Regarding school shoes, we all want to get the most bang for our buck. With a little care and attention, you can extend the life of your child’s school shoes and save yourself some money in the long run.
Children’s school shoes take a beating, particularly if the kids are pounding the playground and kicking a football. There are many ways to increase the longevity of these shoes if you follow good maintenance practices. Here are some expert tips on how to make your kid’s school shoes last longer.
1. Invest in school shoe protector
Vinyl, canvas, or suede are all frequently the materials of choice in good quality shoes, and they need to be given the proper care to be safe for children to wear them outside. It is essential to watch for leather, canvas, or suede when they are brought out into nature.
A protector must be utilised before the first wear and repeated every six weeks. Make sure the shoes are clean and applied with a protector before your next purchase. Investing in a leather or suede protector will save you money in the long run, as you ultimately end up paying more than the cost of a new pair of shoes. It’s not too late to use a shoe protector if you’ve never used it before; make sure to clean the shoe’s surface before starting.
2. Your child’s eraser can help you remove scuffs
School shoes can get worn out or damaged from running and playing every day at school. They may be among the most challenging parts of the shoe to fix, but several simple repair methods don’t cost very much and require only a handful of household tools.
For light scuffs on leather, suede school shoes, or black shoes, use your child’s rubber eraser from the pencil case. Using tiny circular motions, press gently on the eraser over the stain and buff until the area is shinier with a clean surface.
For regions that have experienced more severe damage, pour baking soda into a small dish and add 1-2 tablespoons of water to turn it into a paste. Once you’ve applied the paste to a cloth, gently rub your finger over the affected area. If the regions are smooth enough, dip a cloth into the clear water to wash away excess paste.
3. Use a small brush to remove tough dirt stains selectively
Start by cleaning your shoes with a damp cloth and a mild disinfectant. For mud and grit stains, go over the shoes with a scrub brush or plastic toothbrush. Sometimes, tiny rocks get lodged in the shoe grooves. Don’t hesitate, then, to use more pressure there.
Using circular motions, move toward the front of the shoe to scrub remaining heart butter or residue, making sure to always use a hand towel to rapidly wipe the dirty area.
4. Clean the inside of the shoe with soap and warm water
Children naturally do a lot of running and walking in their school shoes so they become sweaty and leave a harsh odour. One way to alleviate this problem is to dip the damp cloth into warm soapy water and gently rub the inner shoe. Be mindful not to over-saturate the inside of the shoe and allow them to air dry for 24 hours before wearing.
5. Don’t forget the shoe laces!
If shoes have laces, it’s wise to remove these from both shoes and soak the laces in hot water before cleaning the dirt and mud out of them. Once this is done, you can put the shoes in with your washing machine’s next load. Not only will washing and pressing the torn regions of the laces let you thoroughly clean them, it will also allow your shoes a bit of rest.
6. Use your tweezers to remove debris off from the velcro
Velcro-fastened school shoes are a popular choice as they are easy for the child to put on and remove by themselves. However, the persistently sticky materials can accumulate dirt, hair, string, soil, and other misplaced items during a long week of school.
One way to deal with this is for you to use tweezers and search out the dirt, before using a comb or an old toothbrush or small wire brush to knock out any extra debris.
