Today I am testing four products for cleaning plate shoes. While none of these methods can compare to the good-old-fashion polish and elbow grease method, each of these methods only takes a minute or two to produce a shine.
The methods tested are:
1. Scrubbing Bubbles and Armour All Leather Wipes
2. Murphy's Oil and Hairspray (White Rain firm hold)
3. Sprayway glass cleaner
4. Home-made glass cleaner mixture of white vinegar, water and dish soap.
Methodology
As you can see from the "Before" picture at left (click picture to enlarge), I am testing method one on a Reebok Field Magistrate Plate Shoe; method two on a Reebok Field Magistrate Plate Shoe; method three on a New Balance 450 Plate Shoe; and method four on a New Balance 450 Plate Shoe.
I first sprayed the shoes down with regular water and used a small brush to clean off dirt. Then I applied the cleaner and shining agent (if applicable), waited ten seconds, and wiped dry with a soft cloth.
The Test
Scrubbing Bubbles and Armour All Leather Wipes - I have been using this method for the past year and have good results. The Scrubbing Bubbles quickly clean the leather and the cloth areas. As you can see from the photo, the Armour All wipes produced a very good shine.
There are a couple down-sides to this method. First, the Scrubbing Bubbles are in an aerosol can which could be a problem if left in a hot trunk. The spray is also messy and I have to walk a safe distance away from vehicles and people to spray down my shoes. Buying Scrubbing Bubbles is also expensive over time.
Finally, the Armour All wipes attract dirt. My shoes look fantastic until I hit the field. Within an inning they have lost their luster.
Murphy's Oil and Hairspray - I have never used the Murphy's Oil or hairspray to clean my shoes. Murphy's Oil is a popular product for cleaning leather, and the hair spray brings out a very good shine. I mixed two capfuls of the Murphy's Oil in a small spray bottle filled with water. The Murphy's Oil sprayed quickly and was able to penetrate into creases.
The upside to using Murphy's Oil is the cost. The down side is the Murphy's Oil does not clean a shoe's cloth areas. Hairspray also acts like a dust magnet.
Ammonia-free Glass Cleaner - Ammonia-based glass cleaners like Windex will harm leather. I chose the ammonia-free Sprayway glass cleaner from Wal-Mart which I use to clean household glass. The Sprayway cleaner sprays on like a foam, similar to the Scrubbing Bubbles. The Sprayway produced a decent shine.
Like the Scrubbing Bubbles method, glass cleaner can get expensive. However, unlike Armour All, the glass cleaner does not attract dust because there is no residual film.
Home-Made Glass Cleaner - to try to combat the price issue of store-bought glass cleaners, I mixed white vinegar, water and dish soap. I have used this mixture on household glass and it cleans better than ammonia-based Windex without streaking. I have blacked-out the gaudy white "N" at the side of my New Balance shoes with a Sharpie, and the white vinegar mixture started removing the Sharpie ink. The Home-Made Glass Cleaner cleaned well, but did not leave much of a shine.
Bottom Line
While the Scrubbing Bubbles and Armour All method tends to clean and shine the best, I am intrigued by the ammonia-free glass cleaner. Hairspray and Armour All wipes produce a very good shine, but attract dirt. The ammonia-free glass cleaner cleans, shines, and does not attract dirt.
The methods tested are:
1. Scrubbing Bubbles and Armour All Leather Wipes
2. Murphy's Oil and Hairspray (White Rain firm hold)
3. Sprayway glass cleaner
4. Home-made glass cleaner mixture of white vinegar, water and dish soap.
MethodologyAs you can see from the "Before" picture at left (click picture to enlarge), I am testing method one on a Reebok Field Magistrate Plate Shoe; method two on a Reebok Field Magistrate Plate Shoe; method three on a New Balance 450 Plate Shoe; and method four on a New Balance 450 Plate Shoe.
I first sprayed the shoes down with regular water and used a small brush to clean off dirt. Then I applied the cleaner and shining agent (if applicable), waited ten seconds, and wiped dry with a soft cloth.
The Test
Scrubbing Bubbles and Armour All Leather Wipes - I have been using this method for the past year and have good results. The Scrubbing Bubbles quickly clean the leather and the cloth areas. As you can see from the photo, the Armour All wipes produced a very good shine.There are a couple down-sides to this method. First, the Scrubbing Bubbles are in an aerosol can which could be a problem if left in a hot trunk. The spray is also messy and I have to walk a safe distance away from vehicles and people to spray down my shoes. Buying Scrubbing Bubbles is also expensive over time.
Finally, the Armour All wipes attract dirt. My shoes look fantastic until I hit the field. Within an inning they have lost their luster.
Murphy's Oil and Hairspray - I have never used the Murphy's Oil or hairspray to clean my shoes. Murphy's Oil is a popular product for cleaning leather, and the hair spray brings out a very good shine. I mixed two capfuls of the Murphy's Oil in a small spray bottle filled with water. The Murphy's Oil sprayed quickly and was able to penetrate into creases.
The upside to using Murphy's Oil is the cost. The down side is the Murphy's Oil does not clean a shoe's cloth areas. Hairspray also acts like a dust magnet.
Ammonia-free Glass Cleaner - Ammonia-based glass cleaners like Windex will harm leather. I chose the ammonia-free Sprayway glass cleaner from Wal-Mart which I use to clean household glass. The Sprayway cleaner sprays on like a foam, similar to the Scrubbing Bubbles. The Sprayway produced a decent shine.Like the Scrubbing Bubbles method, glass cleaner can get expensive. However, unlike Armour All, the glass cleaner does not attract dust because there is no residual film.
Home-Made Glass Cleaner - to try to combat the price issue of store-bought glass cleaners, I mixed white vinegar, water and dish soap. I have used this mixture on household glass and it cleans better than ammonia-based Windex without streaking. I have blacked-out the gaudy white "N" at the side of my New Balance shoes with a Sharpie, and the white vinegar mixture started removing the Sharpie ink. The Home-Made Glass Cleaner cleaned well, but did not leave much of a shine.
Bottom Line
While the Scrubbing Bubbles and Armour All method tends to clean and shine the best, I am intrigued by the ammonia-free glass cleaner. Hairspray and Armour All wipes produce a very good shine, but attract dirt. The ammonia-free glass cleaner cleans, shines, and does not attract dirt.
