Just like your skin needs a cleanser and moisturizer, your shoes and boots need some TLC for which you need shoe polish.
Besides adding shine, shoe polish helps soften and condition the leather of your boots or shoes. It also forms a waterproof layer on the leather and protects it from wearing out. It even helps revive old and worn-out leather.
You may be accustomed to buying shoe polish, but it’s nothing more than a pomade made of strong chemicals that are no good when it comes to the environment. If you wish to extend the life of your pricey shoes, you need something gentler and eco-friendly.
How about whipping up your own shoe polish with natural ingredients?
Not only are these polishes super easy to make, but you can also use them on other surfaces, such as wooden furniture, leather belts, pleather, and canvases. You can’t do that with commercial shoe polishes since you don’t want your kids and pets picking up chemicals from everything they touch.
If you are game, we have four quick DIY homemade shoe polish and leather conditioner recipes for you, which use ingredients that might already be in your pantry.
Contents
Method 1: Olive Oil & Beeswax (Basic)
This recipe is as basic as it gets. Just a blend of olive oil and some beeswax is enough to make your shoes shine like new. The beeswax gives the shoe polish a waxy texture, while the olive oil helps restore the natural oils to the leather.
Things you’ll need:
- Olive oil – 1/3rd cup
- Beeswax pellets – 2 tablespoons
Step 1. Melt and blend the beeswax and olive oil
- Put 2 tablespoons of beeswax pellets in a microwave-safe container, such as a Pyrex glass measuring cup.
- Add 1/3rd cup of olive oil.
- Microwave the contents in 30-second bursts until the beeswax melts completely.
- Once done, give it a good stir to blend the two well.
Step 2. Let the polish solidify & buff your shoes with it
- Transfer the blend to a shallow tin can and allow it to solidify. It should take around 45 minutes to 1 hour to solidify completely.
- Use a spare cloth to buff the polish on to your shoes until they start shining.
This DIY homemade shoe polish will stay good for up to 6 months.
Method 2: Tinted Polish
You can also make a tinted DIY homemade shoe polish for your black or tan shoes.
Along with the basic ingredients like beeswax and olive oil, you can use activated charcoal to give the polish a black tint. If you need a polish for tan shoes, you can use brown iron oxide powder or cocoa powder.
Things you’ll need:
- Activated charcoal – ½ teaspoon
- Beeswax pellets – 2 tablespoons
- Olive oil – 1/3rd cup
Step 1. Melt and blend the beeswax and olive oil
- Put 2 tablespoons of beeswax pellets in a microwave-safe container, such as a Pyrex glass measuring cup.
- Add 1/3rd cup of olive oil.
- Microwave the contents on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the beeswax melts completely.
Step 2. Mix in the activated charcoal & polish your black shoes with it
- Add ½ teaspoon of activated charcoal to the mixture.
- Use a motorized blender to mix it with the melted ingredients.
- Pour the blend into a tin can and allow it to solidify.
- Use it as your regular black shoe polish.
Your DIY homemade tinted shoe polish will stay good for 6 to 8 months.
Method 3: Beeswax & Coconut Butter
Leather shoes are expensive and need to be handled with the utmost care. If you’ve had a pair for years and want to use them for a few more, then go for this enriching shoe polish made of beeswax along with coconut butter, sweet almond oil, and castor oil. This blend will not only make your shoes glossy but will also extend their life by years.
The coconut butter works as a natural conditioner for the leather surface of your shoes. The sweet almond oil, being a light oil, easily penetrates into the leather and restores its natural oils. The castor oil stays on the surface of the shoes and gives them a shine.
Things you’ll need:
- Beeswax pellets – 1 tablespoon
- Coconut butter – 1 tablespoon
- Sweet almond oil – 2 tablespoons
- Castor oil – 2 tablespoons
Step 1. Melt the beeswax and coconut butter
- Put 1 tablespoon each of beeswax pellets and coconut butter in a Pyrex glass measuring cup or any microwave-safe container.
- Microwave on high in 30-second bursts until they melt completely and blend.
Step 2. Add the castor and sweet almond oils
- Add 2 tablespoons each of castor and sweet almond oils to the melted ingredients.
Step 3. Mix well, let it solidify & shine up your shoes
- Stir the ingredients well to get a uniform blend.
- While the mix is still hot, pour it into a shallow tin can and allow it to solidify completely.
- Use it like you would any regular shoe polish.
The shelf life of this DIY homemade shoe polish is 6 to 8 months.
Method 4: Olive Oil & Lemon Conditioner
A simple blend of olive oil and lemon juice is enough to take care of your shoe polishing needs.
The olive oil is an excellent substitute for conventional polishes that can condition your leather shoes. You need not buy any expensive oil for this. Even the cheapest variety will do the job. The lemon juice helps add some extra shine.
Things you’ll need:
- Olive oil – 2 tablespoons
- Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
Single-Step Method: Combine olive oil and lemon juice to make a conditioning shoe polish
- Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into a container. You can use either fresh or canned juice.
- Mix well and transfer the blend to a small spray bottle.
- Simply spray some of it on your shoes and buff the surface with a cloth to add shine.
The shelf life of this DIY homemade shoe polish and conditioner is 2 to 4 weeks. You can also use this spray to polish your wooden furniture and utensils.
Tips
- Always clean and dry your shoes thoroughly before applying shoe polish to prevent trapping any dirt.
- If you're struggling to clean your suede shoes, follow our simple guide here.
- Ideally, you should polish your leather shoes or boots monthly. Learn the step-by-step guide to clean your leather boots here.
- In a pinch, you can also rub the inside of a banana peel over leather shoes to restore their shine.
- If you own a dirty pair of running shoes waiting to be thrown in the washer. Stop and look at how to clean your running shoes the right way.
- If you prefer the comfort of canvas over leather, learn here how to clean your canvas shoes and make them look new.