make it possible to combine them with different shoes.
A useful preventive measure is treating shoes with castor or linseed oil or hard fat. The joints with the sole and seams should be carefully treated. They are most affected by moisture entering the shoe through these places.

Paraffin or beeswax

This is perhaps the most famous and “old” method. To use it, you will need a colorless paraffin candle, beeswax or other wax, or, as a last resort, a wax crayon for drawing (the same color as the shoes, or a little darker). The frequency of use of this method is 6-8 months.

Step by step steps:

Use a piece of wax or paraffin to “walk” over the entire surface of the shoe. There should be no empty gaps left, otherwise it is through them that moisture will penetrate.
Heat the applied wax using a home hair dryer. It will melt and cover the shoes with a thin protective layer.

Important! The seams should also be lubricated with paraffin to protect them from moisture penetration. If the shoes have been processed correctly, the applied wax will not crack after heating. Otherwise, you should heat it again until it melts and the cracks disappear.

Other means of protecting shoes from getting wet

All products must be applied to shoes in liquid or cream form. To ensure uniform mixing and melting of the components, you can heat them in a water bath.

Castor oil

Both the oil in its pure form and its mixture with linseed oil, goose or lamb (as well as other animal) fat are suitable. The components should be mixed in a 1:1 ratio. Apply the resulting mixture in a thin layer to the shoes, including the seams, and then leave for 5-6 hours for the applied impregnation to absorb and dry.

Petrolatum

Regular Vaseline will do, without additives, flavors or dyes. It should be applied in a thin layer and left until absorbed for 2-6 hours.

Multicomponent mixture

From paraffin (50 g), drying oil (200 g), castor oil (100 g), turpentine (100 g) and rubber glue (100 g). Paraffin, drying oil and glue should be mixed and melted in a water bath, then add oil and turpentine. It is best to treat boots with this product by applying it to the entire surface of the shoe, including the sole. After application, leave the shoes to dry completely for approximately 48-72 hours.

Paraffin and drying oil

Mix the components in a 1:1 ratio (you can use natural or linseed oil) until a thick consistency, dissolve in a water bath, cool and apply to all shoes, including seams. Leave for several hours until dry.

Paraffin, linseed and castor oils

Take 1 part of paraffin and 2 parts of each oil, heat in a water bath and mix until smooth. Apply a thin layer to shoes and leave until dry for 8-10 hours.

Paraffin and gasoline for lighters

Mix the components in the proportion of 5 ml of melted paraffin per 100 ml of gasoline. Apply to shoes only from the outside, leave until absorbed and dry for 5-6 hours.

Of all the above products and components, only paraffin remains on the shoes as a thin layer that repels moisture. The rest of the product is absorbed into the shoes, especially if they are made of fabric. In addition, paraffin gives shoes made of leather or eco-leather a glossy shine.

Adhesive and casein waterproof formulations

Dissolve 300g of paraffin, 300g of petroleum jelly, 100g of glycerin in 2 liters of gasoline (heat in a water bath). Immerse the fabric in the hot solution for 25-30 minutes. During processing and when drying, keep away from fire.
Heat 1 kg of drying oil and 200 g of paraffin or wax over a fire until they dissolve. Constantly heating this mixture, but not bringing it to a boil, coat the tent, especially its seams, with a wide brush, and then dry it.
7.5 kg of linseed oil and 300 g of wax (or 2,450 kg and 80 g) are boiled for 2 hours. The mixture is intended for water-repellent impregnation of tarpaulin.
Boil 150g of litharge (lead oxide), 130g of umber and 11l of linseed oil with constant stirring for 2 hours, and then spread the hot mixture onto the stretched canvas.
Mix talc with crude petroleum jelly in equal proportions, spread on fabric (coarse canvas, canvas) and rub in well.
Rub the paraffin into a cloth stretched on a smooth surface (table, etc.), and then iron it with an iron. But another method is more effective: dissolve 450-500 grams of paraffin in 3.8 liters of turpentine, heat the turpentine in a water bath, then pour in the melted paraffin. Apply the hot mixture to the stretched fabric.
A good result is achieved by rubbing boiled linseed oil. This should be done with your hands, and very energetically. To treat 1 m² you need about 0.25 liters of oil. It must be dried in the fresh air until the smell disappears.
To get waterproof felt, you need to prepare a mixture of 70g linseed oil, 70g kerosene, 30g turpentine and 10g wax, heat it in a water bath, and then apply a thin layer to the felt and level it until it is saturated. It takes quite a long time to dry the felt.
It is not recommended to use kerosene and gasoline for water-repellent impregnation of fabric, since it becomes low-elastic.

