USED COOKING OIL AND BANANA PEEL EXTRACT
AS AN
ALTERNATIVE
SHOE POLISHER

Researcher:
Chelsea T. Sandoval

Chapter I
INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Nowadays, Shoe polish is widely used by people especially by students, office workers, etc. on their leather shoes. But the commercial shoe polishers were made of chemicals which can harm human’s health if used recklessly. Shoe polish is full of chemicals that smells bad and can be dangerous, especially if you have small children or pets in your house. Many people are interested in using a safer alternative for polishing their leather shoes but few people didn’t realize that they have everything they need in their homes already. Various substances have been used as shoe polish for hundreds of years, starting with natural substances such as wax and tallow. Modern polish was introduced early in the 20th century and some products from that era are still in use today.
The purpose of this study is make an alternative shoe polisher and to conduct an investigation/experimentation on how to use used cooking oil and banana peels in a very convenient, practical and useful way. This study is used to lessen the chemical use in the society and to maintain a greener environment.

B. Statement of the Problem
General problem: This study seeks the feasibility of used cooking oil and banana peels extract as an effective shoe polisher.
Sub-problems:
1.) How to make the solution. 2.) Does the kind of banana peels affect the effectiveness of the product? 3.) How long will the shine on the shoe last?

C. Hypothesis
The used Cooking Oil and Banana peels extract can be used as an alternative shoe polisher that is non-toxic and safe to use.

D. Significance of the Study
This study aims to use used cooking oil and banana peels as a shoe polish rather than just throwing it away. This study also aims to produce organic shoe polish with only using sources commonly available in our homes. Many people will benefit from this project because it is safe than the commercial one’s that can harm the human’s health. Big production of these product will enable more Filipinos to lessen their health risks, chemical use in the society, and to maintain a greener environment.

C. Scope and Limitations of the Study
This study will be limited only to the feasibility of using used cooking oil with banana peel extract as shoe polish.

F. Definition of Terms
Banana Peel - A banana peel, known as a banana skin in British English, is the outer covering of the banana fruit. Banana peels are the outer envelopes of banana fruits. They are the by-product of household consumption and banana processing. Distribution. Banana peels are available in populated areas or in the vicinity of banana processing plants.
Shoe Polish - is a waxy paste, cream, or liquid used to polish, shine, and waterproof leather shoes or boots to extend the footwear's life, and restore, maintain and improve their appearance.
Cooking oil - is plant, animal, or synthetic fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. It is also used in food preparation and flavouring not involving heat, such as salad dressings and bread dips, and in this sense might be more accurately termed edible oil.

E. Conceptual Framework
Used Cooking Oil and Banana Peels
Used Cooking Oil and Banana Peels

Extracting Banana Peels

Extracting Banana Peels

Ready to Use
Ready to Use
Product
Product
Mixing
Mixing

Conceptual Framework
Banana (Musa Acuminata) Peel Extract
Banana (Musa Acuminata) Peel Extract
Independent Variables Dependent Variables
Mortality Rate of Insects
Mortality Rate of Insects
Commercialized Insecticide
Commercialized Insecticide

Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES

Chapter III
METHODOLOGY

A. MATERIALS / EQUIPMENT

B. TREATMENT / GENERAL PROCEDURE

THE FEASIBILITY OF PRODUCING SHOE POLISHER OUT OF BANANA PEELINGS
ABSTRACT

-Shoe polish (or boot polish), usually a waxy paste or a cream, is a consumer product used to shine, waterproof, and restore the appearance of leather shoes or boots, thereby extending the footwear's life. In some regions—including New Zealand—"Nugget" is used as a common term for solid waxy shoe polish, as opposed to liquid shoe polishes.
Various substances have been used as shoe polish for hundreds of years, starting with natural substances such as wax and tallow. Modern polish formulate were introduced early in the 20th century and some products from that era are still in use today. Today, shoe polish is usually made from a mix of natural and synthetic materials, including naphtha,turpentine, dyes, and gum arabic, using straightforward chemical engineering processes. Shoe polish can be toxic, and, if misused, can stain skin.
Banana is the common name for a fruit and also the herbaceous plants of the genus Musa which produce the commonly eaten fruit. They are cultivated primarily for their fruit, and to a lesser extent for the production of fibre and as ornamental plants.

