White sneakers are a closet staple, but they quickly lose their appeal the dirtier and more stained they become. Luckily, removing dirt, grime, and stains from sneakers is not as hard as one would initially think. Read on to learn hacks for keeping your white shoes bright and fresh.
Leather vs. fabric
One of the more critical considerations when keeping one’s shoes crisp is knowing if the shoe is suede, leather, or fabric. Some materials and cleaning methods are not suited for leather or suede shoes, whereas others are not suited for cloth. Before purchasing any product, it is essential to check to determine that it is safe for your shoes’ materials. After all, no one wants to ruin their shoes with their efforts to clean them!
An ounce of prevention
When Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” we are sure he was not referring to keeping your white shoes clean. But when it comes to keeping your shoes white, we can all learn a lot from Franklin, who strongly placed value on preventing the problem in the first place. To avoid white shoes from becoming dirty and stained, shoe lovers recommend that one invest in stain repellant. But, unfortunately, even the most ardent user of stain repellent products will still find a blemish or two. So, for those stains, the following tips are sure to keep your white shoes bright.
Brushing and erasing
The longer that dirt and grime remain on one’s shoes, the more likely it will be to leave a stain. As such, regular brushing of the sneakers with a toothbrush or similar sized one can help to remove stuck-on pieces of dirt and mud. For more stubborn stains, a magic eraser (also known as a melamine sponge), or a plain white eraser like you use at school can help remove any remaining stains. Sometimes for magic erases, a little water can help remove tough stains, and at times, one must use a little elbow grease to remove the more severe scruffs.
What about baking soda, dish soap, bleach, vinegar, and toothpaste?
Just use the internet to look up the best way to clean white shoes, and you will find a multitude of articles discussing the benefits of using baking soda, dish soap, bleach, vinegar, or toothpaste to keep shoes looking fresh. However, there is not as much information about which method is best. Luckily, we researched it for you so that you wouldn’t have to do it yourself.
If you have suede shoes, a cloth dipped in vinegar is a preferred method to using toothpaste. But, for leather shoes, toothpaste on a toothbrush works better than vinegar. An excellent way to clean either leather or cloth sneakers is to create a paste out of baking soda and water, vinegar, or detergent. Let the paste soak into the shoes before scrubbing them clean. Finally, it is essential to remember that bleach is a powerful cleaner. While a solution of diluted bleach may help one’s white canvas sneakers to shine, it should be used carefully and only on white fabric as opposed to leather, suede, or off-white tones.
The dishwasher and washing machine
This hack will not be suitable for leather or suede shoes, but for those with canvas or fabric shoes, the dishwasher or washing machine is an easy way to clean up your kicks. For either device, make sure to use the appropriate soap for it, as you don’t want to create a mess or harm your appliances. That said, dish detergent or laundry soap can help work to clean up your sneakers. After washing the shoes, one can either dry the shoes in the sun or a dryer. However, if you chose to use the dryer, make sure to throw some towels or blankets in too to prevent the noise from being too loud or annoying.
