15 Best Methods of How to Clean Leather Insoles of Sandals

how to clean leather insoles of sandals

Some people are using leather sandals in daily life and some people are using non-leather sandals. You can wear any sandals but leather sandals not only look good but also they are very soft, stylish and last a long time.

But after a few years, foot marks, bad odor, and stains can be seen on the leather insole of sandals. This sandal is made of leather material, it is not a washable sandal which you can dip in water and wash. If you do this, the leather sandals will get spoiled.

So, in this article, you will learn how to wash, will wash it in such a way that it will not spoil the insole of sandals, how to get rid of odor from leather insoles and finally, how to care for leather foot bed, you can replace the leather insole by calling an expert also.

In this article, I have covered many important topics like how to clean your leather insole and also told you to use the insole for many days.


How do Leather Insoles of Sandals get Damaged?

There is a time for everything but due to many reasons, things start getting spoiled before the time comes.

Do you know why your leather insole gets spoiled?

I believe that if you know the proper reason for leather insole getting spoiled then you will also get the solution.

1. Wetness

  • Leather behaves like human skin. It can also absorb water. When you walk or run, it also absorbs the sweat that comes out of your feet.
  • Because of this, we can see that the color of leather insole fades, sweat stains and becomes dull and a bad smell also comes from leather insole.
  • When you use sandals or do anything while wearing them, there is pressure on the insole and it becomes very weak, your foot and leather insole get worn out, your foot print is also visible, cracks also appear.

2. Improper Care

  • Leather gets dry, hard, dust accumulates so it needs to be cleaned and conditioned to avoid stiffness of leather Insole. if not taken care of daily, it gets damaged.

You May Also Read: Best Leather Conditioners for Leather


Tips on How to Make Leather Insole of Sandals Last Longer and not Get Damaged

1. Use 2 pairs of Sandals

  • You should use 2 pairs of sandals because if you use one sandal for a week, it will absorb moisture and damage your sandal. So give some time for the sandal to air dry . Don’t Over use, give time to their won heal.
  • After wearing the sandals, clean and condition them thoroughly and the next day use another sandal, then after wearing them, clean the leather thoroughly and then condition it for supple.

2. Avoid Direct Heat

  • Never dry leather insoles directly under direct heat because it will split the leather.
  • After drying the leather insole, apply leather protector. Because it will protect from cracking , moisture and became dirty.

How do you Clean Dirty Leather Insole of Sandals

Initial Supplies Needed

  1. Leather cleaner
  2. Soft Dry microfiber Cloth
  3. Hand Gloves
  4. Warm Water
  5. Soft Tooth Brush
  6. Leather Balm

1. Get Rid of Dust

First take a small, clean, dry microfiber cloth and hold it firmly and wipe the insole. Such as removing small dust or loose dirt that may remain on the leather insole. The first target is to remove dust and not stubborn stains.

2. Take out the leather Insole –

There are many sandals in which the insole can be removed. If your sandal has removal insole features then it will be very easy for you to repair.

3. Using leather cleaner & Hot water  –

  • Mix the leather cleaner well in the same hot water. You should buy a good leather cleaner from the shop. Otherwise the sandal will get damaged.
  • Now you Dip another dry soft cloth in the same mixture or Use Soft brush and clean the entire leather insole.
  • You have to take care that the leather does not get completely wet, you have to use  damp cloth.

4. Polish the insole of sandals

  • Take a soft shoe polish brush Or damp microfiber Cloths and dip it in leather cleaner and massage the leather insole by circular movement.
  • Like the insole should not get wet too much

5. Dry the Insole

  • After following all the steps mentioned above properly, it is time to learn how to dry leather insole.
  • The insole must have got very wet due to the cleaning you must have done, so whatever excess water has got into the insole, wipe it out by Dry Cloth .
  • Now take the leather insole and dry it in sunlight for 1 to 2 hours, if you dry it more than that it will get damaged.

6. Use Leather Balm

  • When the insole dries well in the sunlight, the insole will now be dry and shiny.
  • Do not keep it under the sunlight for too long, otherwise the leather will get damaged.
  • Then you should use leather balm or leather conditioner to bring the leather insole back to its original condition.
  • There will be no chance of the Leather cracking on insole for apply leather balm . Use good leather conditioner to avoid damage in leather insole.

How do you Get Sweat Stains out of Leather Insole of Sandals

When you walk, sweat comes out of your feet and stains settle on the leather insole, it starts smelling and there are many other reasons too.

