How To Wash Tar From Shoes? How To Scrub Bitumen From The Sole? How Can You Remove From White Sneakers At Home? How To Clean Suede And Leather Shoes?

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-18 12:09

Tar is a thick resinous substance and is used for paving roads. Walking on fresh asphalt, there is always a risk of dirtying your shoes, and therefore the issue of its timely cleaning remains relevant.

What to consider when choosing a cleaning method?

The choice of method for cleaning shoes depends on the material from which they are made, on the degree of soiling and color

• It is better to clean products made of genuine leather with folk remedies ., since the use of organic solvents has a drying effect on the skin. From this, the shoes are deformed and lose their presentable appearance. If you still had to use a solvent, then after removing the stain, the leather surface is lubricated with any emollient, such as castor oil or petroleum jelly.
• For suede shoes, dry cleaning is the best option . It is almost impossible to wipe tar off suede at home. The resin itself will be removed, but you will not be able to get rid of the whitish spot on the boot. More often than not, it is easier to repaint such shoes black than to completely get rid of the stains.
• Leatherette shoes can be cleaned with an alcohol solution . The use of more aggressive substances is not recommended due to their destructive effect on the artificial material.
• For patent leather shoes, it is better to use ammonia ., as more caustic compounds can cause clouding of the lacquer layer. In case of significant contamination, you can put a compress of gasoline on the stain, which must be changed to a new one until the tar is completely dissolved.
• Textile footwear is cleaned with solvents intended for clothing, however, before use, you must make sure that the selected preparation does not cause discoloration of the material.
• Separately, it should be said about white shoes . There is an opinion that it is practically impossible to wash it from tar, but this is not the case. White models are well cleaned with nail polish remover or diluted acetone. You can also use toothpaste or gasoline. Whitish spots that remain after using these products will not be visible on white sneakers. Kerosene cannot be used. It leaves yellow marks that are clearly visible on white material.

No matter what material the shoes are made of, you need to start cleaning them as early as possible. The sooner you start removing the stain, the better your chances of getting rid of the dirt completely and returning the shoe to its original appearance.

How to remove tar from the top?

Before starting to clean the top, remove the excess tar mechanically using a razor blade or sharp knife. You need to act very carefully, trying not to touch the material. After the bulk of the tar has been removed, you can proceed directly to removing stains.

You can remove tar stain from the top of shoes with household chemicals and using improvised means . For extensive and stubborn dirt, it is more effective to use solvents or household stain removers. If the stain has not yet dried and the degree of contamination is low, then you can try home methods.

Folk remedies

A very effective mixture of turpentine, ammonia, baking soda (or white clay) and potato starch, taken in equal parts .

The resulting pasty mixture is applied to the stain and left to dry. Then, using an old toothbrush, the remnants of the composition are removed, and the shoes are washed or wiped with a clean cloth.

It is good to remove tar stains on textile shoes with butter . To do this, put a small piece on the stain and rub it into the contaminated area. The oil quickly absorbs tar from the fibers and turns black. After completing the procedure, dishwashing detergent is applied to the oily spot, kept for 15-20 minutes and washed off.

Coca-Cola does a good job with fresh tar stains on textile shoes . To do this, hot water is poured into the basin, powder is poured, a glass of drink is poured, shoes are put and left for 30 minutes. Then, using a hard sponge, wipe off the dirt and rinse with water.

You can remove tar from textile sneakers using vegetable oil . Two cotton pads are moistened in it, applied to the stain from the inner and outer sides and left for 10-15 minutes. Then wipe off the dirt with a cotton swab, treat the stain with a grease dissolving agent, then send the sneakers to the wash.

You can use caustic soda to clean rag-topped shoes . 10 liters of warm water are poured into a bucket, a pack of soda (250 g) is poured, mixed and soiled shoes are placed there for 2 hours. The dirt is washed off with household or tar soap using a hard sponge.

You can wash off the tar from the top of your shoes with refined kerosene . To do this, a cotton swab is dipped in kerosene and the stain is cleaned, moving from its edges to the middle. The yellow spot formed after kerosene is removed with hydrogen peroxide.

In case of heavy contamination, good results are obtained by using formic alcohol ., which is an organic solvent and perfectly dissolves tar. However, it is quite aggressive and should only be used as a last resort.

Stubborn dirt can be removed with turpentine . It is generously applied to the stain and the tar is collected using a tampon. Then the shoes are wiped with soapy water, wiped with a clean cloth and dried.

Acetone is not used to remove tar because of the content of high-molecular carbohydrates in it, before which acetone-containing agents are powerless. At best, they will slightly lighten the stain, and at worst, they will smear it over an even larger area. Bituminous spots should be removed with oil-based products - gasoline, kerosene or diesel fuel.

Household chemicals

Preparations that can be used to scrub off tar are sold in car dealerships and are positioned as means for cleaning the body. They are made in the form of a spray and have a very gentle effect on the lacquer layer. Among them, some compositions can be noted.

Lavr body cleaner is designed to remove bituminous stains . It is well washed off with water, does not leave whitish streaks and dries quickly. The spray is available in 500 ml bottles and costs 315 rubles.

Bitumen stain cleaner Grass Antibitum 155250 will quickly and effectively remove tar from shoes . The drug consists of a surfactant, an emulsifier, organic solvents and terpene oils, is available in 250 ml bottles and costs 160 rubles.

To clean shoes with a rag top, you can use the stain removers "Taygeta S-405" and Dr. Beckmann . They are easy to use and highly effective against sludge.

How to clean the sole?

Getting rid of tar stuck to the sole is not difficult at all. To do this, you will need to take an old toothbrush, dishwashing gel, plastic knife and WD-40 rust remover. The algorithm for removing bitumen from the bottom is discussed below.

• With a plastic knife, remove the black tar from the sole, being careful not to smear it on clean areas.
• In a glass jar, dish gel is mixed with hot water until a rich foam is formed.
• The toothbrush is well moistened in the foam and try to wipe off as much tar as possible with it.
• Then the sole is wiped dry, the WD-40 preparation is applied and left for a few minutes. The procedure is repeated until the spots disappear completely, after which the sole is washed with soap, rinsed and wiped dry.

It should be noted that the WD-40 cannot be used for shoes with a rag top . It contains mineral oils, which will be problematic to wash off the fabric of the upper. It is better to wipe the sole of textile shoes with acetone. To do this, remove as large a layer of tar as possible from it, then moisten the residues abundantly with acetone and leave for half an hour. Remains of bitumen must be removed with a damp cloth.