Each of the various grains of premium leather selected to craft your footwear requires different and specific care. Whether full-grain, nubuck or suede please ensure you are consistently taking care of your footwear by using the correct methods and relevant cleaning substances.
Follow our tips below to keep your pair of JCB footwear looking their finest:
CLEANING SMOOTH LEATHER:
- Remove any dry dirt on your boots with a soft brush or slightly damp cloth and leave your boots to air dry. Please ensure that your boots are away from direct sunlight or any source of direct heat, as this will dry out the leather and can cause irreparable damage.
- Apply leather polish, spray or cream to the leather to maintain your boots.
Tip: If you are using a polish for the first time, try it on an inconspicuous area of the boot to check whether it alters the colour or appearance.
- If using a polish, apply a small amount of leather cleaner to a polishing cloth or brush and rub onto the shoe in circular motions.
- We recommend regularly using a leather conditioner to maintain and prolong the natural beauty of your footwear’s leather. Apply generously by rubbing into the leather with a dry/clean microfibre cloth.
Wipe away the remaining residue and again leave it to dry.
CLEANING SUEDE & NUBUCK:
- Use a suede brush, to gently scrub off any surface stains or dirt.
- If you have any scuff marks, you can remove them with an eraser. Simply rub the scuff with the eraser and wipe away the rubber’s debris.
- Thereafter, dampen a suede brush with a little water and pour a small amount of suede leather cleaner on it. Then clean the shoe, focussing your attention on any particularly stained spots.
Tip: It is important to clean the entire surface of the footwear to try to maintain the most consistent colour throughout the footwear.
- Dab the shoes with a clean towel to remove any excess moisture and leave to air dry.
- Once dry, apply a water/stain repellent spray on the footwear to help prolong their life.
Some suedes are best treated prior to wearing if they have not been treated.
Tip: It’s a good idea to waterproof boots regularly to protect the leather from staining. If the leather is wet, let it dry naturally before cleaning or using any cleaning substances.
CLEANING THE SOLE:
- Remove any large pieces of dirt/debris from your boots.
- Use a stiff-bristled brush to clean between the tread to remove any excess dirt. Should dirt remain, soak the footwear’s sole only in shallow warm water and try again to remove the dirt.
Finally, use a damp cloth for an overall clean before allowing it to dry naturally.
IMPORTANT TIPS:
- Never dry your boots by an open fire or direct source of heat, as this will cause the leather to shrink, harden and crack. It can also cause the leather to break away from the sole. Always dry your boots slowly and naturally at room temperature.
- Always store your boots in a well ventilated, cool place away from sunlight.
- You should regularly use a leather conditioner on your boots whenever they need them. If your boots are looking a little scuffed and worn, always remember to use a conditioner.
- Similarly, you should regularly use a suede protector on your suede boots when they are looking worn, and before you wear them on a rainy or sunny day.
- Avoid exposing your boots to chemicals. Solvents, strong acids, and alkalis will do irreparable damage to leather, whilst commonplace substances like milk and salt are also highly damaging. In the event of exposure, clean the boots immediately.
- You should only use good quality cleaning substances and ones specific to the material of your footwear.
- Finally and perhaps most importantly it is essential to clean your footwear as close to the “event” as possible. Often marks, greases or stains can be removed immediately but when left for longer periods of time they become increasingly more difficult to remove.