Prepare three solutions (50g of fish glue in hot water; 10g of alum in 0.3 liters of H₂O; and grams of white soap in 0.15-0.20 liters) and mix together. Apply the heated mixture to the fabric with a rag or brush. For clothing, you can take equal parts of all three ingredients. This composition is applied from the inside until the outside becomes wet.
Dissolve 40g of alum, 20g of fish glue and 10g of white soap in 1 liter of H₂O, wet the cloth, squeeze and rinse in a four percent solution of lead acetate.
To a mixture of 500g of milk casein, 12g of slaked lime and 0.5l of water, add a hot aqueous solution of 25g of neutral soap per 3l. The fabric must be thoroughly soaked in this liquid, dried, then placed for a while in a 2% aqueous solution of aluminum acetate (2 grams per 0.1 liter). Take it out, then put it in boiling water and then dry it.
Soak the fabric in a hot aqueous solution consisting of 100 g of wood glue, 10 g of acetic acid, 10 g of potassium dihydroxide, per 0.9 liters of hot water. Dry without wringing.

We invite you to read: A simple way to sew a blanket for a child with your own hands

What is important to do before applying water repellents

It does not matter whether the product is purchased (spray, ointment or cream) or homemade. Before applying it, it is important to prepare your shoes.

Step 1 - cleansing. If the shoes are new, then simply wipe them with a clean cotton cloth. If they are not new and worn, then you can wash the shoes until they are completely clean, then dry them thoroughly. If you ignore this preparatory step and apply a moisture protection product to dirty shoes, then small debris will be attracted to them, and it will be much more difficult to wash and clean the treated shoes.
Step 2 - polishing. This step will make the shoes smoother so that the water repellent will “lay down” in a more even layer. For these purposes, you can use terry cloth or special polishing products.

When applying a waterproofing agent, it is important that it covers the entire surface of the shoe. Particular attention should be paid to the “tongues” of shoes, which are often forgotten and not treated. In these areas, shoes are usually thinner, so the product should be applied in a thinner layer.

Not only its appearance and your health depend on how resistant your shoes are to getting wet. What should you do if your pair gets wet, should you only wear rubber boots? It is worth following simple rules: do not walk through puddles, do not wear suede and nubuck in wet weather, and dry the pair properly. But don’t neglect the opportunity to increase your shoes’ resistance to getting wet – there are a number of ways to do this.

Do-it-yourself water-repellent impregnation

I don’t think anyone needs to explain why a prepper might need water-repellent impregnation. Another thing is that it is not always possible to simply buy it. And if everything goes exactly as the survivalists expect, then there will certainly be no opportunity to buy anything for a long time. But rain and high humidity have not been canceled, so making your clothes and tent waterproof is an extremely good idea. And if you consider that such fabric also gets dirty much worse, then it becomes clear why people develop recipes for water-repellent impregnation using improvised materials.

There are three effective ways to create water-repellent impregnation at home. But they have some disadvantages, such as the need to use ingredients that cannot be found in the wild. Seriously, we don’t know, for example, what can replace laundry soap. As for other substances, everything is much simpler with them and their analogues can be found in nature. So.

Option 1

We will need:

laundry soap - 500 grams
baking soda - 500 grams
rosin powder - 500 grams
acetone or ethyl alcohol - 500 mg
water - 5 liters

Grind the soap to shavings. You can use a grater, or you can simply plan it with a knife. We heat the water, but not to 100 degrees, but to 70 - that is, we barely bring it to a boil. Dissolve soap shavings and soda in it. We pour rosin powder into alcohol, since it dissolves poorly in water, but, on the contrary, it dissolves well in a chemical solvent. Pour the alcohol and rosin into water and mix everything thoroughly.

We take the fabric that is to be soaked and immerse it in water for 12 hours (no less). After that, take it out, squeeze it lightly (just lightly) and lay it out to dry on a horizontal surface. The water will evaporate, but the fibers will be saturated with rosin, so they will absorb liquid much worse. This does not affect the color, nor does it affect the strength of the fabric. Of course, water-repellent impregnation will not be 100 percent effective, but the fabric will actually dry much faster and, on the contrary, get wet more slowly.

