It’s no secret that velvet is one of the most luxurious materials on the market. However, keeping a velvet shoe in tiptop condition can be an uphill battle, particularly if you don’t know where or how to begin. In this guide, you’ll learn how to clean velvet shoes, so you can make a statement with them anywhere you go.
Types of Velvet
Before doing anything to your velvet shoe, it’s worth noting that the material falls into two categories. Although the polyester blend is the most common type, some luxurious shoes blend cotton and silk.
Knowing this distinction is important as this blend typically requires dry cleaning to get rid of stubborn stains. Nonetheless, you can remove the mud, watermarks, dirt, and the mildest stains at home. Polyester velvet requires you to handle nearly all except the worst stains.
How to Remove Stains from Velvet Shoes
If you’re unsuccessful in lifting stains out of your velvet shoes, don’t throw in the towel just yet. We’ll discuss a particular way of how to clean velvet shoes and get rid of those stubborn stains without damaging them. You can use baking soda or dish soap. For the latter:
- Fill a cup or bowl with warm water
- Add one or two teaspoons of the dishwashing liquid or mild detergent
- Stir until the solution becomes sudsy
For baking soda and lemon:
- Add lemon soda and lemon juice in the ratio of 1:1
- Mix until it becomes a foamy paste is formed
After creating your gentle cleaning solution, use a soft scrub brush or an old soft bristled toothbrush to rub it gently on the stain. Start with a small quantity of the mixture to avoid applying too much to the stain and damaging your shoes in the process. Let the cleaning solution sit for a few minutes before wiping the shoes with a damp and soft cloth.
As you do so, avoid saturating your shoes by using enough water to eliminate the stain-removing solution, after which you can use a microfiber cloth to blot any remaining moisture. Using a hairdryer on cool is a great alternative for your shoes to dry faster.
For oil-based stains, sprinkle calcium carbonate powder onto the stain. Doing so is a foolproof way of absorbing the oily residue without subjecting your velvet footwear to soap or water. If you don’t successfully lift the stain at the first attempt, fret not, as some velvet stains take a few tries before they come off entirely.
Nonetheless, avoid stressing the stained part as vigorous scrubbing could result in balding the velvet, and that’s the last thing you need. If you’re not making any headway with the stain, rope in a professional cleaner to remove it.
Protecting Velvet Shoes
There’s no denying that protecting your footwear from the next spat of dirt or water eliminates most of the trouble of knowing how to clean velvet shoes. After all, if your shoes remain clean, little to no effort is required to keep them spick and span.
The most ideal way of protecting velvet footwear without ruining the material is to use a fabric-protecting spray. Ensure you find one that’s designed with velvet in mind, after which you’ll want to begin by testing an inconspicuous patch.
Upon deciding that the spray is suitable to use on your shoes, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter and reapply it appropriately.
Caring for Velvet Shoes
Given that velvet is a type of fabric that calls for special care, the most crucial ritual in cleaning velvet shoes lies in brushing them. Doing so keeps the velvet nap tidy and straight. You can use an old, soft bristled toothbrush. However, if you want to get them shiny enough to turn heads, use a shoe brush that’s designed particularly for velvet.
How to Deodorize Velvet Shoes
Like other types of footwear, a velvet shoe accrues an odor with frequent wear. Given that the inside of your shoes is likely not made of velvet, deodorizing the interior is easier than cleaning the exterior. We’ve rounded up a few options to consider that will give your footwear a pleasant smell.
- Dryer sheets
- Baking soda
- Shoe deodorizers
- Sanitizing sprays
- White vinegar
Using any of these options guarantees effectiveness in preventing your velvet shoes from developing an odor due to their antimicrobial properties. When using vinegar, mix it with water, then spritz the mixture in the insides of your footwear. You can dry the shoes with a hairdryer set on cool or position them right next to a fan. The smell of vinegar will fade along with any shoe odor.
If you gravitate towards a non-saturated solution to deodorize your velvet footwear, use baking soda that entails sprinkling one or two tablespoons in the inside of your shoes. Once it sits overnight, vacuuming the baking soda will get rid of the odor.
How to Remove Lint from Velvet Shoes
Due to the piled nature of velvet fabric, it’s particularly susceptible to the buildup of lint, dirt, and dust in its fibers. Nonetheless, you can eliminate the lint from your velvet footwear with a few straightforward remedies and get them looking and feeling fresh and new again. To get started, you’ll need the following supplies.
- Packing tape
- Lint roller
- Masking tape
- Lint brush
Any lint-eliminating tool should work for lifting dust from velvet. However, if you don’t have a roller handy or lint brush, any standard tape will get the job done. Simply wrap some tape around your hand, with the adhesive side facing up, and press it continuously but gently to your velvet shoes. The tip will remove loose fibers and lint from the surface without ruining the fabric. With a lint brush, you can gently rub it against the grain of the velvet to lift any stubborn dirt and dust in the fibers.
Closing Remarks
As they say, knowledge is power. Armed with the information on how to clean velvet shoes that includes deodorizing and removing lint, you can ensure they enjoy a long and happy life, unbothered by the flows and ebbs of the fickle world of fashion and unmarred by the errant drops of sparkling wine.
