How to clean dirt from white soles of sneakers? How to bleach white soles without damaging them: methods

Many people like the white sole, but they often have to refuse the purchase because it quickly gets dirty. In our article you will learn how to properly clean white soles without damaging them.

Shoes with white soles are always in fashion and are in great demand, but after walking down the street, especially after rain, they become dirty and unattractive. If you take care of such shoes in a timely manner and do it competently, then your sneakers or sneakers will always be beautiful and the material will serve you for a very long time.

Laundry soap

Lather an old toothbrush or a hard washcloth with laundry soap and use vigorous movements to clean the soles of your sneakers or other shoes. You will have to put in a lot of effort, but in this way you will be able to get rid of the bulk of the contaminants. However, some stains are not affected by laundry soap. To completely clean the sole, rub it with an eraser, and if that doesn’t help, use the following tips.

How to remove marker, glue, paint, grease from a white sole?

Painted sneakers
Stains from paint, markers and other difficult-to-remove products are extremely difficult to remove, but it is quite possible if you know what to use.

You can remove such persistent stains with a mixture of ammonia, soda and citric acid:

• Pour a glass of water and add 25 g of citric acid and 2 tablespoons of soda.
• We wipe all dirty places with the solution. It's better to apply it with a brush
• Next, mix a couple of teaspoons of ammonia in a glass of water and treat the contaminated areas with the solution again
• Leave everything on for 10 minutes and rinse well with water.
• For very stubborn stains, mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and place the sole in it and let it stand for 20-30 minutes, then rinse and dry.

Alcohol (white spirit, nail polish remover, kerosene)

All these products do an excellent job of removing various types of contaminants. They can clean the white soles of sneakers, sandals or other shoes so well that they will become like new. But there is one “but”. These products are quite aggressive, and sometimes after such cleaning you can get a completely different result. The sole is not always made of snow-white rubber or other material. Therefore, it is often covered with a layer of white dye. In such cases, trying to clean it with aggressive means can erase the top layer, and then the situation cannot be corrected.

Before using alcohol, nail polish remover, mineral spirits, or kerosene to clean the white soles of your shoes, try testing the product you choose on a very inconspicuous area.

Make very careful movements with a cotton swab or sponge so as not to wet the upper part of the shoe with solvent.

How and with what to clean white shoes quickly: methods

A quick clean will quickly get rid of stubborn dirt or grass, but it must be done regularly to keep the soles white.

Method 1: Cleaning the white sole with an eraser

Eraser
A regular eraser will be useful when the sole is generally clean, but there is a stain of dirt or grass on the surface.

• First, wipe the sole with a damp cloth.
• Waiting for the surface to dry
• Rub plastic over all stains that are not washed off
• If you constantly treat the sole in this way, it is quite possible to maintain its whiteness.

Just keep in mind that if the stains are old and have already been absorbed, then this method will be useless.

By the way, it is also important to say that this method is convenient for cleaning foam soles and other types of white shoes, except rag ones. Fabric absorbs dirt best, and therefore cannot be wiped off with a damp cloth or washed in a machine with the addition of special products.

Method 2. Melamine sponge

Melamine sponge
The sponge is used in almost the same way as an eraser, but it is more effective because, in addition to shoes, it can remove dirt from other objects.

To clean, wipe the dirty surface with a melamine sponge and remove all stains. It’s just better to try it on an inconspicuous place first, because it can scratch the surface. Basically, housewives are able to not only remove all stains, but even remove yellowness.

Method 3. Abrasive - soda

Soda
An excellent abrasive that is always on hand is ordinary soda. It is gentle on the surface and removes all dirt. It is worth noting that it does not harm the material itself and does not leave scratches. Using baking soda is quite simple:

• Wash away dust and large dirt from the surface
• Sprinkle some baking soda
• Wipe dirty areas with it
• Now rinse the surface well

Baking soda is an excellent alternative to the previous option, but after using it, the shoes are well dried so that flora does not develop on them, suitable for the proliferation of various microorganisms and an unpleasant odor.

Soda ideally cleans soles made of polyurethane and leather, but it is not suitable for suede. If you have suede shoes, then clean them with a special brush or entrust this matter to dry cleaning.