If you don’t have rosin powder at hand (and most likely you won’t have it), then it can be completely replaced by ordinary resin, which can simply be collected in the forest, especially in coniferous ones. It's not difficult, but it can take a lot of time. Alcohol can be obtained if you understand at least a little the principles of moonshine brewing (we will definitely tell you about this, but another time). Soda can be obtained from the ash of burned algae. By the way, this is a rather interesting point. The problem is that some recipes call for baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) rather than baking soda (sodium carbonate). And according to the classics, laundry soda was used to produce soap, which is much easier to obtain. So we will use this water-repellent impregnation

Option 2

We will need:

water - 10 liters
laundry soap - 500 grams
alum - 500 grams

Dissolve the soap in 5 liters of warm water, immerse the fabric in it for a while and remove it, squeezing it lightly. After this, dissolve all the alum in the remaining water, immerse the fabric in it again, leave it for a while, take it out and let it dry.

There is another way - the step with soap is exactly the same, but the alum solution is sprayed onto the fabric through a regular spray bottle. You just need to make sure that the insoluble sediment does not clog the outlet hole. You need to spray until the liquid begins to drain from the fabric. Next, let it dry a little and apply alum again.

Option 3

We will need:

water - 6 liters
alum - 150 grams
lead acetate - 150 grams

Actually, the good thing about this method is that the ingredients needed for water-repellent impregnation can be found in the wild. It's difficult, but it's possible. The downside is that the mixture in which the fabrics are to be soaked is poisonous. So the dishes will at least need to be thoroughly washed. Yes, and it’s better to work with gloves.

Lead sugar is an ancient sweetener obtained by boiling grape wine in lead cauldrons. Finding lead salts is difficult, but it’s also possible to treat them with a bite and get acetate. As for alum, these are complex salts in which both an alkali metal and an ordinary metal are present. Most often, alum is based on aluminum and can easily be found in the wild.

So, in one vessel, dissolve lead acetate (lead sugar) in 3 liters of warm water. In the second - alum in a similar amount. Give them time to settle, remove the sediment and drain the solutions together. Give them a few more hours to settle, remove the sediment and place the fabric there for a day. After that, dry the fabric without squeezing. This will give it not only protection from moisture, but also make it fire resistant.

PS. Oh yes, gentlemen, no one says that “This is how anyone can find the necessary chemicals in the wild!” We understand perfectly well that without at least basic knowledge of geology and chemistry this will not work. However, it is theoretically possible, and with some training it will become possible in practice. But no, no one said it was easy.

Protecting shoes from getting wet

First, let's figure out which shoes don't get wet. It is, in fact, exclusively rubber. Natural leather has greater durability, but only smooth leather. Suede, nubuck, split leather and other materials with a fleecy surface get wet faster. Therefore, protection methods are addressed mainly to shoes made of natural smooth leather. Let's look at how to make shoes waterproof at home.

The substance that repels water is fat. That is why the recommendations do not apply to suede - stains will remain.

To protect your shoes from getting wet through the sole you must:

heat 25 g of paraffin and 100 g of natural drying oil, then add 50 g of rubber glue and the same amount of turpentine. The option is suitable for technical shoes, boots for fishing, sports;

Regularly treat the sole and its seams with hard fats - paraffin, lard, natural wax.

To protect the leather upper, it must be treated:

a mixture of fish oil, wax and turpentine (40:10:3);

a mixture of paraffin and flax seed oil (3:1);

sprays from the store.

After processing, the pair must be dried and rubbed until shiny with a brush and cream. To the question of how to protect shoes from getting wet if they are made of suede, there is only one answer - use ready-made branded compounds. They create a film on the surface and do not harm the appearance.

Another tip on how to prevent shoes from getting wet and losing their appearance after treatment. Apply the compositions to a clean, dry surface. Dust and water will cause dark spots that cannot be removed.

Remember, the easiest way to protect your shoes is to clean them regularly with cream. Modern formulations contain the necessary additives that increase resistance to urban dirt and slush.

