White Shoes are like jeans – everyone has them, but unlike jeans, the tag of MOST VERSATILE SHOE COLOR is visible only when your white shoes are Clean.
Today you’re going to see 4 actionable ways on How to Clean Shoes White.
In fact,
These are the same tips that I’ve used to turn my white sneaker from this:
Before
After
So whether it’s White Leather Shoes or White Canvas Shoes, you’ll love the powerful ways to clean white shoes in this guide.
Let’s dive right in.
Method 1: Soap and Water
Before you toss dirty or stained canvas shoes in the washing machine, try hand cleaning them with a cloth, soap, and water. The machine may damage your shoes if the cycle is too aggressive, and if you’re dealing with leather, you need to avoid it at all costs.
In fact, Converse and Nike, specifically warn their customers against machine washing or drying their sneakers. Adidas also recommends cleaning shoes in a DIY way.
Here’s the video tutorial of this method:
And if you prefer to read
Here’s the EXACT process – Step by Step
Step 1: Dressing the shoe off by a dry towel.
Just to get all the extra dust off – especially as we’ve been sitting out for weeks it kind of knocks off the surface dust.
Then follow up with a lint roller as the towel isn’t gonna give everything off but the lint roller will literally pull off any dust on the surface.
This is an important step – so that we can only focus on the deep stains.
Step 2: Mix soap (Dish Soap) into 1 c (240 ml) of warm water.
For best results use Dish Soap as any liquid dish soap will work for cleaning your shoes.
Use about 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of soap so the water is sudsy but still clear. Stir the cleaning solution with a toothbrush so it’s evenly mixed.
Soap and water work best on all kinds of shoes, including white leather.
Step 3: Clean the soles and rubber pieces with a magic eraser.
Dip the Magic Eraser into your soapy water and wring it out. Wipe in short back and forth motions along with parts of your shoes made of leather, rubber, or plastic.
Keep working the eraser until all scuffs and stains are removed.
The secret behind these types of erasers is a material commonly called melamine foam. With just a little water, melamine foam can dig in and destroy stains that other products can’t touch.
Step 4: Scrub stains with a stiff-bristled brush.
Dip the crest of the brush into the water to get bristles wet. Working on a small section at a time (in a circular motion) primarily on heavily stained areas.
Do not over-wet. Work with the grain of the fabric, moving all around the shoe to keep the color consistent and prevent spotting.
Step 5: Pat excess water away with a towel.
YES! it can be a paper towel.
Pat the soapy water and dirt off of the shoe. Avoid wiping the towel across the shoe’s fabric since you could spread the dirt across the fabric again.
Step 6: Let your shoe air dry.
That’s all – Put them in a well-ventilated area in your home so they can dry completely. Leave them alone for at least 2-3 hours before wearing them again.
If you planning to clean your new white shoes weekly, Soap – water cleaning is perfect for you.
When I used this solution of How to clean shoes white, Yes it works DEFINITELY.
But if you looking forward to cleaning your super dirty white shoes (never cleaned before) with this solution – STOP.
Just keep reading we have a MAGICAL method to shine up your super greasy white shoe.
Method 2: Avoid Wicking with Toothpaste
Just after our simple Water – Sopa method, the shoe may look whiter, but the stains will resurface again once the upper part of the shoe is dry. This is Because of WICKING.
To avoid Wicking – All you need is an old toothbrush and a little toothpaste.
You might be thinking toothpaste whitens your teeth — but can it whiten your shoes? Believe it or not, it can.
Non-gel white toothpaste works great for cleaning white-soled shoes (colored toothpaste may stain rather than clean shoes).
Step 1: Wipe your shoes with a moist cloth to get them wet.
Wet the end of cloth or towel and gently wipe it over your shoes. Get your shoes lightly soggy but not soaking damp so the toothpaste can foam up.
Step 2: Rub a dollop of toothpaste into the shoes with a toothbrush.
Apply toothpaste to an old toothbrush and then work the paste into the dirty spots, working in circular motions on your extra-dirty spots.
Once you have worked the paste into the fabric of the shoes, let it sit for about ten minutes.
Step 3: With a wet towel – Wipeout toothpaste and dirt.
