Nine pairs come out of the guest luggage: two pairs of patent oxfords, a pair of suede loafers with a splash of rosé on the toe, sailing shoes still wet from the tender, and a crocodile handbag in a dust bag. Four different materials, four different rules, and one of them punishes any solvent you put near it.
The daily shoe routine
- Trees in, immediately after wear. Cedar shoe trees absorb moisture and hold the shape while the leather is warm and pliable. Metal or plastic trees hold shape but do not absorb.
- Brush off dust and salt with a horsehair brush before anything else.
- Rotate. A pair of leather shoes needs 24 hours minimum to dry. Wearing the same pair daily halves their life.
- Never dry leather with heat. No hairdryer, no radiator, no engine room. Wet shoes are stuffed with paper (not newspaper against light leather), trees in once nearly dry, and air-dried away from heat.
Cleaning and polishing smooth leather
| Step | Product | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clean | Damp cloth or leather cleaner | Remove old polish build-up periodically |
| 2. Condition | Cream conditioner | Feeds the leather; prevents cracking at the flex |
| 3. Colour | Cream polish | Nourishes and restores colour |
| 4. Shine | Wax polish, small circles, tiny water | Toe and heel only for a high shine |
| 5. Buff | Horsehair brush, then cloth | Finish to the guest preferred level |
Materials with their own rules
- Suede and nubuck: brush with a rubber/crepe suede brush; lift marks with a suede eraser; steam lightly to raise the nap. Never use solvent, polish, or a wet cloth on suede. Protector spray only with the guest permission.
- Patent: wipe with a soft damp cloth; a smear of petroleum jelly restores gloss. Scuffs from another shoe often lift; creases never do.
- Exotic skins (crocodile, ostrich, python): dust, condition sparingly with a specialist product, never soak, never brush hard against the scales. When in doubt, do nothing.
- Deck and sailing shoes: rinse salt off in fresh water, air-dry in shade, condition the leather afterwards.
Leather goods and handbags
- Store handbags stuffed (acid-free tissue or the supplied pillow), upright, in their breathable dust bag, never hanging by the strap and never in plastic.
- Keep hardware away from other bags to prevent scratching; clip chains inside.
- Clean handles only with a barely damp cloth; conditioner on handles transfers to clothing.
- Never clean a guest handbag without instruction. A single wipe on an untreated calfskin leaves a permanent water mark.
Onboard Notes
- Salt water on leather draws out the oils and leaves a white tide-line. Rinse with clean fresh water, dry slowly, then condition. Do not scrub.
- Never polish a shoe you have not first brushed: grit under a wax cloth scratches the finish.
- Keep polishing away from soft furnishings and white bedding. Polish transfer to a guest cabin carpet is a laundry problem you cannot fix.
- Ask before you shine. Some guests want a mirror gloss; others want a matte, worn-in patina and will be dismayed to see it lacquered away.