How do I get scuff marks out of white patent leather shoes?
Kelly from Scranton, PA
I have always used hair spray to clean patent shoes. I suppose you should use the aerosol type spray and not pump since the alcohol is probably the answer here! (05/09/2006)
By M
I used nail polish remover on white patent leather shoes and it worked great but I also ruined a pair of black patent leather shoes. It took the shine right out of the black shoes and left a dull toe, so be careful. (05/09/2006)
By Connie A.
Try WD40. (05/09/2006)
GO THE FINGERNAIL POLISH REMOVER ROUTE! It worked effortlessly in seconds. (05/10/2006)
By
Thanks for the ideas. I tried the nail polish remover. It worked well, and took off all of the scuff marks, but... When I was done the paper towel I had been using was the same bright red as my boots. The boots were still red, but the very shiny, reflective coat had been somewhat wiped away. (05/26/2006)
By DG
I just used the nail polish remover on my three year old's white patent leather shoes. The shoes looked hopeless- but the nail polish remover WORKED! I have never been so excited about cleaning something before! The shoes look perfect now. (05/27/2006)
By TH
Don't use the nail polish remover it ruins the shoe. I had a scuff mark on my new white patent shoes and when I applied nail varnish, it was only a little bit on cotton wool, it did not remove the mark and took away the shiny patent layer. (05/29/2006)
By charlie
I used pure acetone nail polish remover on my white patent leather shoes and it really worked! Without effort the scuff marks came off, leaving the shoes cleaner than they were purchased. (05/29/2006)
By Chris H.
I use "Never-dull" metal polish wadding. Use a small amount of wadding, and a small amount of force. Rub in a circular motion over the scuff. After treating it, use a soft cloth to remove the haze, and the scuff should be gone (if it is not to deep a scuff). Not sure how well this will work on white patent leather, but it works great on black (05/29/2006)
By Martin
Use a bit of vaseline! Dab it on a bit of kitchen towel tissue and scrub on the mark, it works great and it dosen't remove the shiny layer! Unlike using nail polish which does! (06/06/2006)
By
I had this pair of white patent pumps which I love, and they kept getting scuff marks on them. I tried WD-40 but that didn't work, and I tried Windex. The nailpolish remover worked like a charm and didn't really take off much shine. (06/30/2006)
By
You don't have to use nail polish remover. All you have to do is put rubbing alcohol on a cloth and it will wipe right off. You don't have to scrub, just 3 rubs and it's gone!
(07/16/2006)
By jarome
None of these solutions worked on my wife's patent leather shoes. Some kind of black scuff marks on the top of the toe on a nice biege pair of shoes. (09/08/2006)
By guest
TOOTHPASTE!
(10/26/2006)
By Michelle Popielarz
I used the nailpolish remover and it worked great!! Scuffs came off, I really had to scrub some parts, but my red shoes are still shiny!! (10/30/2006)
By
I tried vaseline and it didn't work. I tried nail polish remover and it took away a little of the scuff and most of the shine. The scuffs are still there. I hope I haven't ruined my shoes! (11/03/2006)
By
I purchased a brand new pair of Demonia burgandy rub-off leather boots. I wore them today and got a big scuff mark on the side of the heel/ankle area. I tried toothpaste, vaseline, windex, and nail polish remover- which actually made it worse! SINCE THE BOOTS ARE BURGANDY, THE SCUFF MARKS APPEAR KIND OF PINKISH/ORANGE. I was so upset! Tommorow I'll try the Mr. Clean eraser and hopefully it works. ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT ELSE I CAN DO? (11/27/2006)
By Bethzy
Use mineral turps.
(11/28/2006)
By Hi
Eye-makeup remover worked for my red, patent leather shoes--followed by a petroleum jelly rub. Rubbing alcohol and nail polish remover damaged the color. Even with eye-makeup remover, make sure to use it on a very small area before proceeding with the treatment, as it may remove the color on your shoe. (12/11/2006)
By MariMac
I used a swab soaked with a little rubbing alcohol to get off a white scuff mark I had on a burgundy patent leather shoe (the scuff mark was on the toe of the shoe and bothered me). It worked beautifully! Don't over do it, though, just dab the alcohol soaked swab (or q-tip) on the mark itself, trying to avoid surrounding areas (you don't want to rub off what belongs there, like the color and shine)! (12/18/2006)
By Karen Dethlefsen
I just bought some $150 Jordans and got a big scuff on them the 1st time I wore them. I took everyone's advice to use some finger nail polish remover it worked like a charm. Thanks ALOT guys! (12/21/2006)
By marcus k
Nailpolish remover worked wonders on my red patent
leather shoes. But don't over do it. (12/21/2006)
By Deena
I used the product Goo Gone to remove a white scuff from burgundy patent leather shoes. The product is for removing price tag stickers, bubble gum and tar.
