When you first pull your leather sneakers out of the box to wear, there's likely not a smudge or smear on their surface. Yet, that changes with normal wear. Cleaning your leather sneakers as they become soiled or scuffed will help keep them looking attractive.
Brush any surface dust away with a soft-bristled brush or a dry cloth.
Fill a small container with clean water and set it aside. Hold a sponge under running water to dampen it. Squeeze it to remove excess water.
Pour a dime-size amount of Murphy Oil Soap or mild liquid soap onto the surface of the sponge. Rub it into the surface of the sponge with your fingers to distribute the soap.
Clean the shoes with the sponge, using a circular motion. Apply pressure to remove tough stains.
Dip a clean cloth into the container of water and squeeze gently to remove excess liquid. Wipe the shoes with the wet cloth to remove soap residue.
Rub the shoes with a dry cloth to remove excess moisture. Allow them to dry in a well ventilated area.
Tip
Use a magic eraser product to remove surface stains from white leather sneakers.
For a quick touch-up, wipe mud or dirt stains from the leather with a baby wipe or a damp cloth. Dry the leather with a dry cloth to remove all surface moisture.
To polish shoes after cleaning, apply a bit of leather cream, in a shade that matches the color of your sneakers, to the shoes. Dip a portion of clean cloth into the cream and rub it into the sneakers in a circular motion. Buff the shoes with a dry cloth to remove any excess cream.
Warning
Do not put your leather sneakers in a washing machine to clean them. This may warp or otherwise harm the shoes.
Don't apply shoe cream to shoes that are wet as you may damage the leather.
References
Writer Bio
Based in Texas, Cynthia Measom has been writing various parenting, business and finance and education articles since 2011. Her articles have appeared on websites such as The Bump and Motley Fool. Measom received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Texas at Austin.