Before throwing out a perfectly good pair of shoes plagued by a few minor scuffs, consider these six surprising ways to polish out those abrasions. You can stretch out the lifespan of your favorite kicks, save money from having to replace them, and save time, since these quick fixes take no more than 10 minutes to do. Plus, there's no need for shoe polish -- just a few common household items and a little elbow grease. Keep reading for our shoe-cleaning tips.

Toothpaste. For canvas-covered footwear, apply a little toothpaste on a cloth, and gently polish off the marks. Wipe of paste with a clean damp cloth and air dry.

Baking soda. If toothpaste doesn't work, mix together two tablespoons of baking soda and warm water. Using a cloth, apply a small amount of the paste to the mark and scrub. Add more paste as needed. Finally, wipe the paste off with a clean damp cloth and dry.

Dish detergent. Safe on most fabrics except for silky lustrous material like satin, mix a few drops of detergent with warm water, and using a cloth, scrub the scuff stains. Then, using a clean cloth, dab to dry.

Nail polish remover. Apply a little nail polish remover to a cotton ball to polish out the scuff marks. Then, apply baby powder or petroleum jelly, like Vaseline, to protect the shoe's material. This method works well for several types of textiles, from patent leather to tennis shoes.

Erasers. For vinyl shoes, rub a regular pencil eraser over small or lightly scuffed areas. For suede, use a brush to sweep off any dirt that might be trapped on the fabric. (Brush in one direction rather than back and forth.) Then, gently rub off marks with an eraser.

Petroleum Jelly. For patent leather, a little dab of petroleum jelly will make shoes good as new. Simply apply to a cloth and rub the scuffed area. Then, wipe with a clean damp cloth.

Courtesy of Diana N. Nguyen

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/remove-shoe-scuffs_n_1307605