It's no secret that shoes can last a very long time if you take care of them regularly and properly. This is not difficult to do with the right care products. Many compositions allow not only to maintain the good condition of the product, but also to hide some shortcomings. We studied two of the most popular leather shoe care products.
Shoe cream or wax: which is better to choose?
Often on store shelves in the leather shoe care departments you can find jars with the name "cream" And "wax". What should you choose?
Shoe polish - what is it, its types and benefits
Shoe polish is a complex chemical composition for leather care that can vary depending on the intended use. For example:
- Solvent content helps clean the product;
- dyes are necessary to preserve color and hide minor abrasions;
- the presence of animal fat is important for nourishing the skin;
- The wax in shoe polish adds shine and protection from moisture and dirt.
When choosing creams, you should take into account the type of leather and the purpose of the shoes.
Based on the type of solvent used, two groups of products can be distinguished:
1. Creams intended for boots and boots for everyday wear. Among them, the best would be a composition with organic solvents. They clean and protect products well.
Such creams disappear very quickly! Therefore, keep the jars well closed and monitor the expiration date. Usually they can be used for no more than a year.
2. Water-based creams. They clean leather products more gently and gently and are great for women's and dress shoes. It is very convenient to use formulations stored in tubes. Their protection for shoes is weaker, but the undeniable advantage is the gloss on the leather that appears after use.
When purchasing a cream, make sure that there are no lumps or separations in it. This indicates its low quality, poor sealing of the container, and improper storage. This product can damage your shoes. It's not worth buying.
Sponges soaked in cream are widely used. They are easy to use, but often contain silicone, which is harmful to shoes. Silicone clogs pores, the skin stops breathing and deteriorates faster.
Shoe wax - what is it, its types and benefits
Wax or shoe polish is a protective agent that is used to cover smooth leather shoes after applying cream. It is more dense in its structure.
The quality of shoe wax directly depends on the manufacturing method. Based on this principle, there are several types of groups:
- Natural bee wax. It is melted or squeezed directly in the apiaries. This is a product of the highest quality.
- Press wax obtained industrially from the remnants of melting old (dead) or empty honeycombs. Merva wax is dark and dense, technical. Most often used for shoe care.
- Extraction wax. It is extracted from old honeycombs chemically using gasoline. It is softer than pressed one and has a pungent odor. It contains impurities. This wax is used to make cheap shoe polishes.
- Bleached wax obtained by chemical bleaching.
Using shoe wax, you can polish the product to a beautiful, bright shine and glassage. The product softens the skin, prevents and helps fight already formed creases and cracks. Among other things, coloring agents can be added to the wax composition for convenience.
Good quality wax can always be identified by its uniform, dense consistency and the absence of an unpleasant odor.
Bottom line
When caring for your shoes, it is important to follow the recommendations of specialists and choose quality products.. The best care and protection is achieved by using them together. shoe wax and cream.
After mechanical cleaning of dirt and dust, treat the shoes with a suitable cream, let it soak in for some time, and then apply a small layer of wax and polish until shiny. And do not forget that shoes should be treated starting from the first use.
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