How to remove the wrong shoe polish from shoes

When you decide to spruce up your leather shoes for a special occasion, you might consider using shoe polish. By adding extra shine and buffing away any scratches or imperfections, your shoes can be looking as good as new.

However, use the wrong shoe polish by mistake and you’ll inevitably get into a panic – but here’s how you can remove shoe polish from leather.

Step 1: Act quickly

Firstly, as soon as you’ve realised your mistake, remove the shoelaces (so they don’t get damaged) and wipe the shoes with a damp cloth. If they are leather shoes, try not to get them too wet.

Step 2: Add soap

Rub the damp cloth on saddle soap and create a lather by using a circular motion. Use this circular motion on the shoe to work the soap into the shoe.

Step 3: Wipe away

You need to ensure the soap is wiped away, so use a clean cloth to get rid of the lather. Hopefully you will see the old polish coming away as well.

Now you’ve removed the polish, leave your shoes to dry before re-polishing them… hopefully with the correct polish this time!