Cleaning Shoes

[semper_fi_72]

Would like to find out how many different ways everyone is cleaning their shoes.

Being the Retired Marine, Polish, a brush, and a lol spit shine has always been there for me.

I have recently heard Murphy's Oil Soap and White Rain Hair Spray being used.

So what do you do and use to clean and shine up your umpire shoes?

[JamesC]

I keep some water in a spray bottle, shoe polish, an old rag, and some shoe shine in my bag. I usually use the water to spray down the shoes, then wipe them off. Use the shoe polish to keep the shoes looking new, then the shoe shine is used to keep them looking nice and shiny! I do not have the Patent Leather shoes, but I have the newer Reeboks (plate and base). IMO, nothing looks better than a nice, clean, shiny pair of plate shoes!

[Umpire in Chief]

Here's what I do and I think it looks great.

• Immediately after a game I'll beat the shoes together to get off the very loose and bulkier debris.
  

  • If the shoes are completely dry I'll go ahead and begin cleaning.
    
  • If they are even slightly damp I'll let them dry first. Usually just throw them in the car and begin the process before my next game.
    

  [*]When dry I'll give them a heavy duty dose of scrubbing bubbles and let the bubbles do the dirty work.

  • 90% of the time this does the job by itself with out having to do any additional cleaning work.
    

  [*]When dry from the scrubbing bubbles I'll give them a heavy dose of Pledge. I let this sit for a minute and then wipe it down.

  Clean shiny shoes with no work in just a few minutes.

Once or twice a year I break out the toothbrush with some saddle soap or Murphy's and get the seams really good, but generally the scrubbing bubbles get the seams good too.

[BrianC14]

I send mine to Semper Fi to have 'em cleaned / shined.

:D

[kylejt]

A damp cloth for my GD patent leathers (which only come out for special games).

For my 450s, I like Meguire's Leather Clean. It keeps the leather from drying out, and has a natural shine to it.

Parade Gloss and a match for the old +POS low tops.

Son of a Gun for my 350's.

All shoes go though a light shower in my utility sink, with a stiff brush, trying hard not to get any water on anything but the soles.

[mazzamouth]

Semper.. I was the same way as you... Till I saw 1st hand the effects of Scrubbing bubbles and Hair Spray... wow and the time I saved...it work very well.

[BrianC14]

Semper.. I was the same way as you... Till I saw 1st hand the effects of Scrubbing bubbles and Hair Spray... wow and the time I saved...it work very well.

That's the second time I've heard about Scrubbing Bubbles this week.... ;)

[JamesC]

I can see the Scrubbing Bubbles, but what is the hair spray doing? Just curious how you are working the hair spray in there? Are you just spraying them down with it, or what?

[BrianC14]

I can see the Scrubbing Bubbles, but what is the hair spray doing? Just curious how you are working the hair spray in there? Are you just spraying them down with it, or what?

•All day hold for lasting control

•Gives your hair body and volume

•Won't flake or build up

;)

[NFUA_44]

Little Scrub Brush Dude swirling around on a Green and White Can?

Yup, dats the one.

But do tell on the Hairspray. Haven't seen that one yet. Scrubbing Bubbles and/or Mean Green is the Bomb! And no matter what you do, nothing looks better than a Brush, Parade Gloss, and a rag, with the required spit of course.

[BrianC14]

Little Scrub Brush Dude swirling around on a Green and White Can?

Yup, dats the one.

But do tell on the Hairspray. Haven't seen that one yet. Scrubbing Bubbles and/or Mean Green is the Bomb! And no matter what you do, nothing looks better than a Brush, Parade Gloss, and a rag, with the required spit of course.

So does 'Scrubbing Bubbles' get rid of that nasty Florida clay I've been hearing about?

[mazzamouth]

Ok so the scrubbing bubbles clean the shoes, and you just spray, wait about 30 secs, wipe off...

the hairspray once your shoes are dry make a very shiny coat on your shoes, its almost like the Armour all wipes... just a quick coat, ( not to heavy) and ..wham... shiny shoes...

please practice on a pair of older shoes 1st, so that way you wont come on here and yell at me cause your new reebok's are mess up...LOL

Ok really.. When I 1st heard of this, I was like " whatever dude"... then I tried it, and it works well, I save a lot of time on my shoes..

I get hairspray from walmart ,like Aqua net Extra hold, a tall can cost about $2. last about 20 times..

[NFUA_44]

So does 'Scrubbing Bubbles' get rid of that nasty Florida clay I've been hearing about?

