We have collected for you proven and affordable ways to care for white sneakers at home.
Training
To begin with.
- Remove dirt and dust with a dry brush, sponge, or microfiber cloth. Please do not clean until the next day; it is better to do it immediately after using them.
- If you had to walk in white sneakers in heavy mud for some reason, wait until it dries. And then try to get rid of any dirty streaks as much as possible with a regular brush and a suede brush.
- Take out the laces and insoles; it is best to wash them separately with laundry soap, stain remover, or bleach.
Hand cleaning
A budget option
Toothpaste
Squeeze out a small amount of the paste from the tube (it is best to use a whitening one, without any inclusions), apply to the dirty area, and rub it thoroughly with a dry toothbrush in a circular motion. Rinse off the paste with a napkin or sponge soaked in warm water.
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Baking soda
Mix it with water until it turns into a paste. Apply to shoes, rub with a toothbrush, leave for a while, then rinse off with a tissue or sponge. For a more noticeable effect, baking soda can be mixed with toothpaste.
Vinegar, soda, laundry detergent, 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
Mix in the following proportions; 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of washing powder, 1 tablespoon of peroxide. Rub the resulting paste into the sneakers’ surface, leave for 10-15 minutes, and then rinse with water.
Lemon juice
After the above solutions, if the shoes still do not become snow-white, mix 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice with the same amount of water, wet a napkin, and walk it over the surface.
Potato starch and milk
For white leather sneakers, a paste of potato starch diluted with milk in a 1:1 ratio is well suited. Spread this paste thickly on the surface, and then wipe off with a napkin soaked in warm water.
Oxygen-based bleaches and stain removers
This is suitable for fabric shoes. Mix with a little water, apply to sneakers for 15 minutes, then rinse. Alternatively, put your shoes in water with bleach or stain remover for a couple of hours, and then brush over the surface with toothpaste or baking soda brush. Final chord: Rinse thoroughly.
If your sneakers have a mesh, cleaning should be done more carefully; do not use aggressive bleach, stuff the shoes with paper towels so that the product does not get inside.
Nail polish remover or Pemolux
They can be used to clean the white sole. Apply liquid or cleaner to the surface, rinse off after 30 minutes. To make the sole less dirty, you can cover it with several coats of colorless nail polish.
- Wear gloves to protect your hands.
- Do not use cleaners designed for plumbing: they have a bleaching effect, but they are very aggressive and smell strong (as a rule, they are based on chlorine). Therefore, you risk damaging the surface of the shoe.
- Try the folk remedy first on a small section of your sneakers to not risk your favorite pair.
Expensive option
Specialized products are sold in shoe and sports stores. This option is suitable for white sneakers made from genuine leather or suede. It is easy to use such products; wet the brush, apply it, and rub it over the sneakers’ surface. Remove the formed foam with a microfiber cloth or a brush soaked in water.
Washing in a typewriter
- The fabric sneakers are machine washable. But only if you are sure of their quality (the sole may come off after washing).
- Before loading your sneakers into the machine, soak them for a couple of hours in warm water with bleach or stain remover. Then place your sneakers in a white pillowcase or wash with towels.
- Don’t use regular powder. Better to use a stain remover or liquid whitening soap.
- It is good if the washing machine has a “sports shoes” mode. If it is not there, set the “hand wash,” as well as the enhanced rinse mode, so that there are no yellow stains left. But spinning and drying must be turned off.
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What to do after cleaning or washing your sneakers
- Rinse off the product you used thoroughly.
- Dry the leather sneakers with a dry cloth. The surface can be treated with colorless shoe polish.
- Do not put your sneakers on a battery or expose them to the sun. It is best if they dry themselves in a well-ventilated area or outdoors.
- Place white paper towels inside the shoe to absorb moisture and shape the shoe.
- Put natural flavors such as orange peels or tangerine peels in your sneakers for a couple of hours. Also, a piece of raw potato copes well with an unpleasant smell.
Adapted and translated by Wiki Avenue Staff
Sources: Life hacker
