Tips to Keep Your White Shoes Looking Brand New

How to Clean White Shoes

White shoes look crisp and sharp with any outfit as long as they are clean. White shoes show dirt and scuff marks easily making them look dirty and worn. If you take the steps to keep them clean, your white shoes will last a long time and they will always make your outfit look complete.

You should not toss your shoes in the washing machine like you do your clothes because the glue that holds the shoes together will not hold up and the leather lining can get damaged. The washing machine will tumble your shoes around pretty hard, so your shoes will not last as long.

Cleaning Fabric Shoes

Cleaning fabric shoes can be a little more tricky than cleaning leather shoes. Since you cannot just throw your fabric shoes in the washing machine, the cleaning must be done by hand. To clean your white fabric shoes by hand you will need the following tools: paper towels, a soft toothbrush, a soft shoe brush, warm water, dish washing soap and a small bowl.

Using the shoe brush, wipe off any mud or dirt that is on the shoe. In the small bowl, mix one teaspoon of dish washing soap with two cups of warm water and with the toothbrush use this mixture to scrub the fabric of the shoe in small sections. Make sure you scrub in the same direction with the grain of the fabric. After the shoe has been thoroughly scrubbed, use a moist paper towel to wipe off any soap residue. Allow the shoes to air dry away from direct sunlight or heat.

Cleaning Shoes at Home

There are many household items that can be used to keep your white shoes looking new. You probably do not have to go to the store to get what you need to clean your white shoes at home.

If you make spot cleaning your shoes a habit, it will be easier to keep up with keeping them clean. When you notice a spot or a stain on your shoe, immediately take care of it so the spots do not have time to set into the canvas or other material. This makes the cleaning process less tedious for you and you will not have to work as hard to remove stains later.

Using Baking Soda

Baking soda and vinegar are two common household items that can be used to clean white shoes. Combine one tablespoon of hot water with one tablespoon of white vinegar and one tablespoon of baking soda. This mixture will create a paste consistency that can be used to scrub all over the shoe. Use an old toothbrush to scrub this paste onto the canvas part of the shoe. You can simply rinse the shoe with warm water to remove the paste residue and your shoes will be bright and white again.

Using Toothpaste

Non gel white toothpaste works really well for cleaning white soled shoes. If you use a toothpaste with color in it, the color may stain the white parts of your shoes. Simply apply the toothpaste to an old toothbrush and work the paste into the dirty spots on the shoes. You can let the toothpaste sit on the shoes for about 10 minutes before wiping it off with a damp towel. You may have to repeat this process a few times to get stubborn stains out.

Using Bleach

You can use bleach to keep your white shoes clean, but it is important to carefully dilute it first. The standard bleach ratio for cleaning shoes is to mix one part bleach with five parts water. Bleach is a strong chemical and if it is not used properly, it can actually ruin your shoes instead of clean them. When using the bleach mixture, dip an old toothbrush into the mixture and scrub the stained parts on your shoes. After scrubbing the shoes, rinse them off with warm water and let them air dry for several hours.

When working with bleach, make sure you are working in a well ventilated area and make sure you protect your eyes and skin from exposure to the bleach.

How to Clean Shoelaces

Keeping your shoelaces clean will help your shoes stay looking new and clean. To clean your shoelaces, remove the laces from the shoes. Brush any loose dirt or grime off of the laces by hand with a scrub brush or a toothbrush.

Create a cleaning solution to soak the shoelaces in. You can mix the solution by combining three tablespoons of bleach with one gallon of water in a sink or a bucket. Let the laces soak in the solution for several minutes and then remove them while wearing gloves.

Most of the stains should have come out by soaking in the solution but now you can wash them in the washing machine in a mesh laundry bag. Let them air dry after running them through a wash cycle and once they are dry, put them back in the shoes. Having clean laces really makes your white shoes look much cleaner.

With these tips you are ready to put your best and cleanest steps forward.