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Tips and tricks for all cadets! ! !
Ranger Tips & Tricks
HOW TO DRY BOOTS IN A CLOTHES DRYER
Have ya ever came back home with a pair of wet boots? How long did it take to dry them out? A long, long, long time, right? Well, you wanna know how you can dry'em out a lot quicker? First undo about half the boot laces, put'em all together and tie one big ol'knot near the end of the laces. Then open up your clothes dryer, place the boots inside of it keeping the big ol'knot "outside the door" near the top and close it shut. If they're pretty soak & wet, you can place the dryer on "high" for about an hour or so without worrying about them getting too hot and becoming damaged. But then after the first hour or so you'll need to keep an eye on'em to decide when you should turn it down to "medium." If you just toss'em in the dryer, put it on "high" and then walk away and forget about'em for a few hours. I guarantee you'll damage your boots by causing them to become "too dry & brittle" and they'll eventually fall apart on you "unexpectedly" sometime out in the field. Trust me, I KNOW, it happened to me one time, so learn by my mistakes and NOT YOURS.Important: When you first switch on the dryer, if you hear "thumping" sounds coming from it, this means your boots are "rubbing & banging" against the revolving cylinder. Immediately stop the dryer, remove the boots, untie the knot and then retie it a little bit closer to the boots so they'll be positioned in the center of the revolving cylinder and won't rub or bang against
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Shining Shoes
BOOT SHINING INSTRUCTIONS
You need:
Small spray bottle of water with a capful of fingernail polish remover
Soft cloth
Lincoln stain wax (preferred) or Kiwi black (not parade gloss)
Leather dye
Instructions:
1. Clean the boot with saddle soap (preferred method), hand soap, or fingernail polish remover with a cotton ball if it’s the first time to remove the lacquer.
2. Stain the boot/shoe with the leather dye.
3. Take the cloth and lightly dampen it with cold or room temperature water (not hot, it will break down the polish).
4. Rub in the polish all over the boot with the damp cloth, using a circular pattern.
5. Spray the water solution on the boot in a light spray.
Buff with a clean cloth.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LEATHER LUSTERING YOUR BLACK BELT
The same process applies to your windstrap, too
You will need the following supplies:
Fine grit sand paper (200 grit or finer)
Steel wool
Rubbing alcohol
Cotton balls
Leather luster
Fine sponge brush wide enough to cover entire width of belt
Instructions:
1. Use the sand paper so sand down the belt until all of the dull shine is removed and a bare surface remains. Be careful not to sand it so far that you remove the grooves that run the length of the top and bottom of the belt.
2. Clean off the belt with water and a very small amount (if any) of soap. The purpose of this is simply to remove junk and grit left behind by the sanding process.
3. After the belt dries, use the steel wool to smooth the belt so as to prepare it for the leather luster. It may take some time and effort to get the entire belt smooth enough. The belt should be smooth enough to be slick to the touch.
4. Use cotton balls dipped in rubbing alcohol to clean the belt again and remove any more refuse. Allow the belt to dry completely.
5. Pour a moderate amount of the leather luster into a disposable bowl. Dip the fine sponge brush into the leather luster, evenly coating the tip. Placing the brush at one end of the belt, apply the leather luster along the length of the belt. If you need more leather luster, get more on your brush, and start back where you left off on the belt. Keep the application of the leather luster even along the entire length of the belt.
6. Do not apply heavy coats, especially on the first coating. Several light coatings and sandings will provide a better finish than one thick coat.
7. Place the belt flat in an area of your room where it will be able to air dry, but at the same time be protected from dust and floating air particles. Dust, hair, lint, and other particles will cause defects that take away form a good shine. The shelf in your closet is an excellent location to prevent accidents.
8. After the belt has dried (this will take some time), use the steel wool to smoothen the surface. As soon as the surface is slick to the touch, re-clean the surface with alcohol and wait for it to dry completely. The process of leather lustering, smoothing, and cleaning should be performed about three times, with a final thin coat of leather luster at the end. The belt’s look should improve each successive time.
These instructions should provide a sharp looking belt that will keep its shine for quite a time.
Corfam Care
Corfam leather shoes are a popular means of maintaining a glossy shine on your shoes, and are authorized for wear to classes and certain other activities (see uniform regulations). However, they are much more susceptible to scratches and scuffs then their sturdier leather counterparts. Do not think that extremely scuffed shoes are acceptable just because they got that way and you don’t know how to fix it. As a cadet and future military officer or business leader, you need to display the proper professional image at all times. With this in mind, here are some tips to keep your corfam leathers looking fairly new:
1. Small scratch and scuff removal. Small scratches and scuffs can be removed with rubbing alcohol and a cotton pad. It takes a little bit of elbow grease, but after some work the scratches will eventually fade away. Another product that works well is Bates Poromeric and Corfam Leather Cleaner, which is sold in most MCSS stores on military installations (dependents, reservists, and prior-service cadets might be able to try www.aafes.com).
2. Cleaning. A glass cleaner (like Windex) and a soft cloth will restore some of the shine that the shoes take away. A wood cleaning and waxing chemical (like Windex) also works too. If you use the Bates chemical mentioned above, then it leaves a shine after application.
Edge dressing. Kiwi Honor Guard edge dressing (sold in a glass bottle with brush applicator) will take care of the dull finish on the edges of your corfam leathers and improve the overall appearance of your shoe. Again, this is something that your dependent or prior-service buds can probably get online if it’s not sold locally.
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