Polishing Up Patent Leather By Melanie Parker

There is not a material that I love more than a nice piece of patent leather on an accessory--be it shoes, handbags, or even a wrist cuff or headband. It's so deep and shiny, yet sturdy and chic. Perhaps this is also why I love a deep, vampy red or black creme nail polish. It reminds me of patent leather for your tips.

One thing that I have noticed with patent leather shoes and boots, which are all the rage for Fall, is that the shine can be marred by scuffs. I have long used the elementary school janitor's method of removing black scuff marks from vinyl, which is rubbing briskly with the felt of a tennis ball. I used to watch them put a sliced tennis ball on the end of a broom handle to remove scuffs from the floors. I've also heard of using the eraser on the end of a pencil to remove scuffs. These methods do not work well on patent leather shoes, though.

So, I was delighted to read in Lucky magazine that one of my household staples, nail polish remover, resolves the problem in most cases.

Here is what accessories designer Melanie Dizon recommends:

You'll need: A couple of cotton pads and a bottle of standard-issue nail polish remover.

How it's done: Immediately after wear, just spot-clean surface stains by lightly rubbing with a cotton pad doused in nail polish remover. Air dry for about 5 minutes, then store the item in a cool place. Patent easily absorbs colors from other leather pieces, so wrap bags in tissue paper and keep shoes in their own box.

There are some cases where a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, or acetone remover or Goo-Off rubbed on the scuff with a Q-Tip, will remove the scuff, but also strips a little shine off of the leather in the process. In those instances, use either a dot of Vaseline or a light stroke of clear nail polish to restore the shine.

Credits: Burberry Patent Quilted Ankle Bootie with Buckle Detail from Nordstrom.com