To welcome the summer of 2020 we want to share NAE’s tips on how to clean your vegan shoes.
Why do we feel like this is an important topic right now? Because if we are going to stop climatechange by quitting compulsive consumption, we have to take good care of the items we already have.
That’s why this week we want to show you how to clean 6 different types of vegan materials. We chose our favorite: Pinatex, Microsuede, Cork, Organic Cotton, Microfibers and Recycled Plastic.
Get ready to learn how to keep your shoe looking young and fresh!
Pinatex
This amazing material is the living proof that circular economy works and looks fabulous. We recommend having a cloth that you can use every time you need to clean your shoes. All you need is to deep the cloth in water and add some soap. As usually we recommend soap bars, as organic as you can find, for minimal environmental impact. Immerging your shoe in water can damage the fabric beyond salvation, so be as gentle as possible. Therefore, you should let it dry naturally. Afterwards we recommend that you apply a polishing cream. Just make sure it is either the same color as the shoe, or colorless. For a perfect polish, use a dry cloth and circular movements until the cream is absorbed. Then, let it dry for 24 hours. It will be almost as good as new!
Microsuede
Microsuede is fairly easy to clean. You just need to get the cloth you have designated for shoe cleaning, and add some water. Then, add a bit of soap from your happy sustainable soap bar and clean away with circular movements ! If you are dealing with a stubborn stain, use a soft shoe brush, also with a bit of soap and water, rather than rubbing aggressively, you should use circular peaceful movements. To wash the soap of, use the cloth again. Always be as gentle as possible to your shoe. For this material in particular we really don’t recommend polishing cream.
Cork
Cork is another beautiful gift from mother nature. Therefore, it should be cleaned gently and patiently. Use a dry cloth to clean general dirt. For a deeper cleaning add a bit of water and circular movements. This material can last for a long time but it should be carefully handled. We recommend using polish cream on natural cork but in embroidered natural cork it’s not recommended.
Organic Cotton
Organic Cotton is a very versatile material. However, as you can probably imagine, get your polishing cream away from it. After washing the colors may fade, and that’s why you should be extra gentle with it. The best thing to do is to use a shoe brush with a bit of water and soap. We always recommend washing using circular movements to keep the fabric looking uniform. As you can see it’s an easy process, to get your shoes to look bright and shiny again!
Microfibers
Microfibers or ‘vegan leather’ should also be cleaned with a wet cloth and some soap. However, we do recommend using colorless, polishing cream or the same color as the material. Apply a small amount using a dry cloth and spread it gently. Let it simply dry for 24 hours. This will bring your shoe back to life as if you just bought it!
Recycled Plastic
This amazing material can be easily cleaned with a wet cloth and some soap. Of course, we always recommend a gentle approach to make sure you don’t damage the material. With that in mind, if you need to get rid of a difficult stain, use a soft shoe brush. The best way is using a bit of water and soap, and circular movements. Get the soap out with a wet cloth, and let it dry away. For recycled plastic we don’t recommend the use of polishing cream.
We hope you understood how to clean your vegan shoes. However, if there is a material we didn’t talk about let us know! So that we can do a follow up article with all your questions.
Have a beautiful day,
NAE