It worked terrific and has no harsh chemicals in it to damage the shoe finish.
I just sprayed it on a paper towel and rubbed the shoe.
Scuff came off with no effort. (12/26/2006)
By Joanne
Thank you! I found that a combination of toothpaste (applied with your finger and a little rubbing) then buffing with vaseline ( use a tissue) worked great! Took a little while because you don't want to push too hard. I had scuffs on red patent pumps and this worked great. No damage to the shoes! Thanks again for your suggestions!! (12/31/2006)
By BECKY B
Learned this in Junior high, very carefully use nail polish remover. (12/31/2006)
By Michawn
I had white scuffs all over the insides of my black patent leather shoes. I read this thread and decided to try nail polish remover since it was all I had. I used 99cent non-acetone nail polish remover on a Q-tip and rubbed it on the white scuff marks and they're all gone now. There is no damage on the rest of the shoe from it and no black color came off on the swab. The only marks on my shoes are from exactly where the scuffs were, so the damage is from that, not the polish remover. I had to scrub a bit to get them off, but my shoes look fantastic now! (01/04/2007)
By Jannie
I was rather skeptical about nail polish remover, the chemicals involved just sounded a little harsh to me. So, I dabbed a tiny bit of toothpaste on my finger, and with lots of elbow grease, in about 5 minutes, my red patent leather slingbacks no longer had black scuff marks. Then I dabbed a little vasoline on a piece of toilet paper and lightly rubbed the area, which made the scuffed part look better than the rest of the shoes! So I used a tiny bit more vasoline to buff the entire patent part of my shoes, and they look better than new! My scuffs were on the inside toe area, I am not sure how this would work on the actual heels or other parts that may have worse damage. My shoes have wooden heels. My girlfriend sent me a link to this site, and I am eternally grateful for it! Thank you so much! (01/06/2007)
By kimberly
THANKS A MILLION! My fiance' is in the Marine Corpse. He has inspections and there is or I should say WAS a really bad scuff mark on his dress shoes. The toothpaste and vaseline did the trick! If you are in the Marine Corps or a Marine wife... you would understand how important it is to pass inspection. THANKS SO MUCH! (01/06/2007)
By Laura
Nail Polish Remover!
It worked instantly with no scrubbing!
Thanks so much! (01/21/2007)
By Laurel Musser
Toothpaste worked nicely on one pair of red patent leather shoes, but not on another.
I tried rubbing alcohol as well for the second pair, but no luck with that either. I might be at fault on that one since I painted red nail polish over some of the parts where the leather had actually scraped off - it worked nicely for the scrapes, but didn't cover the scuffs. (02/17/2007)
By Julie
I took the advice to use nail polish remover on my blue patent leather handbag to remove white scuff marks...it worked! However, I used nail polish remover again to remove paint spots from my brown patent leather moc croc bag and oh no! - it's now got rough patches on it although fortunately I don't think the colour has been affected! Have tried saddle soap and leather cleaner but can't get rid of the rough patches. Any ideas, please? Desperate as I love that bag!! (02/21/2007)
By Pearl
Use the nailpolish remover, not the toothpaste. However, it's the acetone in the polish remover that takes off the scuffs, so don't use the non-acetone remover or else you'll have a harder time. For years and years I have been using 100% acetone - just a little bit on a papertowel rubbed on the scuffs - and I have NEVER had anything but success. It takes no effort at all. And it won't ruin the lustre of the patent leather whatsoever! (02/24/2007)
By Mandy
I tried rubbing a potato on my ivory patent leather shoes because a teacher recommended it. However, that didn't work, so I tried some things that I heard on here, a regular eraser on a pencil did not work, rubbing alcohol did work (but it took some elbow grease), nail polish remover worked the best, but I couldn't get a few scuffs off (90% were gone after those 3 attempts), then I used Vaseline to shine them, which worked, but didn't aid in getting any scuffs off. THANKS a LOT, everyone! (03/04/2007)
By Clare
Tooth paste did not work on my shoes. (03/04/2007)
By Clare
The acetone-packed nailpolish remover worked like a charm on my super-cheap white stillettoes. From what I've read, it seems that the nailpolish remover ruins colored shoes and damages designer labels. Thus, I've decided...LADIES, spend your hard earn dollars on cheap shoes that clean up nicely. (ex: Splash, Target) It's worked for me. (03/11/2007)
By ape
Nail Polish remover worked well (about 90% gone). However my shoes were WHITE patent leather with BLACK scuff marks...very pleased.
Thanks! (03/24/2007)
By Christine.
