Maybe at this point you’ve been wearing your new patent shoes for a few weeks, and they have scuff marks.

The first step: spot test whatever you’re using first. The inside lip of a bag or the inside of the heel is a good place to do this, if your shoe has a wrapped heel.

For faux patent leather items, like those amazing and amazingly affordable Anya Hindmarch for Target bags, you can use acetone nail polish remover ($1.99 at Drugstore.com) to get rid of scuffs and dirt. I’ve also used Lysol wipes ($2.99 at Drugstore.com) on a pair of inexpensive faux patent pumps that I wore in mud in the rain.

For real patent leather, like these flats ($180.95 at Nordstrom), use a more natural solution – acetone and Lysol wipes are pretty aggressive. A while ago, Real Simple recommended vegetable oil ($2.05 at NetGrocer) for removing scuffs from real patent leather. Simply use a damp cloth – like an old t-shirt – to wipe away dirt or dust, and wipe scuffs away with a different part of the cloth, dampened with just a bit of oil.