Method 4. Machine wash with powder

Washing shoes in a machine
If none of the methods above helped you, and you don’t have time to search for options, then wash your shoes in a machine. Pre-prepare her for the procedure:

• First, rinse the shoes well under the tap. This is necessary to remove all the big dirt.
• Next, remove all sorts of pebbles, chewing gum and buds from the sole
• Remove the insoles and remove the laces
• Now load the shoes into the drum of the machine
• Add everything you need for washing - detergent, stain remover and bleach.
• The latter should not be used if you have colored shoes
• It is better to wash in delicate or manual mode. It is important that washing is gentle and no more than 40 degrees

Washing in a machine allows you to automate the cleaning process. After completing the program, the shoes should be dried in the sun. This takes 1-2 days. Insoles and laces should be washed by hand. If shoes have suede inserts, they cannot be machine washed.

Whitening using household chemicals

Before proceeding with any of the above methods, shoes should be cleaned of layers of dirt and debris and washed with soapy water.

Important! Use the most gentle means first, if they don’t work, move on to more aggressive ones.

Dishwashing detergent or laundry soap

Wash the white surface from daily dirt with soapy water. You can make and use it like this:

1. Grate half a bar of laundry soap on a coarse grater.
2. Dissolve in 0.5 liters of warm water.
3. Apply to dirt with a brush or soft sponge and, if necessary, to all surfaces, rub.
4. Rinse with water.

Dishwashing detergent should be used in the same way, only it is more difficult to wash off, so you will have to rinse several times.

Washing powder for white

Washing powder can be used for cleaning very effectively. It is better to take the powder for white things, it contains additional bleaching agents. Fabric sneakers cleaned this way will look like new.

To clean, dissolve the white powder in a small amount of water or apply it to the brush. Rub the pre-moistened white surface and leave for 15 minutes, then rinse.

Stain remover

You can bleach the white soles of shoes with a stain remover solution. Here you also need a product for white things. Dissolve the stain remover in the proportion indicated on the package, apply and leave for 3 hours. If the stains are strong, scrub thoroughly with a brush. After the specified time has passed, rinse off.

Oxygen-containing bleach

It is necessary to carefully bleach the soles of sneakers with bleach, having first tested it on an inconspicuous area. If after 2-3 minutes there are no visual changes, then you can use it. Step by step process:

• Wear rubber gloves and provide ventilation.
• Dilute bleach in water in a ratio of 1:2.
• Immerse shoes in the solution so that only the white sole is exposed to it. Leave until you can bleach to the desired state.
• Wash off the aggressive product without removing gloves.

Is it worth trying to wash stains on the soles of sneakers in a washing machine?

The easiest way to clean your favorite shoes is by washing them in the machine. This method does not always give the expected result, and sometimes it can be completely useless and unsafe for shoes. After machine washing, sneakers tear and lose shape much faster.

In addition, there is a danger that the snow-white sole will acquire a yellowish tint and begin to peel off. However, if you still decide to go with a washing machine, then you need to follow a few simple rules.

1. Before loading sneakers or sneakers into the washing machine, you must remove the insoles, laces and other removable parts.
2. It is necessary to remove adhering dirt with a brush and soapy water and dry. The sole tread should be especially carefully cleaned of small stones and sand, as their entry into the machine can damage the drum, pipe and filter.
3. It is strictly forbidden to soak shoes before washing. When dried, it will lose its shape.
4. It is better to set the delicate mode with minimal speed and additional rinsing. The spinning and drying must be turned off, otherwise the sneakers will get wet and come apart.
5. The optimal water temperature is 40 °C.
6. Shoes should be washed in a special bag, and some other things should be placed in the drum to soften the shock during rotation.

It is better to dry sneakers after machine washing in the usual way at room temperature, stuffing them with crumpled newspapers. The paper will prevent deformation during drying and absorb excess moisture. You can also dry your shoes using special dryers.

When the shoes are completely dry, apply a water-repellent agent to them. It is strictly forbidden to dry sneakers and sneakers on a heating radiator or with a hair dryer . This can lead to deformation, the sole will turn yellow and it will be more difficult to bleach it.

How to maintain the color of a white rubber sole?

The soles become dirty after every trip outside, and to make cleaning them easier, you need to find out how to preserve them. As a rule, special cosmetics are used for these purposes:

• Water repellent sprays
• Colorless creams

Before using the products, you first need to wipe the shoes to remove all dirt, dry them and then begin processing. After drying, a durable film is formed on the surface, which will not allow dirt to penetrate deeply, and therefore processing will be very simple, and the service life of the shoes will increase significantly.

