Cleaning work shoes
Cleaning work shoes
So that your work shoes stay beautiful for a long time
Your work shoes are as much a part of your everyday life in the catering and hotel industry as your knife, cooking pot or waiter's purse! Therefore, it is important to keep your shoes as well as your workplace always clean. This is also the only way to ensure that your shoes support you in your work as they should. Professional shoes for the horeca industry are adapted to the field of application kitchen and service by special characteristics such as breathability or anti-slip soles. However, these properties only remain intact and functional if the shoes are regularly cleaned and cared for.
4 reasons for regular shoe care
The wearing comfort remains
Shoes stay beautiful longer
Unpleasant odors are avoided
Safety remains guaranteed
Our tip
Work shoes are usually worn for several hours a day and have to withstand a lot of stress. Therefore, your shoes also need a break once in which they can release the absorbed moisture again. So it is better to use two pairs of shoes alternately! This will significantly extend the service life of your work shoes.
How to properly clean your shoes
1. Remove coarse dirt
Regularly remove coarse dirt from your work shoes. Because dirt is not only a visual problem, but also deteriorates the breathability of your shoes. If the surface is dirty, the shoe cannot breathe. As a result, there is more moisture and your feet start sweating faster.
For shoes made of leather, you should therefore regularly reach for a soft brush and clean the surface with lukewarm water. If the shoe is more heavily soiled, use a little neutral soap in addition. Textile shoes should not be cleaned with a brush, but rather with a clean cloth. With it, you can carefully dab the dirty spots. Do not rub - this will only work the stain deeper into the material!
2. Drying shoes
It is not only during cleaning that your shoes come into contact with water! When working in the catering industry, shoes can quickly get wet. To avoid damaging your shoes, there are a few things you should keep in mind when drying them. Even if it's faster - don't put your wet shoes on the heater or in the sun! Leather shoes quickly become brittle and the material hardens. Better remove the laces and insole, stuff the shoe with newspaper and let it dry slowly at room temperature.
3. Waterproofing
To prevent your shoes from getting wet in the first place during everyday working life, you should impregnate them regularly. Because even water-repellent shoes only retain this property if the protection is renewed from time to time. Even shoes that are not water-repellent can be treated with a waterproofing spray. This does not make them waterproof, but the water beads off and the shoes stay dry longer.
Our tip:
Impregnate your shoes before wearing them for the first time and after about every third time they get wet. Make sure to use a waterproofing spray that matches the material!
4. Shoe polish
Treat leather work shoes with shoe polish or leather wax from time to time in addition to normal cleaning. This keeps the leather supple and prevents it from becoming brittle. A positive side effect: dirt does not stick to waxed shoes as quickly!
Shoes with a textile surface do not need any additional care and should not be treated with wax or shoe polish - this can even damage the material.
When the shoe smells unpleasantly
Professional shoes are worn long and often and have to withstand high loads - so it is inevitable that the shoes sometimes smell unpleasant. In addition to fresh air, you can also use special shoe deodorants against unpleasant odors. There are also various home remedies to help against the smell of sweat in the shoes. Lavender flowers, the peel of citrus fruits or tea tree oil have an antibacterial effect and help to eliminate odors. A sock filled with some cat litter is also said to help.
Our tip
Pack your shoes safely in a freezer bag and put them in the freezer for a few hours! So the odor-causing bacteria die and the smell disappears.
4 mistakes in shoe care
The washing machine
Do not put your professional shoes in the washing machine! Not only will the material suffer as a result, but the safety properties can also be lost.
Dirty workplace
Make sure that your workplace is always clean. That means wiping up spills quickly and cleaning smeared floors quickly. Not only will your shoes stay cleaner and not need to be cleaned as often, the sole will also be less stressed and retain its non-slip sole for longer.
Additional insoles
In the private sector, many people regularly change the insoles of their shoes for hygienic reasons. However, in the case of work shoes, you should absolutely refrain from doing so: Work shoes must not be changed, as this can cause the shoe to lose its safety properties. Therefore, make sure that you clean your shoes properly - this way the insole will stay beautiful for a longer time!
Incorrect storage
If you do not wear your shoes for a longer period of time, proper storage is important. Plastic bags are unsuitable for storing shoes, as moisture can accumulate and mold can develop. Rather, use a cardboard box or a shoe bag. In order for the shoe to keep its shape, you can additionally use shoe trees.
