Stubborn salt stains are an unfortunate but inevitable part of winter. Let’s break down how to get rid of them in a few common items like shoes and car mats, without any chemicals and with items you probably already have on hand.
Materials you’ll need:
– microfiber cloth
– clear dish soap
– boar bristle brush (optional)
– kettle
– shop vac
Related: 10 of the Best Ways to Deep Clean Your Outdoor Rugs
For Shoes:
To get salt stains out of shoes all you need is warm to hot water on a microfiber cloth with a little bit of dish soap. Scrub the salt stains off the shoes gently and allow to dry. It’s that simple! If your shoes are suede, you can use the same method but swap out the microfiber cloth for a boar bristle brush and scrub in gentle circular motions.
For car floors and mats:
Once again, you don’t need much to get your car’s interior looking good as new during the winter months. Boil some water and pour it directly on the salt stained areas. This may seem scary, but trust the process and have a shop vac on hand to soak up any access from the pour. If the stains are fresh, that should do the trick, but if they’ve been sitting a while use a brush to help work out the stains and let air dry. This method also works for outdoor mats and floor mats.
Related: How to Get a Wine Stain Out of Furniture
With a little elbow grease you can easily restore your salt-stained items to nearly-new form! Repeat as often as necessary during the winter months, and don’t be afraid to try the same steps on other outdoor garments, like jackets and snowpants, too!