If you properly care for your shoes, they will always look as if they were new.

However, if you did not treat your shoes on time, it is better to use folk remedies for cleaning. They will quickly turn the surface white and remove stains, which will return the shoes to their original appearance.

Daily care

Nowadays the lower part of the sneakers is made of wear-resistant rubber. This is a durable elastic material that resists moisture, can be successfully washed with household chemicals, but can turn yellow under the influence of ultraviolet radiation and darken from ingrained dust. Therefore, after returning from a walk or workout, you should immediately wipe your favorite pair with a damp cloth or sponge, paying special attention to the lower part, the grooved parts of the tread, where dirt usually accumulates.

If black stripes, yellow marks, or some other fresh defects are found below, the surface can be easily bleached with an eraser or melamine sponge. Removing fresh stains is easier than bleaching the surface of sneakers with deeply ingrained stains. You need a large, white, dry eraser; small pieces are also useful - to carefully clean the grooves of the relief. The melamine sponge will need to be wet before use. After working with it, you should wash your hands thoroughly: melamine is toxic.

Important : when drying, do not point a hairdryer at the sneakers, place them near a radiator, near a heater, or in direct sunlight. Due to uneven heating, products lose their presentable appearance and become deformed. It is better to store them in a ventilated room without windows, with dry air at room temperature.

After drying, the uppers of leather sneakers are coated with colorless shoe polish, which also protects the sole. It is useful to use water-repellent impregnations, silicone gel, which helps keep the surface clean and protects the rubber from cracking.

Shoe sole materials: information for reference

Modern materials for making soles include rubber, polyurethane, phylon, and ETA. Some of them have a porous structure or surface, which makes the cleaning process much more difficult. The table shows popular materials for soles and their characteristics.

What materials are shoe soles made from?
Rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate, phylon, polyurethane, filite sole: features when wearing. When choosing what to wash white polyurethane soles or, for example, phylon soles, give preference to mild detergents, gels and powder solutions. Alcohol, acetone and kerosene can leave permanent stains on the material.

The secrets of the dazzling white sole are revealed. Now you can safely purchase white shoes from A to Z and not worry about their cleanliness. How to wash white soles on shoes: find the most effective way in our article.

Share useful information with your friends:

Milk and starch

Pasta made from potato starch with milk gets good reviews. Both products are mixed in equal parts; a liquid mixture should be obtained, which is applied over the entire edging.

Leave the paste for 15 minutes to work. Then rinse everything off with warm water and dry the sneakers.

Milk is fatty, so it is better to use laundry soap for washing so that no greasy residue remains.

Drying rules: useful tips

• Do not dry your shoes near heating devices or in direct sunlight. Take advantage of modern shoe dryers. They are optimal and effective for drying any type of shoes (suede, leather, textiles, etc.)
• To avoid deformation during natural drying, fill the shoes with paper. Traditional newspaper can paint the white lining of a shoe black. You can fill your sneakers with paper towels or toilet paper. The paper will quickly absorb excess moisture.
• If you need to dry your shoes urgently, use a hair dryer or vacuum cleaner with an air blowing function.
• Avoid wearing white shoes with light-colored soles in dirty weather.
• Use aggressive, strong cleaning agents very carefully. Wear gloves for protection. Work in well-ventilated areas.

Melamine sponge

The easiest way to keep your shoes in good condition is to use a melamine sponge.

This product has won the hearts of many housewives; it can replace many household chemicals used to remove dirt from wallpaper, cabinets, bathtubs and toilets.

How to clean the sole?

The melamine sponge is easy to use. It must be wetted with cool water and squeezed out. Then wipe the contaminated areas of the sneakers with the tip of the bar, this will be more economical.

Of course, a melamine sponge cannot give a perfectly white color, but the sneakers will be clean.

Baking soda

Even baking soda can clean white soles. It can be used for rubber and fabric.

How to whiten the sole of sneakers:

1. You will need a white piece of fabric, 1 tsp. soda and water.
2. I soak the mothers in the prepared gruel and thoroughly wipe the top of the sneakers first, and then the bottom.
3. Having achieved the desired result, you can rinse and dry.

You can use baking soda regularly. Helps remove stubborn stains.

Baking soda does not affect the quality of sneakers if used even several times a week.