I cleaned the shoes before I received a reply. Since the boots are an everyday pair I am not too worried about their appearance and used soap and water ( I used dish soap and a scrub brush). Should this work or do I need to use the leather cleaner? I also got to thinking is there a chance that the oil from the plant could penetrate into the leather of the boot and either become a problem or penetrate into the leather and cause a problem for my feet? I might be paranoid but I just want to make sure I clean the shoes thoroughly. Thanks for your time and sorry to be a bother.