I read this whole thread and had a lot of trouble deciding what method to use. My shoes are black with white trim, and im not even sure if they are faux patent leather or real patent leather. They have white scuffs all over the heels. Needless to say, there was a concern about the materials harming the shoe if it was faux (i.e melt material, take away paint). I took a bit of rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab and chose an inconspicuous area to test. You have to rub kind of hard, but it gets the scuff off without removing paint/finish. So i would have to agree that this method works on cheap shoes. Thanks! (03/31/2007)
By Jocelyn
Toothpaste worked great. It completely removed a white scuff mark from my black patent leather stilletos. (04/01/2007)
By Lynn
I tried a lot of things and I learned that erasers, toothpaste, and rubbing alcohol DO NOT work on white patent leather shoes. Try pure actone nail polish remover. (04/04/2007)
By Katerina Bezpalaya (Guest)
SURGICAL SPIRIT- took every little black scuff mark off my cream patent stillettos, there was not even a dot left. you do have to rub a little hard. Perfect!
(b)Editor's Note: (/b) Surgical Spirit is ethanol with a small amount of methanol added so it's unfit to drink. (poisonous) (04/05/2007)
By Claire
Nail polish remover works with white patent leather I know for sure but, I was a bit hesitant to use it for my light pink patent leather pumps... the toothpaste did the job. A lot of elbow grease involved, but my shoes are as good as new! First try toothpaste, if it doesn't work, then you can go on to use alcohol or nail polish remover! (04/06/2007)
By
For little girls' white plastic patent leather-like shoes, I tried most of the below suggestions and those from other sites. Only fingernail polish remover worked. I am grateful to all. My little girl was devastated that she had ruined her Easter shoes. (04/08/2007)
By tallweed
Just spent about an hour using various things suggested here. Have seen acetone nail polish remover work wonders--but not on my man-made-materials cheap patent shoes! I tried a PENCIL ERASER and the black scuffs "erased" from the shiny turquoise surface. You have to use a bit of muscle, and be careful, because you CAN scrub that thin, shiny vinyl right off, revealing the fabric underneath. Had a bit of luck with baking soda, but the eraser was the only thing that really worked. (04/10/2007)
By Rebecca Gray
I used "Cutex" regular nail polish remover on my BRAND NEW WHITE PATENT LEATHER SHOES and it worked! I wore them for my cousin's Sweet 16 and some kid stepped on them and left 4 huge scuff marks. Nail Polish Remover works like a charm! (04/14/2007)
By Christine
I tried using nail polish remover, but it left a bigger blackish grey mark! What should I do for my brand new shoes? (04/21/2007)
By stacy
I HAD BEEN DYING TO WEAR MY WHITE PATENT LEATHER STILLETOS BUT I JUST COULDNT WITH ALL THE SCUFF MARKS THE HEEL LEFT ON THEM. I DECIDED TO LOOK IT UP ON THE INTERNET. ACETONE WORKED GREAT. IT GOT IT ALL OFF. THE ERASER DIDN'T DO ANYTHING REALLY THOUGH. (04/23/2007)
By JESSICA
Use dishwasher liquid (Cascade) for white shoes. (04/25/2007)
By Mary
I bought a pair of expensive, real red patent leather flats. They got scuffed immediately. I tried the non-acetone nail polish remover made for artificial nails on a q-tip, rubbed gently, wiped it off with a tissue and rubbed some non-petrolueum jelly on. So far so good, the color didn't come off and the finish still seems ok. Thanks ladies for all your advice! (05/02/2007)
By non acetone nail polish remover
I scuffed my cheap WHITE patent leather shoes the first time I wore them of course.
After I read the earlier answers about nail polish remover I went to my shoe cabinet straight away.
Wipes off smoothly and does not dull the surface at all.