Anyone who loves suede products should know how to protect suede shoes from getting wet. For several seasons now, shoes made from this material have been at the peak of popularity. It looks beautiful, is soft, pleasant to the touch and has a presentable appearance. However, it is worth understanding that in our climate in the off-season and in winter, when there is precipitation and thaw, suede shoes can quickly lose their appearance. That is why it is necessary to ensure complete protection.

AquaBron shoe spray is perfect for caring for suede shoes. These are natural preparations that do not contain hazardous substances, are easy to use and guarantee long-term protection for suede shoes for up to 3 months. Spray "AquaBron" is easy to apply, does not leave stains, has no specific odor and does not cause an allergic reaction, which allows it to be used when caring for children's things.

How do water-repellent impregnations work?

The classic impregnation Universal Protector Tarrago is based on fluorocarbon resins. It impregnates the material through and through, and when it dries, it forms a membrane inside the skin.

Therefore, it retains its water-repellent properties longer. The pores of the skin are narrowed - drops of water do not penetrate, and air exchange is maintained - the shoes do not get wet and “breathe”.

And Tarrago Nano-impregnation is applied to the cream or aerosol dye as the last layer to preserve the fibers that prevent a drop of water from attaching to the surface. Nano particles coat all fibers, forming a protective layer on the surface and making it hydrophobic.

The surface treated with impregnation attracts less water, which collects in drops and is less drawn into the pores of the fabric by surface tension forces. Lotus flowers have a similar effect - drops of water simply roll off them.

Important! Impregnations should not contain silicone in order for the material to “breathe”. When purchasing, be sure to pay attention to the composition of the product!

Tarrago impregnations do not leave marks on fabric and leather, do not change the color and structure of the product, and do not dry out the skin. Applicable for all types of membrane materials.

Complex protection for suede shoes

Protection from moisture
Protection from getting wet consists of using water-repellent agents. Aerosols are applied to the surface of the shoes. To achieve a high-quality effect, the treatment must be carried out three times. After each spraying, it is necessary to dry the shoes naturally. Do not use batteries or electric dryers. Properly treated suede from getting wet is then easy to clean and serves for a long time.
Proper cleaning
Suede is a capricious material that requires careful care. It is best to wear suede products in winter when it is frosty. To remove dirt, use a special brush with metal bristles or rubber bristles. If the product is not new, then it is best to choose a brush with metal bristles, which lifts the suede. To care for new shoes, a softer brush is required.
Material Update
Even those who wear their shoes carefully cannot be immune from unsightly whitish spots that appear due to the accumulation of dirt. It is quite difficult to get rid of such contaminants, so timely updating of shoes using special coloring sprays is required. The shoes are first cleaned and dried, after which paint is applied to them. This update helps refresh the color of the suede and protect it from getting wet.
Deep cleaning
Heavily soiled shoes should not be washed under the tap. There are special foams for cleaning suede. They are applied to the surface of the material and help remove even heavy dirt. Among folk remedies, it is worth noting cleaning suede with ammonia, which is diluted with soap solution in a ratio of 5:1 and is used to treat a contaminated product.

After the season ends, suede shoes must be cleaned, treated with sprays and put in a box, since suede products do not like plastic bags.

Shoe stores often offer suede shoes, but buyers are hesitant and afraid to buy them, as they consider suede to be an impractical material that is not suitable for our modern weather conditions. In fact, boots and boots made of suede are durable and of good quality, they look original and stylish on the foot. The main thing is to know how to care for suede shoes, and they will serve you faithfully.

Animal skin is subjected to special treatment; fish, seal or bone fat, and vegetable oils are used as tanning agents. The result is a soft, velvety on both sides and very durable material - suede, from which shoes, clothes, bags and accessories are sewn. Things made from it look original, stylish and expensive.

Suede happens:

natural. For its production, only high-quality expensive raw materials are used: elk, deer, and roe deer leather. The process of dressing and processing is long and complex, so such products are high in price;
artificial. Only a professional can distinguish it from the natural one by appearance. This is a special fleecy fabric treated with various impregnations for strength, water resistance and color retention. But it does not have durability and allows water to pass through, which is quite cold in winter.

How often to apply impregnation

It is recommended to apply impregnation approximately once every 2 weeks.

If you spend a lot of time outside, and the weather is raging and it’s raining like buckets, or it’s sleeting, or there’s slush outside, and the day before there was ice and the roads were generously sprinkled with salt and reagents, then use water-repellent impregnations every day!