Initial Supplies Needed

  1. White Vinegar
  2. Sponges
  3. Mild soap
  4. Water

1. Use white Vinegar

  • White vinegar is easily available in the market. Take 50 gm white vinegar and 50 ml  water in a bowl and mix it well.
  • Take a sponge and dip it in the same water and vinegar mixture. The sponge will become completely wet. Squeeze it so that the excess water comes out. Basically you have to use a damp sponge.

2. Clean the Sweat Stain

  • Use a damp sponge to thoroughly clean the leather insole in the area that is stained, using a circular motion.
  • If the sweat stain still does not go away, make a mixture of mild soap and warm water. Apply it on the stained area, it will work 100%.

3. Wash the Sponge or Use another Sponge

  • Now your job is to ensure that whatever vinegar or mild soap was used to clean it is not removed from the leather insole. Because vinegar or mild soap mixture will spoil the leather if left inside the insole.
  • Take another dry sponge and remove the mixture for Out the Moisture.

4. Drying Time

  • Now to dry the leather insole of the sandals, first leave it in room temperature for a few hours. After that keep the leather in sunlight for a while but do not keep it for too long because the leather insole will get spoilt.
  • When it dries, immediately apply a good brand leather Conditioner for soft and Back to the natural Condition Of Leather Insole That’s It.

How to Remove Smell from Insoles

Wash The Insole Thoroughly

  • You have to wash the leather insole without completely wetting it or causing any scratches. If you wet the Leather then it will become harm. So Be careful.
  • You have to make a mixture of vinegar, mild soap and hot water .Clean it well with a soft cloth. This mixture blend will also kill bacteria.

Use Baking Soda in Leather Insole

  • Sprinkle baking soda powder on the insole as if it was spread over the entire area. Keep it at room temperature for 5 to 6 hours, it will soak up Mixture blend and any odor and will dry up.
  • Take a soft brush and take out whatever baking soda has been sat on, brush the entire insole once, after that take a soft dry cloth and clean it by rubbing it.
  • Follow these steps step by step and your leather insole will not smell.

Dry It

  • After that the leather has to be dried, first for 3 hours at room temperature, then in the sunlight for 1 hours. After that the leather has to be dried, Do not keep it in the sun light  for too long as the leather will get spoilt.

Use Leather Cleaner

  • You put all this leather on the insole and it will dry too. Now you have to apply leather conditioner using a sponge so that it gets applied on the entire insole. By doing this its durability will increase and its moisture will be restored.

How To Care Leather Insole of Sandals

Change Insole

  • To take care of the leather insole, you should change the insole once every 6 months in sandals.
  • If you can buy and change the insoles yourself then do it or get it done from a cobbler.

Use Two or more Pairs Of Sandals

  • If you have 2 pairs of sandals, then use them 3 days a week.
  • By doing this, the leather insole of the sandal will not be used too much, it can also dry and recover naturally.

Regular Maintenance

  • You should clean the leather insole every day. Just take a dry cloth and rub it all over the leather insole, the dust sitting on it will also come off.
  • But you have to clean it properly with vinegar, baking soda, and mild soap as mentioned above, at every one-month interval. Along with that, your foot sweat will also dry up by wiping it with that cloth.

Use Natural oil or Leather Conditioner

  • You can use coconut oil in leather insole instead of leather conditioner. It will also work like a leather conditioner, such as not allowing the leather surface to become dry, making it soft and moisturizing.

Final Thoughts on How to Clean Leather Insoles of Sandals

For properly cleaning sandals, first, you remove the loose dirt, and dust with a soft brush or cloth and then move for further cleaning. However, it needs lots of patience and subtlety.

Some sandals offer removable insoles and some do not. For removable insoles of sandals, it is easy to clean but for nonremovable you need a small brush with a sharp head, so you can reach every corner for deep cleaning.

Make sure when you wear the sandal after that, keep it under the sunlight for some time so that the sweat or wetness can be absorbed. Once it dried apply a good quality leather conditioner on the insoles.

I hope you benefit from this article and if so then make sure to comment your experiences so that we can enhance our quality.

Thank You………………


FAQs on How to Clean Leather Insoles of Sandals

How to clean non-removable insoles?

Non-removable insoles can be cleaned by dipping a soft toothbrush into water or a cleaner, insert into the sandal, and clean every corner of the shoe.

Can you wash shoe insoles in washing machine?

I would not suggest it, but yes you can if the washing in the machine is allowed in the shoe box. If not then do not wash it in the machine because leather can be damaged in water.

 

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