Question from darenso

Hello Debra

I have just read your answer of some years ago about shoe polish and just tried the Tapir shoe polish. It does contain ammonia, and sometimes I can feel the vapour in my eyes but it is very slight and does not cause any irritation.

Can you tell me if you would be concerned regarding the ammonia?

Also in the UK I have found a shoe polish contain beeswax,carnauba wax, white spirit and natural turpentine. I thought natural turpentine is ok but since read, although from trees it is very toxic and can cause cancer

Thank you

David

Debra’s Answer

I generally recommend avoiding ammonia, however, how much of a chemical you are exposed to certainly contributes to it’s toxic effect. So much so, in fact, there is a very famous saying “The dose makes the poison,” meaning that the amount of exposure is a greater factor in the poisoning than the inherent toxicity of the substance itself.

If you must use shoe polish, Tapir is one of the least toxic. I would recommend using it outdoors.

In the other shoe polish, I’m actually more concerned about the white spirit in the shoe polish. Also called Stoddard solvent, enough exposure can lead to central nervous system effects.

Myself, I never use shoe polish of any kind. I’ve made choices in my life to not require wearing shoes that need to be polished.

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