INTRODUCTION

-we all know that our country today are suffering crisis.That was the reason why I want to launch this study,cause I want to help our community to be useful.The popularity of shoe polish paralleled a general rise in leather and synthetic shoe production, beginning in the 19th century and continuing into the 20th. The World Wars saw a surge in demand for the product, in order to polish army boots. The most widely used shoe polish brand is Kiwi, founded in Australia in 1904.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

-Is it possible that the peelings of Banana can be made as shoe polish?

HYPOTHESIS

-If I use the peelings of Banana then it can be made as shoe polish, because theBananas are a valuable source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, and potassium.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

-It makes my study important because it can be used in many ways. And also it is useful to our community.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

-I want to include in my study the other parts of the Banana that has extract so that I will determine which part have more extract .And also I will statistical test used to determine the possible limitations of the finding.

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

Banana(musa paradisiaca)
-is a general term embracing a number of species or hybrids in the genus Musa of the family Musaceae.

Shoe Polish
- is a consumer product used to shine, waterproof, and restore the appearance of leather shoes or boots, thereby extending the footwear's life.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

-Since medieval times, dubbin, a waxy product, was used to soften and waterproof leather; however, it did not impart shine. It was made from natural wax, oil, soda ash and tallow. As leather with a high natural veneer became popular in the eighteenth century, a high glossy finish became important, particularly on shoes and boots. In most cases, a variety of homemade polishes were used to provide this finish, often with lanolin orbeeswax as a base.
In the nineteenth century, many forms of shoe polish became available, yet were rarely referred to as shoe polish or boot polish. Instead, they were often called blacking (especially when mixed with lampblack), or simply continued to be referred to as dubbin. Tallow, an animal by-product, was used to manufacture a simple form of shoe polish at this time. Chicago, Illinois, where 82% of the meat consumed in the United States was processed in the stock yards, became a major shoe polish producing area for this reason.

METHODOLOGY

a.) Materials & Equipment * Banana peelings * Any shoe * Brush * Any piece of cloth
b.) Treatment/General Procedure 1. Lay the newspaper out across the floor. 2. Open the tin of shoe polish take the lid and fill it with a little warm water. A sizable puddle will do. 3. Use the 1st shoe polish brush to brush away any debris that maybe on the shoes. 4. Rub down the shoes with the damp sponge.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION

-I observed that the Banana peelings can be made as shoe polisher and it is useful to our community.Because it is affordable and Banana can be easily found in tropical areas like Philippines.

CONCLUSION

-There fore I conclude that the Banana peelings can be made as Shoe polisher and it is affordable like any other shoe polisher and also it is effective.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

-This investigatory project would never been realized without the financial support, effort and unselfish assistance of the people who willingly helped the researcher.In due recognition of all those who contributed to the success of this study.The researcher extend her deep gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to the following:

First of all,our almighty God,the creator and savior who give life, good health, wisdom and guidance to finish this investigatory project.

Ms. Balve Granido our research teacher who gives support and guidance to make this study successful.

To our parents for the financial assistance and guidance to the researcher to make her project successful.

To my classmates especially Apple Jane Sajulan, Karen Jane Guzman and Jasmine Nagac who helped the researcher in her study.