Due to mechanical impact (for example, stepping on a shoe in public transport), the protective membrane of Nano-impregnation may be damaged. In such cases, the impregnation is reapplied.

Important! Impregnation cannot be applied to wet material, only dry and cleansed leather and textiles. Process outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.

Ask for Tarrago products in shoe stores in your city. Map of sales points and list of online stores.

We suggest you read: How to get rid of the smell of sweat from shoes - available methods

Protect all shoes from water, dirt and reagents!

What to look for when purchasing

How to distinguish natural suede from artificial one? Use a few rules.

Natural suede has a pleasant leather smell, while its substitute will smell like glue, chemicals, or paint.
Suede, by definition, cannot be cheap.
The shoes may get wet on top, but moisture will never penetrate inside; the surface swells and becomes impenetrable.
If you run your finger over the suede, the color changes, the fibers tilt at a certain angle and refract the light.
The leather is velvety on both sides, a fabric base is unacceptable.
The edges of the finished products are not folded, and the cut can be used to identify genuine leather; the edges of artificial suede are processed so that they do not fray.
Suede never has an even and smooth surface; its structure is porous, has scratches and small defects. The coloring is heterogeneous.
Things made from natural suede are very warm and at the same time “breathe”, allowing air to circulate freely without collecting condensation.
Place your hand on the surface, the natural material will immediately warm up.

To make your shoes look like they came straight from the store, remember a few tips on how to care for suede and get special products.

Primary processing

Suede easily absorbs water, so as soon as you bring a box of new shoes home, immediately treat the suede surface with a special product to protect it from water, snow, dirt, and salt. After drying, a transparent invisible layer is formed, which will give boots and boots invulnerability in bad weather.

For the best effect, the procedure should be carried out twice, or even three times, with a break for drying.

Shoe cleaning

After each use, regardless of the weather, shoes must be cleaned of dust and dirt. First of all, you need to dry it in natural conditions, otherwise you will only rub the dirt stains deeper when cleaning. Drying on a radiator is strictly prohibited, otherwise the skin will become rough.

For minor stains, use special suede brushes. For severe contamination, you can use a soap solution with the addition of ammonia in a ratio of 5 to 1. The product is applied with a brush, washed off with a clean sponge and wiped dry with a napkin.

Shiny stains can be removed with a cotton swab soaked in ammonia.

Velvety is the highlight of suede shoes and, at the same time, its weak point. Due to the increased “shaggyness”, dust and dirt get clogged between the fibers, so they need regular cleaning.

To make a suede product look velvety, the pile should be lifted with a special rubber brush or an ordinary school eraser.

If the pile is caked, then arrange a water bath - hold the shoes over the steam and wipe with flannel. This is a very effective remedy.

Color restoration

Restorative spray paint will help refresh the color. It should be applied to suede and wait until it dries completely. It not only helps restore color, but also has additional protective functions. When purchasing a restorer, be sure to choose a shade that is as close as possible to the “native” one, otherwise the paint may go on unevenly.

And if there are no problems with black, then choosing the right shade for a brown pair can be difficult, and sometimes almost impossible for a colored pair. Try staining a piece of suede from the inside first to make sure the result is positive, and only then proceed with restoration.

There are many folk remedies for restoring color, but they should be used carefully so as not to cause harm. For brown shoes, you can use coffee grounds, which are lightly rubbed in and brushed off with a brush after drying.

White suede can be wiped with baby talcum powder; it also perfectly removes greasy stains. Black shoes can be refreshed with a marker, especially in the area of scuffs.

To care for suede shoes, be sure to purchase protective and auxiliary products.

Water repellent spray. Protects from water, dirt, salt, deformation. Convenient to use, but has too strong a smell.
Impregnation. Has the same protective functions as the spray. For suede, impregnation based on fluorocarbon resin is best suited, but silicate ones can also be used.
Foam cleaner. Serves for soft and gentle cleaning. It is applied to shoes by spraying and removed with a sponge.
Restoring paint. In addition to protecting against dirt and moisture, it hides scratches and minor defects. Renews and refreshes color.
Stretcher. New. After application, you need to walk around with your shoes on a little, the leather will soften and the shoes will “sit” on your feet and stretch to fit.

