Winter is here and if you live in a snowy area, chances are you deal with salt stains on boots and shoes. Salt stains are best dealt with as quickly as possible before the salt really gets a chance to stake its claim and ruin your boots permanently, especially when it comes to suede. Here are two methods to try to kick the salt to the curb:

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Removing salt stains from leather: Combine 1 TBS white vinegar (our favorite natural cleaning agent to the rescue again) with 1 cup lukewarm water. Dip a clean rag in the solution and rub on the boot in a circular motion. Wipe clean with a damp clean rag.

Removing salt stains from suede: This is a little trickier problem to deal with. The best thing to do is to spray your suede boots with a stain and water repellent right off the bat and let dry overnight to prevent salt stains. If you do this weekly during winter months, you are all set. If it’s too late and salt has attacked, scrub surface of boots with nailbrush or toothbrush when dry to remove as much salt as possible (use a circular motion). Then bring a pot of water to a boil and hold boots above the steam from the pot. Dip nailbrush or toothbrush in vinegar/water solution (1 TBS vinegar, 1 cup water) and apply and scrub salt spots on boots until removed. Stuff the boots as much as possible with newspaper when drying to get the shape back. Don’t dry close to heat, only naturally. When completely dry, spray with stain/water repellent.

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