It's a little less effective in Florida, so I usually make a run up to Alabama once a month to clean up the shoes, seems to work better that way..........

All things being equal yeah the Bubbles treatment works well, even works well with caked on mud/clay combo's given the propensity for wandering weather down here, but hey I'm sure you'll have your Droid Phone with the Weather Apps. available :yippie:

[semper_fi_72]

Ok so the scrubbing bubbles clean the shoes, and you just spray, wait about 30 secs, wipe off...

the hairspray once your shoes are dry make a very shiny coat on your shoes, its almost like the Armour all wipes... just a quick coat, ( not to heavy) and ..wham... shiny shoes...

please practice on a pair of older shoes 1st, so that way you wont come on here and yell at me cause your new reebok's are mess up...LOL

Ok really.. When I 1st heard of this, I was like " whatever dude"... then I tried it, and it works well, I save a lot of time on my shoes..

I get hairspray from walmart ,like Aqua net Extra hold, a tall can cost about $2. last about 20 times..

Ok...I just pulled out my new Reebok Plate Shoes, snatched my girlfriends hairspray and started spraying them.

Then I heard, "What are you doing with my hairspray?"

They were already shined up but let me say this.

The hairspray did give them a little more gloss.

I think I am sold. It will be scrubbing bubbles and hairspray for me.:rollinglaugh:

[Umpire in Chief]

I wrote on here once the smart ass comments I get from SWMBO around this time of the season when I tell her I need Scrubbing bubbles, a toothbrush, Pledge, Lysol, and now maybe add hairspray all for baseball. You'd think she'd catch on by now, I cant wait to hear what she as to say this weekend when I go to stock up.

[semper_fi_72]

I wrote on here once the smart ass comments I get from SWMBO around this time of the season when I tell her I need Scrubbing bubbles, a toothbrush, Pledge, Lysol, and now maybe add hairspray all for baseball. You'd think she'd catch on by now, I cant wait to hear what she as to say this weekend when I go to stock up.

Warren

You left out FEBREZE. :rollinglaugh:

[BrianC14]

I wrote on here once the smart ass comments I get from SWMBO around this time of the season when I tell her I need Scrubbing bubbles, a toothbrush, Pledge, Lysol, and now maybe add hairspray all for baseball. You'd think she'd catch on by now, I cant wait to hear what she as to say this weekend when I go to stock up.

At some point she's going to start wondering why the bathrooms aren't gleaming.... :rollinglaugh:

[Jeff C.]

Scrubbing Bubbles and Armor All wipes for me. I'll have to try the Meguiar's. I do have a question. I can usually figure out all the acronym's that are used, but what the heck is SWMBO?

[Umpire in Chief]

what the heck is SWMBO?

She

Who

Must

Be

Obeyed

:rollinglaugh:

[BrianC14]

Scrubbing Bubbles and Armor All wipes for me. I'll have to try the Meguiar's. I do have a question. I can usually figure out all the acronym's that are used, but what the heck is SWMBO?

If you're married you have one.

:rollinglaugh:

[Jeff C.]

If you're married you have one.

I am and I do. :rollinglaugh:

[yawetag]

My ritual isn't nearly as detailed.

At home after a game, I pour warm water in a bowl, using just a dab of liquid soap. I use a toothbrush to scrub the soles, and a cloth to clean the tops. I haven't noticed the shine going away yet, so I haven't resorted to hair spray.

[kylejt]

I restored old Mustangs for many years, and Armor All was used a lot for car shows, as it was the first of its kind on the market. We stopped using it because it turned everything orange after a spell. Son of a Gun seemed to work better on vinyl.

IMO, you need to treat leather properly, or it will dry out. Hair spray may look pretty, but it will build up over time. I have no idea what the chemicals in Scrubbing Bubbles will do to leather, but I can't imagine it would be good. So be sure to rinse that stuff off before you do any sort of final treatment.

Just be careful, if you want your shoes to last a long time. My +POS are at least ten years old, and will easily go another ten.

[tiger49]

And cue the celebration from the guy in residence at university!

Don't celebrate too much. Depending on the university I would be getting checked regularly.

[UMP6]

A little soap and water in a spray bottle. I use hair spray after they dry. Leaves a nice shine for a couple of innings. We will not be calling balls/strikes for a while, due to the amount of snow on the ground. The HS Season will be probably short!

UMP6

Location

Omaha College World Series New Stadium