When caring for suede shoes at home, it is very important to use various brushes:

hard brush. Allows you to remove dust and dirt. Use gently to avoid leaving scratches;
the eraser will rid the suede of greasy stains;
The crepe brush returns the velvety feel.

It is advisable to purchase a universal brush that combines several functions.

LiveInternetLiveInternet

Multi-colored shoes in bright, rich tones are popular not only among women and children. More and more men also began to treat her with favor and without an ambiguous smile. Offers of fashion trends necessarily contain at least one or two positions of colored shoes - both as independent models and in an ensemble with bags. And some shoe manufacturers generally distinguish separate lines consisting exclusively of shoes, boots, sandals of the most colorful and unimaginable colors.

Colored shoes look very impressive and are pleasant to wear. But what’s unpleasant is caring for her. No, it’s not about washing, drying, wiping and putting it on a block in time. We are talking about cream, because it is the cream that allows you to preserve the appearance of the shoes - both color and shape. Who tried - can’t find it, no! - at least roughly choosing a suitable product for caring for your shoes in the color “orange spark” or “purple with blue”, he is absolutely sure that such searches are hopeless. This is especially offensive if the shoes are expensive and if this particular pair fits perfectly with a certain outfit.

The colorless cream does not save you for long - at most for a month or two. It, of course, adds gloss and protects against drying out and cracking, but then, during wear, minor damage appears (scratches, wrinkles, creases, abrasions), which require only a “matching” cream. And, of course, a complete disaster - an accidentally knocked off toe of your favorite (and even expensive!) shoes... Touch-up in most cases leaves a “stain effect”, which is why repair shops are extremely reluctant to undertake such work, and most often refuse.

The situation with children's shoes is even sadder: kids have no time for decorum and neatness. They need to run, jump, climb trees, and new shoes very quickly cease to be “new.” What can you do? You can’t force your child to walk in line all day and only worry about not scratching his colored boots! This is no longer childhood, but some kind of concentration camp.

Meanwhile, making shoe polish at home is not at all that difficult. It will be based on beeswax (or paraffin) and light (purified) turpentine. Everything is clear with turpentine - it is sold in stores and departments of household goods or at the market. But we need to talk about wax separately. For those who like bright gloss and “mirror” shine on shoes, the cream should be made on good natural wax. You can buy it on the market from sellers of “bee” goods or in special stores.

For those who prefer a noble matte shine to their shoes, paraffin from a regular white candle is suitable.

Only oil paints are suitable for “homemade” shoe polish. The drying oil on which they are made is ideally combined with the fatty base of the wax and is easily dissolved by turpentine. This makes it possible to guarantee a homogeneous mass in which the coloring pigment will be evenly distributed. Small tubes of oil paints are sold in art and office supply stores. Each color - green, red, blue - has many “professional” shades, allowing you to choose the most suitable one for a given pair of shoes.

You only need half a glass of turpentine. Before mixing with other components, turpentine must be warmed well to “very warm”. There are some peculiarities here. Under no circumstances should you do this over an open fire - the liquid will catch fire. The correct way is a water bath. Pour 5-7 cm of water into the pan and place another smaller container in it, in which the turpentine will be heated. It is better if the smaller container has a handle - a ladle, for example, or a small saucepan, the handles of which will hold it on the sides of the larger container, as if suspended. The bottom of the ladle should be slightly submerged in water so that the hot water warms the turpentine. From time to time we take out the ladle, put our palm on the outside and check the temperature of the liquid.

Rub wax or paraffin on a grater. To make it crumble better, you can first put it in the freezer for an hour or two, then the crumbs will be finer and more crumbly. Pour three tablespoons of the resulting crumbs into a container and melt over very low heat. Stirring constantly, pour the melted wax into the heated turpentine removed from the water bath. Add oil paint there, continuing to stir and carefully monitoring the color concentration. Pour the finished mixture into a jar with a screw-on lid.

When the cream cools, it will look like a homogeneous colored paste. No special storage conditions are required. Use it like regular shoe polish: apply, brush, then cloth. Of course, both a brush and a cloth for a pair of colored boots and colored cream will have to be provided separately. But what a pleasure - colorful shoes in perfect condition!

