flowers & leaves recommends always to clean your shoes and bags, before you store them. Also use flowers & leaves dust bag, before you place them into their boxes. This bag is made of 100% cotton with a rope draw cord closure, to protect your shoes and bags.
Don’t throw your shoes in the laundry!
You can toss some shoes in the washing machine to clean, but flowers & leaves’ shoes are not one of them. Since our shoes are a combination of coffee burlap and fine leather, it is important to know how to clean them by hand. Some of our shoes have also a white outsole or a removable inner leather sole which we will also show you how to clean and remove any odors as well.
Before you even begin wait for any dirt to dry. Scrubbing it off when it wasn’t completely dried will actually cause the dirt to sink even deeper, and nobody wants that! Then pour a tablespoon of mild detergent into a bowl. Add two cups of water and stir. Once the dirt has dried, take a cotton cloth and try to wipe off as much loose excess as you can.
STEP 1.
Get your tools together.
You don’t have to use the exact products we use, but you will need the following:
- A detergent, something that will be gentle on the coffee burlap fabric.
- 3 bowls ( one for warm clean water, one for warm water with detergent and one for the detergent and baking soda)
- A baking soda
- An old toothbrush
- 4 clean clothes
- milk oil (even your body lotion can work)
- shoe application brush (in case you do not have, your make-up cotton pads work the same)
STEP 2.
Start by cleaning the coffee burlap fabric.
Take a toothbrush and deep it into the detergent water, and gently scrub the dirt off. Don’t forget to clean in-between the cracks of the cord. Then take a clean cotton cloth and dampen it with lukewarm water to rinse off the soap.
STEP 3.
Clean the leather insole.
Combine water with a few drops of detergent and baking soda to form a paste. Next, wipe the full interior of the shoe with the paste and allow to dry for 15 minutes. Lastly, wipe away the dry paste with a clean rag. Cleaning the inside leather sole will also help with any odor you experience from wearing your shoes.
STEP 4.
Clean the white outsole.
Mix a tablespoon of baking soda and a table spoon of the detergent into a bowl with warm water. The baking soda will act as an abrasive to help the soap remove dirt and grime. Use an old toothbrush to apply the combination of baking soda and detergent to the outsole of your shoes, then scrub it in. Using a circular motion with the brush is often the most effective way to remove dirt and grime. Once you’ve adequately scrubbed the cleaning combination into the outsoles of your shoes, take another clean cloth or sponge and soak it in clean water. Run it along the rubber, rinsing it with each pass until all of the mixture has been rinsed away. Once you have rinsed all of the soap off of the shoe, use a clean towel to dry the rubber before you wear the shoes again. Once you have the shoe dry, you’ll have a better sense of how well the cleaning mixture did, and you can repeat the process at this point if you need to.
STEP 5.
Let your shoes air dry
Let your shoes air dry. Letting the shoes and soles naturally dry will result in the best outcome.
STEP 6.
Clean the leather part of your shoes.
Make sure that your shoes are properly cleaned and dry before applying any shoe care product. All leather dries out over time, so we recommend conditioning and polishing your shoes regularly regardless how much use they see. Even entirely new shoes will often benefit from some tender loving care before first use. Frequent maintenance will not only ensure best possible looks, but also greatly lengthen the lifespan of your shoes.
Before you begin, remove the laces and insert shoe trees (or just stuff the shoes with crumpled up newspaper, old socks or rags) for a firm surface to work on.
Like a moisturizing skin lotion for your leather shoes, a non-greasy, preferably mink oil-based conditioner not only brings back suppleness and shine to stiff and dull looking surfaces– it also prevents cracks and helps obscure minor scuffs and scratches. The conditioner should be applied in very thin, even layers with only light pressure, and can be easily worked with a small application brush. Let it dry for 10-20 minutes and buff with a soft lint-free cloth.
Treat your bags and purses as your shoes!
Cleaning flowers and leaves’ purses and bags isn’t as hard as it may seem. Follow STEP1. and STEP2. above to clean the coffee burlap fabric. The method is exactly the same.
What happens with the leather parts here though? The Basic cleaning methods are easy, can be done at home, and can prevent challenging stains. Read the following steps to learn how to clean the leather parts of your purses and bags.
STEP 1.
Wipe the stain off with a clean, damp cloth.
Keep rubbing the area until it is damp, but not soaked through.
STEP 2.
Apply some cleaning solution to the soft cloth.
You can use a store-bought leather bag cleaner, which often comes in a kit. You can also make your own by mixing a few drops of a mild soap (such as unscented dishwashing soap or baby soap) with distilled water.
STEP 3.
Wipe the stained area again with the soft cloth until the stain is gone.
Try to keep your stroking motions in line with the leather’s grain. This will help protect the integrity of the leather.
STEP 4.
Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe off any soap residue or excess moisture.
Don’t worry about drying the bag just yet.
STEP 5.
Let the bag dry for about 30 minutes.
Avoid speeding the process up with a hairdryer. If you are in a hurry, consider setting the bag down in front of a fan. Cool air will be less damaging to the bag than hot.
STEP 6.
Apply some leather moisturizer to the bag once it is dry.
Use a soft cloth to apply the moisturizer. Rub the moisturizer on using circular motions. The moisturizer will help keep the leather soft and supple. Do not substitute regular hand lotion, which can stain and degrade leather.
STEP 7.
Consider buffing the leather with a dry cloth.
This will help restore the texture and shine to the bag.
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