How to remove shoe polish stains from clothes

Shoe polish looks good on your shoes, but not on your clothes. Since it’s a combination stain composed of greasy stains, dyes and other compounds, if you’re looking for effective shoe polish removal from your clothes, it’s important to use a washing detergent that can break down greasy stains with lipase enzymes before removing them using surfactants. Ariel washing detergents come equipped with powerful surfactants that get stains out, which when combined with other innovative laundry technologies present in Ariel can help you remove shoe polish stains in the 1st wash. Watch our step by step guide or read the instructions below.

How to remove shoe polish stains from clothes

Removing shoe polish stains

  • 1

    Remove excess

    Use a blunt butter knife or a spoon to carefully remove any shoe polish from your clothes. Do not rub the shoe polish stains, as this will only push the stain deeper into the fibres of the fabric.

    Remove excess
  • 2

    Pour

    For effective stain removal, pour Ariel Original Washing Liquid directly onto the shoe polish stain. Pour from either the bottle or the cap.

    Pour
  • 3

    Pre-treat

    Apply the washing detergent onto the shoe polish stain with the pre-treat cap. The flexible fins of the cap can help spread the detergent over the surface of the stain as well as into the garment’s fibres.

    Pre-treat
  • 4

    Load

    Without washing off the detergent, place the garment into the washing machine with other items. Leaving the detergent on the shoe polish stains will boost your wash performance and help to remove those stains.

    Load
  • 5

    Dose

    You can also use the cap to ensure you use the right amount of Ariel Original Washing Liquid. Just fill it with the correct dose and place it directly into the washing machine drum, on top of your clothes.

    Dose
  • 6

    Wash

    Wash your garments on the usual cycle, on the hottest wash temperature indicated by the fabric care label.

    Wash
  • 7

    Unload

    When the cycle is complete, unload the garments immediately.

    Unload

Effective stain removal on a range of stains

Shoe polish stains are hard to remove, but they’re not the only tough stains out there. Chewing gum stains can also cause stain removal problems, along with other stains, such as nail polish stains. With a little bit of help from Ariel, you can the most stubborn stains out of your favourites.