Tags: shoes shoe polish useful tips how to make

How to store suede shoes

In order for suede products to last a long time, they must be stored correctly. Shoes should be thoroughly dried, cleaned, and special plastic shoes or crumpled newspaper should be inserted into them. It is advisable to choose a dark, cool place for storage.

Do not store suede products in plastic bags to avoid the appearance of fungus or mold; use shoe boxes or a special shoe cabinet. Place moth repellent nearby.

High tops should not be folded or wrinkled, otherwise “creases” and stripes will remain.

Be sure to study all the tips on how to care for suede shoes, because they are expensive, and incorrect actions can significantly shorten the life of your favorite boots.

Try to wear suede shoes in dry weather, they do not like adverse weather conditions: snow, rain, mud.
Do not use products designed to care for smooth skin.
Carry out all manipulations with suede only after it has completely dried. To speed up drying, stuff the inside of the shoes with crumpled newspaper and dry only in natural conditions.
Avoid sunlight, shoes will fade and lose color.
If you don’t have a special brush for suede at home, then use folk methods: remove dirt with a crust of rye bread, and for a velvety feel, hold your shoes over hot steam and brush them with a regular clothes brush.
Do not make circular movements with the brush, this will damage the material. Cleaning should be done using movements in one direction.
Glycerin perfectly removes salt stains.
For white shoes, you can use regular toothpaste. It will perfectly remove stains from suede. Ammonia and hydrogen peroxide will help restore the snow-white appearance: add a spoonful to a glass of water and treat the surface.
At least once a week, apply a protective water-repellent spray to your shoes.
Under no circumstances should you wash off the dirt with water; it will make the suede dull and the stains will still not disappear.

Should you buy suede shoes?

Despite some troublesome care, suede products are very popular. They are very comfortable to wear, durable and indicate that their owner is not devoid of refined taste.

If you properly care for suede boots, sneakers, boots, they will look great and last for more than one season. Arm yourself with brushes and protective equipment, do not be lazy to clean the suede from dust, dirt, whitish stains of salt and reagents. If you are not ready to do this yourself, then any dry cleaner will get your boots in order.

It’s not difficult to prepare moisture-resistant impregnation; I think you’ll find candles at home. Castor and linseed oil can be bought at the pharmacy.

Castor oil - 2 teaspoons
Flaxseed oil - 2 teaspoons
Paraffin - 1 teaspoon (candle grated)

Flaxseed oil is good for health. It is used for cosmetic purposes to improve facial skin, so the oil will not go to waste if there is a residue left in the bottle. Castor oil is useful for lubricating eyebrows and eyelashes for rapid growth. These products will make our shoes healthier from getting wet and are necessary for the beauty of women.

How to treat shoes from water, dirt and reagents.

The strength of most materials is lower when wet than when dry. Leather and textiles degrade faster.
At low temperatures, water in the product expands, which leads to rupture of the fabric or protective membrane.
Water forms a film, the membrane will stop breathing - the vapors have nowhere to go.
After drying, the skin loses its elasticity, becomes stiff, and cracks.

Reagents inside the leather continue to destroy shoes if neutralizing agents are not used promptly.
Special water-repellent impregnations will help protect your shoes and yourself from getting wet and hypothermia in advance. Universal impregnations are intended for suede, leather, textiles and high-tech membranes. Suitable for different skin types.

Impregnations are designed to protect shoes and clothing from getting wet, salts and dirt. After processing the product, water and dirt are not retained by the surface of the shoe, after which they can be easily removed with a sponge or cloth.

We suggest you read: How to repair a hole in a suspended ceiling: we repair the canvas with our own hands

Regular use of shoe products improves the appearance of the product and allows it to last longer. Suitable for the whole family.

How to prepare impregnation for shoes

Processing my boots is not a difficult job at all, the main thing is to follow the sequence of actions and it will take very little time.

I have different candles at home. We grate it on a fine grater and get crumbs.

Add two teaspoons of linseed and castor oil to the dishes, add one heaped teaspoon of paraffin.

Stir until completely dissolved and heat on a steam drum.

Let the mixture cool to a warm state. Pour the resulting mass into a prepared jar, possibly from a baby food jar, or an empty cream jar.

How to properly treat shoes

Before processing shoes, they must be clean and dry. First, I clean the dirt from my shoes with a dry brush and an old toothbrush will do for cleaning the soles. I don’t throw away used toothbrushes; they come in handy for helping with many household chores.