Transcript of THE COMPARISON OF SHOE POLISH MADE OF COCONUT (Cocos nucifer
B. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The study aims to make an effective shoe polish out of burned coconut husk with banana peel extract. Specifically, the study endeavor to answer the following questions:
E. FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
D. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
THE COMPARISON OF SHOE POLISH MADE OF COCONUT (Cocos nucifera)
HUSK ASH WITH BANANA (Musa paradisiaca) PEEL EXTRACT
FROM THE COMMERCIAL SHOE POLISH

C. HYPOTHESES

It is said that “A shoe is not only a design, but it's a part of your body language, the way you walk. The way you're going to move is quite dictated by your shoes” just an evident of how intricate a shoe is-in yourself and in the eyes of the people around you.
Shoe polish used to polish, shine, and waterproof leather shoes or boots to extend the footwear's life, and restore, maintain and improve their appearance (thefreedictionary)[1]. Shoe polish had been widely used even before the twentieth century, during the medieval times, dubbin- a waxy product, was used to soften and waterproof leather but did not made the leather shine until they tried to mixed the beeswax and lanolin as bases that until now major company of boot polish is using

Focusing to our study, researchers will use the banana peel extract and coconut husk ashes in making true our research. Coconut is the fruit of the most economically important member of the great palm family, Palmae. The genus cocos is Southeast Asian and contains only one species, C. nucifera[2] .Cultivated in tropical lowlands, almost always near the sea. For centuries, the coconut tree has supplied the pacific islands with food, drinks, shelter and most of their needs. The root furnishes as a dye; the trunks are used for post in buildings and outnumbered uses of it. Undeniable of its title-“Tree of Life”[3]
The reason why researchers come up with the research topic knows the fact that coconut husk is one of the largest farm waste produced in the country in connection to that in Bicol alone, around 8 billion husks are burned or thrown away while 3 billion husks are used as fuel to make copra[4]. Researchers also have chosen banana peel as key ingredient because many are saying that it has much potential. Therefore, researchers use a creative way in utilizing those said waste in the form of shoe polish.

A banana is an edible fruit produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Musa. Musa species are native to tropical Indomalaya and Australia, and are likely to have been first domesticated in Papua New Guinea. In 2013 bananas were fourth among the main world food crops (after rice, wheat, and maize) in financial value. The word banana is thought to be of West African origin, possibly from the Wolof word banaana, and passed into English via Spanish or Portuguese[5].
By the application of these materials researchers can at least lessen the squandered dirt especially the coconut husk for it was proven that these are one of the main hinders in the continuous water system flow in our town that lead to a disastrous flooding thus collaborating the government in pursuing our place, a safer one to settle in and we also look-forward, if ever this study provide a positive outcome, to cooperate to the government to make a livelihood that will promote usage of this shoe polish tracing from our study for it is an eco-friendly and value adding product. Various researchers had concluded that commercial boot-polish that is made of synthetic materials has become one of the endemic pollutants because of its chemical substance called Nitrobenzene that was mixed.

Specific Problems:
1. How acceptable is the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish in terms of its general properties- ODOR, GLOSS, EFFECTIVITY WITH RESPECT TO TIME, THIN LAYER FORMATION, QUICK-DRY, COLOR ?
2. What is the degree of relationship in odor between the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish?
3. What is the degree of relationship in gloss between the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish?
4. What is the degree of relationship in effectiveness with respect to time between the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish?
5. What is the degree of relationship in thin-layer formation between the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish?
6. What is the degree of relationship in quick-dry between the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish?
7. What is the degree of relationship in color between the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish?

General Problem:
What is the difference between the performances of shoe polish available in the market from the shoe polish out of burned coconut husk with banana peel extract?

Ho 1: there is no significant difference between the shoe polish made of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract and the commercialized shoe polish in terms of its general properties-ODOR, GLOSS, EFFECTIVITY WITH RESPECT TO TIME, THIN LAYER FORMATION, QUICK-DRY, COLOR.
Ho 2: there is no significant difference between the performances of the shoe polish made of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract and the commercialized shoe polish.
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
The shoe polish out of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract.
Commercialized shoe polish

