# Can I soften shoe polish that has dried?



## Jim

I found a few full tins of shoe polish that dried out. Is there any way to soften the polish or am I SOL?
Thanks.



> *ASK ANDY UPDATE:*
> Be sure to check out our complete How To Soften Shoe Polish Guide.


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## Holdfast

Gentle low heat to re-melt it. A candle would do, but I actually put them on the smallest ring on the gas hob for a few seconds or so to let it melt. Be careful! Make sure there are no holes in the tin for the wax to drip through and catch fire. 

I take no responsibility for your safety if you try this. For me, it works perfectly and the tin is then good as new.


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## Patrick M Thayer

Shoe polish is cheap -- throw it away and buy new. . .


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## PJC in NoVa

I tend to agree--it's shoe polish; just buy a new tin.

While I prefer shoe cream these days, back when I used wax polish one of my tricks was leaving the can in the sun for a few hours before applying the sun-softened wax to my shoes. Obviously this won't work in cold weather, but in a Virginia summer it's quite effective.


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## red96

Having nearly burned my house down in the past trying the "melt it on the stove" method, I would have to concur with the above advice to go ahead and buy a new tin. Think about explaining your intentions to the firefighters that you will inevitably be calling to your house! :icon_smile:


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## Brooksfan

Just before Christmas I was home and needed to shine a couple pair of shoes so I went into my shine box and heard the unmistakable sound of hardended Kiwi rattling around in the can. Thought what could it hurt to put it on low heat on the gas stove and within seconds it was molten. Dried nicely and now only 10 days later the smell is almost gone from the kitchen. 

Picked up a few new cans and in the future I won't make this mistake again.


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## Aaron in Allentown

Put a chunk of it in a spoon and hold it over a candle until it bubbles. It works better if you do it in a city park.

:crazy:


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## NavyNick

Having polished my share of shoes at Annapolis, I feel myself somewhat of an authority on the subject  While the melting method will work, when the polish dries out, it looses some of the oils that make it healthy for the leather in your shoes. So melting it will make it "workable" and you may get a few more shines, but you aren't doing the shoe leather any favors. This is the same reason those "instant shine" things aren't worth a damn - buy a fresh tin, and use some good quality brushes and a cotton rag to finish, and your shoes will look great, and last longer.


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## PJC in NoVa

NavyNick said:


> Having polished my share of shoes at Annapolis, I feel myself somewhat of an authority on the subject  While the melting method will work, when the polish dries out, it looses some of the oils that make it healthy for the leather in your shoes. So melting it will make it "workable" and you may get a few more shines, but you aren't doing the shoe leather any favors. This is the same reason those "instant shine" things aren't worth a damn - buy a fresh tin, and use some good quality brushes and a cotton rag to finish, and your shoes will look great, and last longer.


The whole polish-drying-out problem is why I've switched to shoe cream, which contains lanolin. Leather is skin and skin needs moisturizers, especially in the winter.

BTW, my late and revered father (now sleeping at Arlington) was USN '43 to '46, w/ 3 battle stars on his Pacific campaign ribbon. Go Squids!


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## Andy

Jim:
Excellent advice here! Go new.


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## Peak and Pine

I'll play the part of FL Mike and ream out Andrew (of all peoples) for responding to a dead thread x 11.


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## Peak and Pine

However, it's an okay topic, responed to, apparently, by a bunch of pretty dumb former members who thought cooking polish was a really good idea. As for the others who suggested tossing and buying fresh, they're obviously not from Maine. There are many ways to soften stuff short of a frying pan.


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## SG_67

I wonder how many other cans of polish under Jim’s care have suffered as such in the intervening 11 years.

P.S. I’m not sure as to the logic of heating it up. If the paste is dried out then what it there to heat? All of the moisture is gone. I can’t imagine the fumes coming from the paste as it burns are in any way healthy.


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## Peak and Pine

SG_67 said:


> If the paste is dried out then what it there to heat? All of the moisture is gone.


You 'd be surprised how much moisture lurks in dried out stuff. Only The Shadow knows. (the word _lurk_ sets me off). And then there's fruit cake, Jim, just starting to get good at 11. And can be rubbed into loafers too, it's the citron.


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## momsdoc

How infrequentlydoes one polish their shoesto notnotice if the paste is getting dry, prior to needing it at the last moment. When the polish is starting to show it’s age, order some new replacement.
Even in Maine the USPSwill be able to deliver it.


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## Peak and Pine

momsdoc said:


> Even in Maine the USPSwill be able to deliver it.


