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It’s really easy for women’s sandals to pick up grime and dirt and especially as they’re mostly worn in the summer months. We’re going to run you through how to maintain and clean your sandals, so you can get more bang for your buck.
If you think that keeping your sandals clean isn’t that important, not only does it improve the lifespan of your shoes, but it’ll help with the health of your feet. Wearing sandals out and about means you can be exposed to some undesirable bacteria. This doesn’t mean you should throw away your sandals and start wearing a hazmat suit, but just a little bit of maintenance will keep your treads looking good and your feet healthy.
So, if you’re getting your sandals out for the summer and see that they’ve lost their colour, look grimy or are broken, here’s your one-stop shop to fix all your sandal woes.
We’ll start with some general tips on how to clean sandals at home. Baking soda and mild laundry detergent will be your best friends when keeping your sandals clean. We’ll go through how to clean rubber flip-flops as this method is a good template to use when cleaning any sandals. We will go into more specific materials later in this post:
You Will Need:
Four simple ingredients are all it takes to get tired flip-flops restored to their former glory! Rubber flip-flops get dirty very easily but it’s easy to correct that. Here’s how:
If you find that there are some stubborn stains that won’t budge easily, try substituting water for hydrogen peroxide. You can also use this method on the underside of the sole.
Alternatively, lots of people suggest putting flip flops in the washing machine (on a cold cycle with some laundry detergent) and letting them dry in the sun. Some say it works, others have found it did not. It’s worth a try but the proven results lie with the toothbrush method.
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If the stains aren’t the problem but rather the odour coming from your sandals, you’re going to need to switch things up a little bit. The method is largely the same as above but you need to add some white vinegar to the water, as this will target the odours more directly. Baking soda also targets smells.
If vinegar isn’t doing the trick, you may need to look for some specialist sandal washes. Have a look online and see what’s out there; make sure you read customer reviews and see which ones have the most positive response.
Here are some tips on how to keep your sandals fresh-smelling that can be easily done at home:
Next up, how to clean your leather sandals. Cleaning these is a bit more tricky as you don’t want to ruin the leather. You can put your toothbrush away for this, but the method is pretty similar again.
If you just want to deodorise your leather sandals, baking soda is your friend again. Put your leather sandals in a bag, pour in some baking soda, leave it overnight and it should absorb some of those odours.
In general, avoid putting liquid onto your leather sandals. If the stains on them are solid, like dirt, see if rubbing the stains with a soft cloth lifts them first.
Clean your leather sandals with leather conditioner instead of with water and a toothbrush. Apply a few drops to a cloth and rub the problem areas. Leather conditioner is easily found online but, again, make sure you’re buying a tried and tested brand.
Using a clean, slightly damp cloth, rub off the conditioner and leave your sandals to air-dry in the sun.
Suede is a slightly different story. It’s a sensitive material and needs extra care. Cleaning ladies’ suede sandals is possible if you exercise caution. You may need to draft in some extra tools to help with this. Try and get your hands on a suede brush, a sharp knife or an eraser.
If you have a suede brush, lift up the nap of the suede by brushing it against the direction it sits in (or use a sharp knife to lift). This will help remove scuffs. After you’ve brushed it, take an eraser and rub it back and forth on any marks that are still there.
If you have liquid stains on your suede sandals, all is not lost. Put some vinegar on a paper towel and work it back and forth over the stain.
When it comes to cleaning canvas and fabric sandals, a mild laundry detergent is more effective than baking soda. Baking soda is still recommended for insoles and for absorbing odours but for the canvas upper, a detergent should lift stains.
Canvas and fabric sandals require a slightly different method and some different tools. You’ll need:
The trusty toothbrush returns! Make sure that your towel is an old one or one you don’t mind getting a bit dirty. If you have no paper to hand, that’s fine, you just need something that will hold the shape of your shoe. Here we go:
This method should work for fabric, cotton and cloth sandals as well. There are some materials which this method will not work on. If you have velvet sandals for instance, your best chance of preventing a stain is if you spot it before it has dried. If it is still fresh, grab a microfiber cloth and try to soak up as much of the stain as possible.
If you didn’t spot it in time and it has dried, washing up liquid mixed into water can do you some favours. If you have none to hand, try lemon juice and baking soda mixed into water. Grab a toothbrush and carefully try to scrub the stain. Exercise extra caution with velvet as it’s another sensitive material. Dry the area with a cloth or paper towel. If this doesn’t work, it might be time to call in the professionals.
You’ll never be able to fully prevent your sandals from getting dirty but there are some storage ideas which you can apply to all your shoes that will make them easier to find, that look good and will help to keep them clean. If you like little DIY projects, there is plenty of inspiration online if you want to take one on. Try these:
If your sandals need a fix, depending on the severity of the damage, there’s a good chance you can fix it yourself at home. We’re going to run through how to fix your flip-flops and strappy sandals and how to patch a canvas shoe.
First, flip-flops. This is quite a straightforward quick fix and it’s likely you’ll already have all the tools you need to do it. The most likely break will be the strap falling through the sole. You just need something that you can force the strap through that will cover and support the hole in the sole. A spare washer will do the trick, but if you don’t have a washer then you will need:
That’s it! Here’s the method:
Hey presto! Your flip-flops should be fixed. Now, you might be thinking what about the huge knot underneath the flip-flop? That knot will gradually push itself into the hole and become part of the sole. Wear them in around the house and eventually you’ll find that it will become completely unnoticeable.
Next, how to fix strappy sandals. The most common fix needed with strappy sandals is the toe strap coming out of the sole. Unlike flip-flops, these straps are attached inside the sole so are a little trickier. For this, you’ll need:
The method is as follows:
This is slightly more fiddly and if the straps along the side come unattached, then the same principle applies but you might have to adapt it slightly to reattach it. Failing this, it’s best to get a cobbler to fix.
Finally, here’s our quick fix for patching up small tears in canvas. Be warned, this won’t make it look as good as new, however. You will need:
Fabric scissors are best for this and for the adhesive, one that is marketed towards shoes or fabrics is recommended but a strong superglue will also do the trick. Here’s what you do:
There we have it. Your one-stop shop for cleaning, storing and fixing your sandals. These tips can save you some money and keep your sandals looking fresh and clean. If you’re breaking out the sandals, that can only mean that the sun is out, so off you go and enjoy it!
You can never have too many shoes, after all… Browse our women’s sandals range today.