DEPENDENT VARIABLE
General properties--gloss, odor, effectiveness in measure of time span, color, thin-layer formation, and quick-dry, which modified the shoe.
INTERVENING VARIABLE
The dissimilarity of the shoes that will be applied by the shoe polish in terms of texture, and its condition.
Acceptability of the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish in terms of its general properties- ODOR, GLOSS, EFFECTIVENESS WITH RESPECT TO TIME, THIN LAYER FORMATION, QUICK-DRY, and COLOR.
ODOR. As manifested on the results of the tabulation and comments, it is reflected from the data that in term of odor, commercialized shoe polish was favored by the respondents because of the excellent 8.55 ratings while the experimented shoe polish with excellent rating but with lower mean, an 8.15. That brings edge in commercialized shoe polish from the experimented shoe polish in the odor property.
GLOSS. The revealed tabulation, the gloss performance shown to the respondents highlighted the commercialized shoe polish because of the excellent 9.10 performance than just the 5.50 satisfying ratings of the experimented shoe polish. It was verified by the respondents’ feedbacks. That puts the experimented behind by the commercialized shoe polish in the gloss property.
EFFECTIVENESS WITH RESPECT TO TIME. As to it, another characteristic that dominated by the commercialized shoe polish than the experimented shoe polish. This was due to 8.80 mean rating by the commercialized shoe polish and 6.10 mean rating of the other shoe polish. It was supported by the respondents’ comments.
THIN LAYER FORMATION. Based on the respondents’ feedback and quantitative data, commercialized shoe polish favored by respondents-evidenced by the 8.8 rating and agreeable comments, on the other hand, experimented shoe polish got a very satisfying 6.10 mean rating. That considered the commercialized shoe polish preferable than the experimented shoe polish in the formation of thin-layer.
QUICK-DRY. From the result, commercialized shoe polish achieved the quick dry property than the shoe polish out of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract. This was because of the majority( 6 or 60 %) of respondents said that commercialized shoe polish was excellent, on the other side, majority (9 or 90%) of the respondents said it was very satisfying causing the very satisfying rating of the experimented shoe polish.
COLOR. Statistically, the shoe polish out of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract and the commercialized shoe polish qualified in the excellent rating, having equal frequency in excellent and very satisfying ratings. However, commercialized shoe polish had the lead by a small margin to experimented shoe polish using the average system.
CONCLUSION:
It is concluded that all properties of a shoe polish was dominated by the commercialized shoe polish. Statistically and based on respondents feedbacks, experimented shoe polish was not as best as the shoe polish out in the market. Though it was found out that coconut husk ash is has an slight effect on terms of its general properties- gloss, odor, effectiveness in measure of time span, color, thin-layer formation, and quick-dry compares to the commercial shoe polish (Carl Alfred Sagala ,2013)[1]. But it was not as efficient as to commercialize shoe polish.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the experimented shoe polish should be improved. This can be done by looking for new materials that can make a difference from this shoe polish. In addition, new proportions of materials should be looked for.
Degree of relationship in odor between the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish.
It was found out that odor has no significant difference between the shoe polish made of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract and the commercialized shoe polish.

CONCLUSION: niir.organization (2008) said that activated carbon use in air conditioning systems to control odors. Carbonized coconut husk controls the unpleasing odor [2]. That made the shoe polishes out of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract moderately related to the commercialized shoe polish.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that a substance must be put that will give off nice smell. However,
That substance should not disrupt the appropriate quality of the shoe polish and will adjust the odor for a slight improvement

