Shoe Polish Stains

Q: How do you remove wax shoe polish from the cuffs of a pair of pants?

A: Test the color of a garment before starting any stain removal procedure. Place the garment on the spotting board over a white towel. Apply volatile dry solvent, apply oily type paint remover and tamp the stain with spotting brush. A bone spatula may be used to work the agents into the fabric. Flush the area with volatile dry solvent. You may have to repeat this process until the staining substance stops bleeding from the fabric.

Make sure you move the white towel to a clear area to prevent the stain from transferring back to the fabric. If some dye or color of the wax polish is still present, wet the area with water or steam. Apply neutral synthetic detergent tamp and flush. If the stain remains apply ammonia or protein formula, tamp, and flush. Flush the chemicals with steam or water. Dry the garment completely.

Further Reading:

The following bulletins are available to DLI Standard, Gold, and Premier members on DLI’s Encyclopedia of Drycleaning.

Topic of Information No. 700 Stain Removal 101, Part 1: Fats, Oils, Greases

Topic of Information No. 706 Stain Removal 101, Part 5: Unknown Stains