Remove Shoe Polish Stains

By Matt Oden | Comments | Paint and Polish Stains → Shoe Polish

Shiny shoes are a great way to put your best foot forward in the workplace or for your next big interview; however, if you don’t know how to remove shoes polish stains that have accidentally found their way to the surfaces around your home, you may just find yourself feeling less than enthused about your accomplishments. Keep your positive momentum going and learn the best methods of removing those stubborn shoe polish stains.

Shoe polish can bring new life and a brand new sheen to your old shoes, but it can also make a terrible mess if you happen to get it onto other surfaces in your home. Luckily you don’t need to get as frustrated as a pair of twisted shoelaces. There are several very effective methods that will help you to work the stains out of the surfaces that they don’t belong on. Remember, as with the majority of stains, it is best to treat the stains as soon as possible in order to increase the likelihood that you’ll get the stain completely out.

Remove Liquid Shoe Polish Stains From Carpets

What You Will Need Before You Start

Paper towels
Rubbing alcohol
White absorbent towel
Clean sponge

The methods to remove shoe polish stains from your carpet can be very effective but it is important that you move swiftly to treat the stain.

Blot up any shoe polish that may still be damp so that you can remove as much as possible. Be sure to blot and not rub.
Saturate the stain with rubbing alcohol and place a white absorbent towel on top of the soaked stain.
Press the towel down firmly and lift it.
Observe the towel. There should be a fair amount of shoe polish now lifting up off of the carpet.
Repeat the process until you have successfully lifted all of the shoe polish out of the carpet.
Use the clean sponge soaked in water to clean any remaining alcohol residue from the carpet.
Place another clean towel on top of the dampened carpet and press firmly to remove any remaining moisture from the carpet.

Remove Liquid Shoe Polish Stains From Clothing

What You Will Need Before You Start

Powdered laundry detergent
Liquid dish detergent
Clean sponge
White absorbent towel
Rubbing alcohol
Paper towels

Your favorite pair of trousers or your smartest dress shirt do not need to head to the donate pile if they have been subjected to a stain from your liquid shoe polish. Thankfully you can effectively get the stains out of the fabric and save your wardrobe from a polish malfunction.

Blot at fresh stains to remove any excess shoe polish before you get started.
Create a paste with the powdered laundry detergent or dish detergent. It should have the consistency of toothpaste.
Apply the paste directly to the stain and allow the paste to set for up to fifteen minutes.
Rinse thoroughly and observe the stain. If there are any remaining traces of the shoe polish you can blot at it with a bit of rubbing alcohol.
Launder the garment as per the care instructions on the tag.

Before you put the item into the dryer be sure that the stain has been thoroughly removed. You should never place stained items into the dryer as the dryer’s heat will permanently set the stain. Be sure that you take extra care when treating shoe polish stains on wool or silk.

Remove Paste Shoe Polish Stains From Carpets

What You Will Need Before You Start

Plastic knife
Paper towels
White absorbent towels
Oxygen bleach
White vinegar
Clean sponge

For an old-fashioned shine, paste shoe polishes can be incredibly effective. Buffing and polishing will leave a gorgeous sheen on your dress shoes but can also leave you with sticky pasty stains that don’t come out with just regularly laundering.

Use the plastic knife to carefully scrape up any of the excess shoe polish. Take extra care not to rub it into the fibers. You could also use a plastic spoon or any other similar household item. Just be sure that it is something you can easily rinse clean or don’t mind getting grungy.
Carefully blot at the stain with paper towels to lift as much of the oil out of the carpet as possible.
Create a paste using oxygen bleach and white vinegar; the paste should have the consistency of your toothpaste.
Cover the stain with your cleaning paste and allow it to work through the fibers of the carpet for up to thirty minutes.
Rinse clean with fresh cool water and a clean sponge.
If the stain has been effectively removed, press a white towel firmly on top of the damp carpet in order to lift out as much of the moisture as possible.

If the stain is still present then you can try using a bit of ammonia on a clean sponge or clean rag. Be sure to always blot and never wipe, rub or otherwise smear the shoe polish stain.

Remove Shoe Polish Stains From Clothing

What You Will Need Before You Start

Plastic knife
Rubbing alcohol
Cotton swabs
Oxygen bleach

The best way to remove shoe polish stains is to actually just outright prevent them. Be sure to always wear protective clothing or older already-stained clothing when you are polishing your shoes. Of course, accidents do happen and you may find yourself with a stain on your jeans or even on your table cloth. The same steps to remove shoe polish stains from clothing will work well for your table linens.

Use the plastic knife to remove as much of the paste shoe polish as possible.
Dab a bit of rubbing alcohol onto a cotton swab and blot at the stain. The polish should start to lift up from the stained fabric.
Repeat as many times as is needed in order to thoroughly remove the shoe polish.
Once the stain has been removed, add half a scoop of oxygen bleach powder to a sink or bucket of cool water.
Soak the garment to up to thirty minutes and then launder as per the care instructions on the tag.

Garments that are labeled as dry-clean only should only be taken to a professional drycleaner if they are stained. Wool and silk, also, can be very delicate so it is typically advisable to take these types of garments to professional cleaners in lieu of working on the stain yourself.