YES! you can use the same damp cloth as before to wipe the toothpaste off of your shoes.
A small amount of toothpaste may leave a mark on the shoe. So make sure to get all of the toothpaste off your shoes.
Step 4: Let shoe air dry completely.
Now a fan or a well-ventilated room will do the job for you to dry up these clean white shoes. Once they’re dry, your shoes should look a few shades lighter.
Method 3: Cleaning Shoes With Baking Soda And Vinegar.
Finally, There’s An Easy Way To Clean Off Your White Shoes To Make Them Look Brand New Again.
In fact, it’s one of our favorite DIY cleaning tricks.
Let’s get started.
Step 1: Making the cleaning solution.
Mix 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water (hot), 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of white vinegar, and 1 tablespoon (14 g) of baking soda together in a mixing bowl.
Mix the solution well until it forms a thick paste. The vinegar and baking soda will start to fizz and bubble as it reacts.
Step 2: Toothbrush Scrubbing.
Tilt the head of the toothbrush into the prepared solution and brush it into the fabric of your shoes.
Apply soothing pressure to the bristles so the fabric absorbs the paste.
Step 3: Let the paste dry onto the shoes for 3-4 hours.
Place your shoes outside in bright sunlight. The sun helps the mixture work to turn the shoes bright white again. The brighter and hotter the day the better.
Leave them out for 3–4 hours, or until the mixture is dry and cracking off.
Step 4: Clap the shoes together to removes the mixture.
Hit the soles of your shoes together outside so the paste breaks apart and falls to the ground.
Clapping the shoes together removes most of the mixture, but you will need to go back in with a brush to get everything.
The shoes should be several shades lighter.
Method 4: Bleach.
Is it safe to clean shoes with BLEACH?
If you’re willing to follow the process that I’m about to discuss – Then it’s ABSOLUTELY safe.
If you are talking about dumping straight bleach on to shoes…then it would be harmful, not only to the shoes but pretty much anything around the shoes, including yourself.
Let’s get started:
Step 1: Dilution.
The caveat with using bleach to clean white shoes is that you have to DILUTE it carefully.
Most shoe-care guides suggest mixing one part bleach for every five parts water. Any more bleach used will increase your risk of turning your white fabrics a strange yellow tone.
NOTE: Wear nitrile gloves while working with bleach to prevent any skin irritation.
Step 2: Use a toothbrush to loosen stains.
Dip your toothbrush in the diluted bleach solution and scrub the shoes gently.
It’s better to work in small circles to loosen stains.
Focus on soiled areas and deep stains, applying slight pressure to the fabric.
Step 3: Rinse with warm water.
Either directly rinse with warm water or you can use soft microfiber towel wet in clean warm water and wring it out until it’s damp.
Wipe the bleach solution off your shoes with this damp towel.
Step 4: Let the shoe dry.
When you’re finished – Let the shoe air dry for at least several hours (though overnight is better), before you plan on wearing them again.
How to Clean Shoes White – Laces
According to NYMag, white shoes aren’t just for athletes; they’re a Fashion Week favorite because of their versatility and comfort. However, your bright white shoes can turn pretty dingy if the laces aren’t clean.
If you want to know how to clean white shoelaces, stick around for the rest of this article.
Here is the EXACT process step by step:
STEP 1: Place your shoelaces in a lingerie bag or pillowcase.
STEP 2: Fill your sink or a bucket with warm water. Mix in a small amount of laundry detergent to help loosen built-up grime. If your laces are solid white, you can substitute a small amount of bleach in place of the laundry detergent.
STEP 3: Put the bag into the water solution with your laces inside. Make sure the bag is saturated and entirely submerged in the water. If the bag continues to float, use a small weighted object like a dish or cup to keep the bag submerged while soaking.
STEP 4: Remove the bag from the water after your laces have soaked for about 15-20 minutes. Take the laces out of the bag, gently brushing them while still wet.
STEP 5: Drain your sink or bucket and refill with only water to rinse off the solution and any remaining dirt that may be lingering on your laces.
STEP 6: Hang your shoelaces on a drying rack so that they dangle. Putting your laces in the dryer can shrink or otherwise damage the laces. Once they have fully dried, lace up your shoes and enjoy your sparkly clean laces!
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