Then, with a damp cloth or foam sponge slightly moistened with a solution of laundry soap, I wipe the top and bottom of the shoes, the seams of the shoes and let them dry before the next processing step.

Before applying the prepared product, I will run a hot jet of hair dryer over the entire surface of the shoes for better absorption and the formation of a protective layer.

I take a cotton pad that women use for facial care and apply a thick layer of ointment-cream to my shoe.

I ran the hairdryer over my shoe one more time so that the beneficial mixture that repels water was more absorbed.

I leave it for 7-8 hours, let our mixture be absorbed. I do not recommend going outside immediately after applying the protective layer. It is necessary to dry the shoes and allow time for the product to be completely absorbed.

I check by dripping water from a glass onto the shoe, and I see droplets of liquid flowing from the shoe.

I usually do the processing in the evening, and in the morning my favorite boots are ready to go out into rainy weather and slush. My feet will be dry unless I intentionally wade through deep puddles.

Waterproof impregnation of shoes and the price in money, how much money I spent on a home remedy for moisture with my own hands:

Flaxseed oil - 2 teaspoons - 15 rubles
Castor oil - 2 teaspoons - 1 ruble
Paraffin candle - 1 teaspoon of crushed candle - 2 rubles

Total - 18 rubles

Castor and linseed oil left over from preparing the impregnation will be useful for health and female beauty. Self-prepared shoe impregnation cost me less than store-bought.

By treating your shoes with a waterproof layer, prepared with your own hands, we will not only keep your feet dry, but also increase their wear resistance. This wonderful folk recipe will not let you down and your feet will be dry.

Waterproof shoes at home.

The point of any water-repellent cream is its high fat and wax content. Since the structure of suede will not tolerate rough interference with fats and wax, so that suede shoes do not get wet, it is better not to wear them in rainy weather. But, if you still have no options, then only aerosols are suitable for this material. For other materials, there are ways to treat shoes at home so that they don’t get wet.

Advice

Before treating your shoes to prevent them from getting wet with home remedies, do a test on a small area of the shoe or boot in the seam area.

And now, in fact, the folk remedies themselves. To protect your boots, we offer products that you have on hand or those that you can easily and without significant expense purchase:

medical Vaseline. It has excellent water repelling properties. You need to lubricate the entire surface of the shoe with Vaseline and go especially carefully along all the joints and seams.
We prepare a composition of lamb fat, linseed oil and turpentine. We take oil and lard in equal proportions, and turpentine - 1/5 of the volume of oil and lard. Lamb lard should be melted first. Mix all ingredients and apply warm mixture to boots. To apply to your shoes, use a lint-free, soft cloth.
A proven homemade water-repellent cream is made from wax (you can replace it with paraffin) and linseed oil in a 3:1 ratio. Before treating shoes with wax, so as not to get wet in the future, the wax should be melted. Add linseed oil to warm wax and rub the mixture into boots/shoes.
if you need to increase the protective properties of a rough leather product, then use castor oil. After rubbing the oil into the leather, be sure to polish your shoes. To enhance the water-repellent properties, you can add any animal fat to castor oil.

Advice

The fat of waterfowl has the best water-repellent properties.

An excellent way to make waterproof shoes with your own hands is beeswax. Add turpentine and crushed rosin to beeswax and you have a homemade water-repellent cream. For 20 grams of beeswax you will need 10 grams of regular turpentine and 50 grams of rosin.
Another mixture of components already known to you includes 20 grams of glycerin, 40 grams of liquid fish oil, 30 grams of turpentine and 10 grams of beeswax. To prepare this cream, you need to sequentially mix fish oil, turpentine and beeswax. Melt these components over low heat and only then add glycerin. The cream should be applied to shoes while warm.
and finally, a method that does not require special materials or abilities. Take paraffin (melt a candle that you have in your house, just not a colored one) and melt it. While warm, spread the paraffin over the entire surface of the shoes, carefully treating the seams and butt joints. The layer should be dense. Then turn on the hair dryer and heat the waxed boot or shoe. Melting under the influence of temperature, the wax will begin to fill small holes and invisible pores, which are precisely the reason why water gets into the product.

Prepare your shoes for the rainy season in advance. And then your feet will always be dry and comfortable.