How to remove salt stains from boots and car carpet

Step by step

1. 1

   Let it dry at room temperature

   Let boots dry naturally, away from radiators, heaters and hair dryers. Let car mats and rugs dry too.

   Why: Dry salt brushes and vacuums off more easily. Heat dries out leather and can crack it.

2. 2

   Brush or vacuum off loose salt

   Brush boots with a stiff brush (a suede brush on suede). Vacuum car carpet and entry rugs thoroughly, going over the white areas from several directions.

   Why: Removing the dry crystals first leaves less salt to dissolve, so you need less water.

3. 3

   Dissolve the rest on leather boots

   Wipe the salt lines with a soft cloth dampened in water, or in a solution of 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water, which boot makers' care pages are reported to recommend. Work over the whole boot section so you don't leave a new edge.

   Why: Salt dissolves in water and can be wiped away. Mildly acidic water is said to help break up the crust; test it on a hidden spot first.

4. 4

   Wipe with clean water

   Go over the boot again with a cloth dampened in plain water to remove salt and vinegar residue.

   Why: Anything left on the leather dries into a new mark.

5. 5

   Dry overnight, then condition and protect

   Let boots air-dry overnight in a ventilated place, away from heat. Once dry, apply a conditioner suited to your leather, let it soak in, wipe off the excess, and add a protector spray.

   Why: Cleaning removes some of the oils that keep leather flexible. One work-boot maker recommends conditioning and reapplying protector after exposure to wet and dirt.

Why winter salt leaves white lines

Road and sidewalk de-icing salt dissolves in slush. That salty water soaks into leather, suede and carpet fibers, and when the water evaporates, the salt crystallizes where the wet area ended. The result is a white, crusty tide line.

Because salt is soluble, it doesn't need strong chemicals. It needs water to re-dissolve it and a way to lift that water back out: a cloth on boots, blotting and extraction on carpet. The two things that do damage are too much water, which spreads the line and soaks the material, and heat, which dries leather out. The same idea is behind water stains: treat evenly, so the item dries without a new edge.

By situation

Salt on suede boots

Let them dry and brush hard with a suede brush. Lines that don't brush out can be evened out by dampening the whole panel with a sponge, drying stuffed with paper away from heat, then brushing the nap. A cleaner made for suede is the next step. See suede shoes and boots.

Salt on sheepskin boots

The sheepskin maker's method is to wet the whole outer surface evenly with cold water, clean with a sheepskin cleaner, and dry slowly for at least 24 hours. Full steps are in sheepskin boots.

Salt stains on car carpet

Vacuum thoroughly, then blot the white areas with a white cloth dampened in clear water, working from the edges to the center. Blot dry, repeat until the white is gone, and extract the moisture with a wet/dry vacuum. Leave the doors or windows open until the carpet and padding are fully dry. For stubborn residue, apply a little carpet cleaner to a cloth (not the carpet), work it in from the edges, and blot-rinse with clear water. More on car carpet and seats: car interior.

Rubber and fabric car floor mats

Take them out, scrub with warm water and a few drops of dish soap, rinse well, and dry them fully outside the car before putting them back.

Entry rugs and hallway carpet

Treat them like car carpet: vacuum, blot with clear water, extract and dry. Mats both outside and inside the door stop much of the salt before it spreads further, as the Carpet and Rug Institute recommends for keeping soil out.

What not to do

• Don't dry salty boots on a heater or with a hair dryer. Heat dries out leather and can crack it.
• Don't skip conditioning after cleaning smooth leather. Leather needs its oils to stay flexible, and cleaning removes some of them.
• Don't soak carpet to dissolve salt. Water in the padding takes days to dry and can turn musty; blot and extract instead.
• Don't scrub carpet with a brush. The Carpet and Rug Institute advises blotting, not scrubbing, which distorts the pile.

Other methods that work

Diluted white vinegar on leather boots

1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water on a soft cloth, followed by a plain-water wipe. Widely attributed to boot makers' care pages, which couldn't be checked directly for this guide. More on white vinegar.

Caution: Test on a hidden area, never use undiluted, and condition the leather afterward.

Mild soap or leather cleaner

A work-boot maker recommends a leather cleaner or mild soap on a damp cloth for stains and grime.

Caution: Wipe off residue and dry at room temperature.

Stain still there?

The white line came back after drying

Salt is still in the material. Repeat the wipe or blot with clean water, using a fresh cloth each time so you're removing salt rather than spreading it.

The leather looks dark or stiff after cleaning

Let it dry fully at room temperature, then condition it. A darker patch often evens out once completely dry.

The car carpet smells musty

Water reached the padding. Extract with a wet/dry vacuum and dry with the doors open; persistent mustiness means it's still wet underneath.

Questions

More guides for this room

• How to get the smell out of shoes, and stop it coming back
• How to clean suede shoes and boots, and get stains out
• How to clean sheepskin boots and remove water and salt stains
• How to clean white shoes and sneakers