Thanks to all who wrote in! (05/12/2007)
By S in Singapore
Thanks for all the input. My twin daughters had badly scuffed their Easter shoes that were intended to last at least until Labor Day. I tried scrubbing them, using vasiline (my mom's solution to the problem), and everything else I had heard about. Nothing worked until I tried nail polish remover. Thank you so much! (05/28/2007)
By Amy Glenn
I scuffed my white patent shoes at work and in a fit of desperation I tried hairspray (figuring that if it takes paint off walls it should take scuffs off shoes). It took off the scuffs easily, but it also took off the shine! I tried to re-shine them with Vaseline, but to no avail. Luckily I had some really thin quick-drying topcoat in my desk (clear nail polish), So I put that on them as thinly as I could and they look fine (You'd have to really examine my feet to see it). Thought I'd pass on my misdeed! (05/30/2007)
By Lisa Allison
Crisco Vegetable Oil did the trick on white scuff marks on expensive Christian Laboutin Red Patent Leather shoes. They look like new. (05/31/2007)
By Chris
I have these hot pink peep toe pumps and scuffed them really badly at a party last night. I thought they were ruined until I took the suggestion of nail polish remover. I have a cheap store-brand nail polish remover and it worked just fine on my patent leather hot pink shoes. Thanks so much! Who would've guessed that would have worked?! (06/03/2007)
By
Spent an hour working on getting scuff marks off white patent leather shoes. Tried everything mentioned here.... Magic Eraser, alcohol, d/w detergent, elbow grease. Should have started with the acetone...one swipe, no rubbing. Scuff marks gone and no damage to the sheen. (06/11/2007)
By robin
Had no luck w/ acetone, but goof-off worked great. (06/12/2007)
By Stella
Borrowed my sisters white patent shoes for a party and notice that I'd scuffed them when I got home. Thought I'd ruined them. I was worried about using nail polish remover to get rid of the marks. I thought it might take the color out of the shoe but it really worked. A couple of seconds and the shoes looked brand new again. I only used those really cheap nail polish remover pads. (06/13/2007)
By shoe borrower
The nail polish remover didn't work on my new white patent heels. It kind of took it out, but it also took out a lot of the shine too. Maybe my scuff was deeper? (06/29/2007)
By Emily
I just bought a pair of "cheaper" shoes, but they are not patent leather. I have tried nail polish remover, Comet, Magic Eraser, etc. It doesn't even look like it is close to coming off!
What can I do! (07/03/2007)
By Lindsey
Nail polish remover removed the color of my red patent leather shoes. (07/07/2007)
By Beth.
I just used the off brand polish remover and it worked! Plus the shine was still on the shoes. What a relief, I only wore these shoes once and they weren't cheap. (07/09/2007)
By Pat Jackson
I have these really cute white Dior patent leather heels and I got thick black scuff marks on them. I just used nail polish remover and scrubbed it with a Q-tip and it came right off. Thank you for saving my precious shoes.
(b)(/b) (07/10/2007)
By Lily
I tried a Mr. Clean eraser, hair spray, oil, tooth paste and none of it worked. My shoes are red patent leather. I was kind of afraid to use nail polish. Well, I did and it took the black scuff marks right off. I used the non-acetone kind. Did not damage the finish at all. I would recommend. (07/13/2007)
By Norma
I just finished putting some non-acetone nail polish remover on a q-tip and removed a white stain I had on a pair of gorgeous, designer black patent boots. (07/20/2007)
By mci
This is what i did: none of the methods(oil, toothpaste, nail polish remover, etc.) worked for me. The nail polish remover did a little, but it took off some of the finish.
Use Goof-off, but don't spray it on the entire area, because it will remove the finish a bit. Instead, use a q-tip in tiny areas and scrub REALLY HARD, but check to make sure you're not scrubbing the color off! If no polish is handy, I found that vaseline helped shine up the area enough to make the difference very minimal.
Thank goodness this worked, it was my last resort, I bought these shoes on sale and scuffed them only hours later while breaking them in. Though the finish was slightly ruined, it looks much better than a big black mark. My scuff was on the inside(as in the part not showing on the outside surface of the shoe, where the shoes touch) of the shoe. But really, no one will be doing a close up on your shoes to see, so it works wonderfully! You will need vaseline or shoe polish, or it will look bad. (The picture is after I used goof off. The mark was right in the bottom center of the shoe, now its just slightly off, but I didn't use shoe polish, so it will look much better once you do that!)
(07/24/2007)
By lana
I had scuffs on my red patent pumps. I tried vinegar and it didn't work. Cheap nail polish remover did the trick for tan, black, and white scuffs. It was so totally awesome. (08/14/2007)
By Phillis
I just bought a white peep toe pair of Enzo Angiolini shoes. When I wore them for the first time I ended up getting scuff marks on the side of them. I came on this web site and saw that I could use nail polish remover. I then tried it and the scuff came off. The only bad thing about it is that it left a little yellow line on the shoes. It's not really noticeable. (09/13/2007)
By Nervana
I used to use vaseline - they came off - that was many, many years ago - but try, what do you have to lose? Good luck (09/16/2007)
By Luaza
Thanks to the advice of many of the people who have already given their feedback, I decided to try using Nail Polish Remover to remove the WHITE scuffs from my BLACK patent leather high heels. I bought a bottle of Sally Hansen Extra Strength remover (Acetone is the main ingredient) and used Q-tips soaked in the remover to rub the scuffs out of the leather. It worked very well, as you will be able to tell from my photo. Again, thanks, everyone! (09/17/2007)
By Marygrace
Goo Gone worked amazingly on my patent leather red shoes! (09/22/2007)
By michelle
The toothpaste works for scuff marks and it leaves them smelling minty fresh. But just to clean them, soap and water is all you need. (09/22/2007)
By shoe man tycoon
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