Product Care
Keeping your Courteneys in Prime Condition
Cleaning Leather Courteneys
If your boots are dusty then wipe them with a cloth dipped in water with a very small amount of ordinary dishwashing liquid, and wrung out, then again with the cloth rinsed in plain water and wrung out. This will be enough to get the surface dust off before polishing.
If you feel you need to wash your leather boots:
✗ Do not put them in the washing machine.
✗ Try not to get them too wet. Don’t saturate them.
✓ Stuff them with newspaper and shape, then leave in a cool, shady, airy place to dry naturally, and slowly, in a gentle breeze. ✓✓✓
✓ When dry, polish well.
The leather fibres burn easily, especially when leather is wet, and should never be dried with artificial heat. Do not dry near a fire, radiator, in the sun or in a tumble drier.
✓ DO dry slowly in a cool, shady, airy place.
If your boots have become wet from rain or puddles then wipe, leave to dry in a cool, shady, airy place, and polish.
Remember – your boots are made of leather. Don’t stand in a river, or at the edge of the sea, and fish in your Courteneys.
Cleaning Suede Courteneys
Your Rhodesian vellies are hand-made of genuine Kudu suede leather in the traditional way.
You may wash them gently with lukewarm water with a small amount of ordinary dishwashing liquid, using a soft brush. Try not to saturate the whole boot/shoe. Blot dry with a moist, clean cloth. Pack the insides tightly with newspaper and shape, then allow to dry in a cool, airy and shady place.
The leather fibres burn easily, especially when leather is wet, and should never be dried with artificial heat. Do not dry near a fire, radiator, in the sun or in a tumble drier.
✓ DO dry slowly in a cool, shady, airy place.
When dry, brush the suede with a clean brush to restore the nap.
Traditional cleaning: Since time immemorial the owners of bush vellies have ‘dry-cleaned’ theirs using coarse, dry maize meal and a stiff scrubbing brush. The meal absorbs grease stains and lifts dirt, and the scrubbing raises the suede ‘nap’ to its original condition. Simply dampen the outside of the vellies, coat them with dry uncooked mielie meal and leave to dry in a warm place. Brush off and they’ll look as good as new.