Degree of relationship in gloss between the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish.
It was found out that gloss has a significant difference between the shoe polish made of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract and the commercialized shoe polish
CONCLUSION:
(Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things. Reader's Digest. 2004) Published an article that banana has the potential substance that give gloss to leather [3]. Furthermore, shininess brought by the banana peel extract was not enough. That made the shoe polishes out of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract very strongly related to the commercialized shoe polish.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that new material that will give achieved shininess must be looked at. Subsequently, that should contribute on the good quality of the shoe polish.
Degree of relationship in effectiveness with respect to time between the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish.
It was found out that the effectiveness with respect to time has no significant difference between the shoe polish made of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract and the commercialized shoe polish
CONCLUSION:
UK Competition Commission (2007) Concluded that the oils and the potassium in the banana polish help preserve, strengthen the leather quality of shoes and contribute effectiveness in long time [4]. However, the made shoe polish out of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract weakly correlated to the commercialized shoe polish.
RECOMMENDATION:
A new proportion or changed in material with consideration to the terrific quality of shoe polish must be done. By the use of slight changes, experimented shoe polish can cope or even proficiently good than the commercialized shoe polish.
Degree of relationship in thin-layer formation between the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish.
It was found out that the thin-layer formation has no significant difference between the shoe polish made of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract and the commercialized shoe polish.
CONCLUSION:
(Boudhrioua, N., Michon, C., Cuvelier, G., &Bonazzi, C. 2002).Banana peel can be alternative lanolin, which is one of the ingredients in making shoe polish; its extract acts as waterproofing agent, giving the shoe polish its greasy feel and texture, and dirt barrier[5]. Despite of it, it still showed that there was a very weak relationship between the shoe polish made of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract and the commercialized shoe polish.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended to improve the thin layer formation by increasing the banana peel extract but making sure that it will still produce a good shoe polish. Moreover, it is also advisable to look for a new ingredient that will attain the thin-layer formation.
Degree of relationship in quick-dry between the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish.
It was found out that the quick-dry has no significant difference between the shoe polish made of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract and the commercialized shoe polish.

CONCLUSION:
(Uganda Investment Authority 2013) ,Activated Carbon from burned coconut husk is an amorphous form of carbon, which when treated, produces a highly porous structure with a very large internal surface area[6]. This gives the ability to activated carbon to absorb gases and vapors in gaseous phase and attain the property of quick dry and it attains the one of the general properties of a shoe polish. That makes a very weak correlation between the shoe polish made of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract and the commercialized shoe polish.
RECOMMENDATION:
It was suggested that little bit of manipulation in ingredients should be done since quick-dry property was seemingly observed near to efficiency of the commercialized shoe polish.
Degree of relationship in color between the commercialized shoe polish and the experimented shoe polish.
It was found out that the color has no significant difference between the shoe polish made of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract and the commercialized shoe polish.

CONCLUSION:
Diy Doctor (November 27, 2007) said that banana peel emits a wax or oily impregnation. The application of the wax or oil gives a depth of colour which cannot be duplicated[7]. That highlighted the authentic black color given by the coconut husk ash. And due to it, a very weak correlation was observed.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended to future researches that it is a good color enhancer for a shoe polish.

Difference between the shoe polish available in the market from the shoe polish out of burned coconut husk with banana peel extract.
It is observed that commercialized shoe polish was favored by the respondents because of the 8.62 mean rating compared to only 6.81 mean rating-dominating all general properties of a shoe polish by the commercialized shoe polish.

CONCLUSION:
Marjorie G. Dela Cruz, Irish Joy R. Dela Vega, Jean Pauline H. Layug, Ralp Lawrence B. Perez (2009) .The researchers confirmed that banana peel can be made into a shoe polish but the commercial shoe polish has a slight difference from the banana (Musa Paradisiaca) peel shoe polish. Therefore, it can only serve as an alternative shoe polish[8]. And said the possibility in the future researches as active ingredient for shoe polish .It was concluded that there is a significant difference between the performances of the shoe polish made of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract and the commercialized shoe. There was a distinction between the shoe polish out in the market and the shoe polish made of coconut husk ash with banana peel extract in terms of general properties- despite of all adjustment in materials and ingredients researchers did. Yet, it can only serve as alternative to commercialized shoe polish.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended to try for other materials that will suit to achieve all the properties that a shoe polish should posses. On the other hand, changes in measurement, and proportion of ingredients and materials should be done for a room of improvement.