'Tis true. We do have mail delivery up here. Not by humans tho, and there's the rub: ever try to get bear sweat off your copy of Oprah?


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## iam.mike

Peak and Pine said:


> There are many ways to soften stuff short of a frying pan.


So true!

We just published an article that covers this topic and provides a few options for softening old hardened shoe polish.

Here's the article:
https://askandyaboutclothes.com/can-you-soften-dried-shoe-polish/


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## EponymousFunk

mikel said:


> So true!
> 
> We just published an article that covers this topic and provides a few options for softening old hardened shoe polish.
> 
> Here's the article:
> https://askandyaboutclothes.com/can-you-soften-dried-shoe-polish/


I like the ultimate solution of just leaving the polish in the sun to warm and recombine evenly. It has the commendable merit of being least likely to result in fire.

This is probably the best solution if you need the polish to apply to a shoe very soon, have a really sunny and warm day at hand, have a few hours to let the sun work its magic, and that same few hours is not sufficient to secure a new container of shoe polish.

Regards,


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## Kyle76

Peak and Pine said:


> 'Tis true. We do have mail delivery up here. Not by humans tho, and there's the rub: ever try to get bear sweat off your copy of Oprah?


Are the bears reading Oprah as they tend to their business "in the woods?"


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## iam.mike

EponymousFunk said:


> I like the ultimate solution of just leaving the polish in the sun to warm and recombine evenly.


@EponymousFunk - definitely agree with you here.

I thought of two other possible solutions:

1. If you grew up in 70s & 80s, you may still have a sun lamp hanging around somewhere. Those got pretty warm if I recall correctly, and may work pretty well in safely softening hardened shoe polish.

This option would be helpful if you don't live in a warm climate, or one that does not has sunny days very often.

2. A heat gun may work as well, or even possibly a hair dryer.

@Tony Gorga - Thoughts?


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## MCMLXXVICobbler

Waxes does not have much, if any, to nourish leather as do the creams. Solvents within the polish that evaporates (such as turpentine) are neither leather conditioners nor preservatives.

You can use a heat gun, preferably with temperature settings, adjusting it to low/medium heat, having the blower on low speed. It doesn't take much to melt shoe wax, especially if large lumps are mashed down. Be sure to place the can that you are reconstituting on a surface that can take the warmth and the potential splashes if the liquified polish were to leave the can


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## Guest

I steamed my tin in a Thermomix Veroma for 1 min which worked well.


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## eagle2250

^^
....or just grab the wife's hand held hair dryer and, holding the nose of the dryer about6 to 8 inches from your tin of shoe polish, gently warm the contents with the hot air streaming from the hair dryer. The whole effort should take but a minute or two!


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## ran23

Doubt if my wife would let me use her's. Maybe my hand held steamer?


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## Guest

Jim said:


> I found a few full tins of shoe polish that dried out. Is there any way to soften the polish or am I SOL?
> Thanks.


I just had the same problem. I added a bit of vegetable oil to the container, and with a cloth tipped finger, massaged the oil into the polish, and then with the polish/oil worked it onto my needy boots ... it seemed to work well!


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## eagle2250

Guest-150967 said:


> I just had the same problem. I added a bit of vegetable oil to the container, and with a cloth tipped finger, massaged the oil into the polish, and then with the polish/oil worked it onto my needy boots ... it seemed to work well!


Sounds like a promising solution, but use caution in choosing the type of oil worked into the polish. Vegetable oil eventually turns rancid, investing your fine shoes with an objectionable nose! Neatsfoot oil, linseed oil and even olive oil are better choices. Good luck in your quest.


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## Guest

Jim said:


> I found a few full tins of shoe polish that dried out. Is there any way to soften the polish or am I SOL?
> Thanks.


You can safely remelt shoe wax by placing it in a small sieve inside a small pan of simmering water which barely touches your tin of dried out shoe polish. It will melt quickly and without smell in a few minutes. Then leave to solidify and completely cool before touching or using. It will be extremely hot initially. Do not use this method of you are not confident of your ability.


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## Guest

Patrick M Thayer said:


> Shoe polish is cheap -- throw it away and buy new. . .


Not the point, it's a throw away society that some of us are very aware of !


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## Guest

Don't just melt the dried up wax. That will just dry out again. While it is melted over hot water, add some lighter fluid (naphtha) and vegetable oil to the can. Let it dry. You have just restored the natural solvents and oils that came with the new can.


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