The secret to maintaining just about anything is to be willing to press the “pause” button. Whether it’s changing the oil in your car, brushing your teeth, scheduling a date night with your spouse or cleaning and sealing cork on Birkenstocks,® we must take a little time out to do it. Right?
Follow these four simple steps:
- Brush off any loose dirt and particles with a nylon bristle brush.
- Clean the sole with water, a little soap and a scrub brush
- Abrade the sides of the soles with light sandpaper or Scotch-Brite™.
- Apply AQUASEAL Cork Sealant as per the instructions on the bottle.
More Details:
Step One – Clean them things
Cleaning can be quick and easy. Even a warm wet rag is better than nothing. No kidding a warm wet rag can usually do pretty good job.
To go deeper mix in a few drops of AQUASEAL Leather Cleaner into a small container of warm water then scrub the whole sandal with a medium stiff nylon bristle brush – which can be an old toothbrush. Immediately wipe off with a warm wet rag. Let dry before continuing to the next step.
***If you are the type that wants to go one step further, before going on to sanding, scrub with baking soda with water for a squeaky-clean surface***
Note: Outdoor air and sunlight is a great way to dry footwear. If not available indoors in a warm place works good too.
Step Two– Prepare the peripheral edges of the cork sealer. This is the only hard part. The rest is genuinely fun.
If there is any gloss left on the exposed cork from the previous coating of sealant then you will need to abrade it with 200 or above grit sandpaper. The reason for this is the same reason you sand just about anything before you coat it. It helps your sealant have good adhesion so it won’t peel off.
Note: Scotch-Brite™ works great for sanding too but you must use an equivalent grit to 200 or above sandpaper, such as dark grey or brown.
GOOD NEWS! It is such a small amount of area to abrade so it really isn’t hard to do.
Step Three– This is by far the most fun part. Applying Cork Sealant to the cork. Simply apply with the dauber attached to the cap, following the instructions on the bottle. One coat is all that is necessary.
Step Four– The second most fun part. Apply AQUASEAL Conditioner For Leather to the leather straps. The best AQUASEAL product for conditioning leather sandal straps comes in a pump spray bottle.
However, since it is a pump spray and the strap surfaces are relatively narrow you will need to apply it with a ½ inch paint brush or a clean rag. Simply unscrew the pump sprayer and set it aside. Be aware that a little might leak out the end of the tube.
With a ½ inch brush or clean rag apply AQUASEAL to all the leather straps. Let it all dry overnight and you are done!