What does not go bad? Food, cosmetics, life, everything has an end, an expiry date. But it’s heard that shoe polish does not go bad. Sounds fake, doesn’t it? To me too.
But, I am as curious to know the real answer as you are! That’s why I did a little research. In this article, I will be letting you know does shoe
polish go bad and more!
Does Shoe Polish Go Bad?
Surprisingly enough, it is true! Shoe polish does not go bad. It does not have an expiry date or date of throwing it out. Even though you might notice changes in it if you do not take care of it, it will never go bad if you store it attentively. What Happens When Shoe Polish is Kept Carelessly?
Well, the main problem that occurs if you keep your shoe polish carelessly is that- it dries out. It is pretty much a common problem for almost all of us. The process of drying out occurs so quickly that it would make you scratch your head.
The most helpful and, at the same time, destroying element for shoe polish is air. When you apply the shoe polish to your shoe, the air helps it to dry. Likewise, when you keep the shoe polish’s lid loosely, the same way air dries out the shoe polish inside the bottle. And it makes the shoe polish hard and solid matter. Also, carelessly kept shoe polish can be harmful to children and pets. Even though the shoe polish has mostly wax and dye, it is only harmless when it’s on the outside. But when it’s swallowed, it can be toxic to health.
How to Save Shoe Polish from Drying Out?
Dry shoe polish is mostly hard and has cracks on it. Shoe polish becomes hardened when you become careless while storing it or the shoe polish becomes old. You should remember that nothing can stop shoe polish from drying out, but these suggestions can make the drying-out process a lot slower. To avoid shoe polish from drying out faster, firstly, you have to be careful about keeping it air-tight. By no means can you keep the shoe polish lid opened or loosely tied.
You must know that when you keep the lid open, the liquid shoe polish starts to evaporate. So even in the middle of working with it, when you keep it aside, make sure
to cover the lid properly. Also, withered and hot weather can dry the shoe polish faster than ever. So make sure to keep it in a place that is cool and dark.
What Melts Shoe Polish?
You can revive your shoe polish easily by melting it with things you can find in the
kitchen! As the shoe polish is dried out, to melt it of course you need things that are hot enough
to melt the shoe polish. But never use direct heat to melt it. Direct heat on shoe polish may cause damage.
However, you can use-
Hot Water: Using hot water can be an effective way for you to melt shoe polish. It is also risk-free and can be done without adding anything extra. It also keeps the heat indirect from the shoe polish tin.
Oven: When you are in a hurry, an oven can work pretty quickly to melt your shoe polish. You can simply keep the shoe polish on the baking tray and increase the heat to 250 degrees. Within 90 seconds, you will get melted shoe polish.
Best Way of Reviving Old Shoe Polish
For me, the best way of reviving old shoe polish that you might be considering as bad shoe polish is using hot water. Because shoe polish is flammable. Taking a risks to get a flame on the shoe polish by trying direct heat or oven is never a good idea. Even though the oven doesn’t often cause a flame, hot water is safer.
All you need to do is put a pan full of water on the stove. Place the shoe polish tin in the water. Avoid lining it directly above the burner of the stove. Let the water be heated. Remember, you don’t want boiling water. You just need hot water which is enough to melt the shoe polish. You can keep the heat to about 175F. When you’ll see the shoe polish melting, consider the temperature perfect. After melting, turn off the stove and let it cool.
Side Effects of the Mentioned Shoe Polish Recovering Process
I mentioned before that shoe polish might be harmful to human beings as well as animals. As you would not use bad shoe polish, I figured you will be concerned about the side effects of it then. So, the way that I mentioned as the best way to melt and recover shoe polish does have a side effect.
When you heat your shoe polish, even indirectly, extra heat can make the air smelly. You might think the smell is just normal, but you should know, it isn’t. The smell can be very harmful. There are many other chemicals present in the shoe polish along with wax and dye. Regular evaporating of shoe polish also releases the chemicals but they do not harm that way. On the contrary, the heated, smelly toxic gases can surely get into your lungs and cause breathing trouble and more health issues.
Final Thoughts
So now you know that shoe polish does not go bad. Interestingly, its expiry date is till
you can use it. However, drying out of shoe polish can give you a headache. So I shared everything about dried-out shoe polish, in hope that you can be perfectly prepared in the future. Just take care of the product and keep it with you until the tin goes empty.