Shoe Polish Out of Banana Peel Extract
Shoe Polish out of Banana Peel extract

An Investigative Project

Presented to:

Mr. Paul Keenan C. Butt

At

Philippine Women’s University Jose Abad Santos Edsa QC

In Partial fulfilment of the research in Chemistry

By: Gabrielle Balanon
III-Newton

March 2014

Abstract
The product of my research is a shoe polish made out of Banana peel extract. Tannin, an astringent that is an important ingredient in the process of tanning leather, can be found in Banana peels. This makes it an efficient ingredient for making shoe polish. I also decided to use Banana peels because there is a significant amount of banana peel waste being generated all around the world, so instead of just throwing them away and letting them rot, it’s better to put them to good use. The materials and ingredients needed for my research are very easy to get a hold of and doesn’t cost much as well. The process of making the product won’t take long either. It is a very affordable and effective product. It goes to show that Banana peels are more than just a part of the classic physical comedy slapstick visual gag, the "slipping on a banana peel" because it can actually make your shoes shine.

Shoes… Can’t live with them, at least not without them breaking after a few months of wearing them even though you buy a pair that cost half of your student aid. And you can’t very well live without them either.
At least for me it seems I can never find a pair of shoes that will last me very long. But if you take good care of your leather shoes, you should be able to keep them for a good while. Or at least until the heels are worn…
Last weekend, I started looking around for homemade leather shoe shine recipes. And as it turns out, it’s quite easy to make your own shoe polish.
A good shoe polish needs to shine, protect and restore the shoes, and all this can be done with quite easy ingredients. Actually many of the shoe polishes you’ll find in the store still contain ingredients that have traditionally been used for polishing shoes, such as oil and wax. Plus a bunch of other stuff that I honestly don’t know what they are doing there… So why not get back to basics and make your own chemical free shoe polish?
Let’s take these in order of difficulty, adding on more ingredients for more effective shoe polish. Before you start polishing your shoes, make sure they’re clean, dry and made of real leather.
1 Olive oil
Olive oil or walnut oil (I’m pretty sure any oil work just as well here but I can’t say for sure) will give your shoes a nice shine and also a little bit of water protection. Using a soft cloth, rub some oil all over your shoes, leave the oil to soak in for a few minutes up to overnight, and if necessary wipe off any excess oil. Shiny and new! Do this a couple of times a week, and that’s all you need to keep you shoes in top condition.
2 Olive oil and lemon juice
I haven’t tried this one myself, but there are loads of tutorials online on how to use olive oil and lemon juice to polish your shoes. Here’s one for instance, check it out – and try it out!
3 Oil and wax
Adding some beeswax to the mixture will add extra protection and shine. If you have the possibility to get some carnauba wax, do add some to the mixture as it is great for protecting leather and will give a high-gloss finish.
40 gram beeswax, or 20 gram beeswax and 20 gram carnauba wax.
150 gram (170 ml) olive oil
Melt beeswax and oil in a double boiler, pour into a container and voilá! Apply with a soft cloth brush. If you like, you can use a buffing brush afterward to bring out the shine in the shoes and remove excess polish, or wipe it off with a cloth or some paper towels. This recipe will be quite solid – feel free to add some more oil to make it more runny.
4 With vaseline
If you have a jar of vaseline or petroleum jelly lying stuffed in the back of your cupboard that you don’t want to use because it’s… well, the root of all evil basically, you can still use it to polish and protect your shoes. Either rub it on straight as it is, or add a little bit to the recipe above:
20 gram wax
80 gram (90 ml) olive oil
45 gram vaseline
Melt ingredients, pour into a container and leave to cool. Apply with a brush or soft cloth.
5 Add color
Many shoe polish products contain some color enhance the colour of the leather. This is easily done at home as well, if you buy some color pigments that I mentioned in the last post.
Make recipe 4 or 5, adding about 2-3 tsp of pigment depending on how much color you want.
OR add a pinch of pigment color to a paper plate or similar (the lid of your shoe polish jar works too), add about 2 tsp of premade shoe polish 4 or 5, mix well with a disposable wooden skewer, and apply with a brush or soft cloth. This way you only need one jar of shoe polish and you can make any color you like!