How to wash white sneakers at home, quickly and without harming the shoes

White sports shoes look stylish and neat. But only as long as it is white. It is for this reason that many deny themselves the pleasure of wearing such shoes, because they are sure that white sneakers or sneakers will very quickly become irrevocably gray, losing all their beauty. However, if you properly care for your white leather shoes, do not let them slip, and clean them on time, you can enjoy their original snow-white appearance for a long time.

Let’s make a reservation right away: you can’t wash leather shoes (especially in a washing machine like fabric sneakers)! Since water and detergents dry and deform the skin, after which it will be very problematic to correct the consequences of such cleaning.

It is useful to treat new leather shoes immediately after purchase with a special nourishing balm or cream for shoe leather, and after some time, immediately before putting them on, with a water-repellent wax-based impregnation. This will significantly increase its service life and maintain its presentable appearance for a long time.

How to remove yellowness from white sneakers with home remedies

What to do if there are no professional shoe cleaning products in the house? Let's turn to home remedies that are always at hand! There are many things that everyone has that will help you quickly clean your white sneakers and revive the color.

• Toothpaste. Toothpaste is suitable for quickly removing small stains from white sneakers. Simply apply a small amount to a damp toothbrush. Shoes should be cleaned using small circular movements. Remove the remaining foam with a towel.
• Baking soda and dishwashing liquid are the most obvious combination that can be made at home. Combine both components and dissolve in a small amount of water. And then apply the mixture to the dirty area in a circular motion. Wipe off excess with a damp cloth.
• Baby powder. It's hard to believe, but even with baby powder, your shoes will be as good as new. To do this, the powder is mixed with water and applied with a brush in several layers. Then all that remains is to wipe with a dry cloth to remove any residue. If the shoes are made of fabric, you can even wash the fabric part with water.
• Bleach. If you decide to use bleach, be careful: the strong whitening agent should only be used on rubber soles. To do this, dip a cotton swab in bleach and wipe the rubber sole with it. The only exception is that fabric sneakers can be cleaned entirely.
• Soap. To make your shoes shine again, it is often enough to wash the surface with soapy water. As experience shows, laundry soap intended for washing children's clothes is best suited for this purpose, as it is more gentle. Thoroughly soap the fabric and treat the entire surface. If the contamination is severe enough, repeat the operation until completely cleaned. Leave the last layer to dry and brush off any dry residue with a shoe brush.
• Starch in combination with milk will also help restore its former shine, but only to a product made of genuine leather. Make a thick paste from milk and starch and cover the surface with it. After half an hour, wash off the mixture with a cotton napkin and apply cream.

Preparatory stage

So that your efforts are not in vain, and the washing procedure does not have to be repeated several times, you should properly prepare for how to return the whiteness to your sneakers.

Laces

Never wash or wash shoes with laces. They need to be pulled out, cleaned separately with a brush or washed by hand. If they are too dirty, apply laundry soap and let them sit for a couple of hours.

You can add a stain remover to hot water and leave them to soak in this liquid for several hours, and then rinse. If the laces become gray or yellowed, replace them - they spoil the appearance of the shoes.

Insoles

Pull out the insoles and evaluate the appearance. If they are cracked or have any defect, replace them. Normal insoles should be wiped with a damp cloth and placed on a flat surface to dry. It can be treated with special talc, which kills germs and foreign odors. Alternatively, wipe with a vinegar solution.

Sole

Examine it. If there is dirt or small stones in the tread pattern, remove it. If chewing gum is stuck, you can pry it off with a knife. To make the elastic easier to separate, apply a rag with ice to it.

After this, take an old toothbrush and laundry soap and thoroughly rinse the entire sole.

How to bleach white laces?

Unlike the sneakers themselves, the white laces are machine washable. The best way to do this is to place them in a laundry net to prevent them from getting caught on other items of clothing. In addition, the laces can be washed by hand with a small amount of detergent and warm water.

Another way is to bleach stubborn dirt from laces using a dishwasher tablet. Dissolve 1 tablet in two liters of water and add a couple of tablespoons of any washing powder to the solution. Soak the laces overnight, rinse thoroughly in the morning, and then air dry.

Professional dry cleaning services

Ateliers and shoe workshops provide assistance in the problem of ingrained dirt. They offer two types of such services:

• dry cleaning - carried out using special means, it is impossible to do it at home;
• painting shoes is done in several stages using professional paints, so it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do high-quality coloring yourself.

Both services are quite expensive and not available to everyone. Many workshops do not work with white shoes and, as a rule, carry out these manipulations only with leather, suede and nubuck. Therefore, let's look at ways to whiten shoes yourself.

How to wash the soles of white sneakers

An equally important task is to decide what and how to wash the white soles on sneakers. If we are talking about home remedies, then, in addition to the bleach mentioned above, there are three more more or less effective methods.

1. Toothpaste or nail polish remover can work wonders, but only if you follow these three steps. Firstly, the liquid must not contain acetone. Otherwise, you risk getting yellowed soles over time. If we are talking about minor contamination, the liquid can be replaced with micellar water. Secondly, apply the product with a soft sponge or cloth - the abrasive material will likely leave scratches that will be difficult to disguise on the sole of white sneakers. Thirdly, always use one product at a time: one paste, one liquid.
2. A regular office eraser also works well, but only on fresh stains (including black streaks), and is absolutely useless on old stains.

Cleaning process depending on materials

Each pair of white sneakers or sneakers requires an individual approach to cleaning. Leather, suede, textiles, faux leather, patent leather have different cleaning and care methods. Textile sneakers can be washed either by hand or in a washing machine. Other types of material require exclusively manual cleaning.

Polished leather

Patent leather is as easy to care for as it looks stylish. However, it is very picky about maintenance and wear. The material involves a natural or synthetic base, coated with a glossy and smooth layer of varnish.

The color palette is endless, and the plasticity and softness of the leather allows you to create real shoe masterpieces from it.

Advantages of the material:

• stylishness and variety of design;
• wearing comfort;
• durability;
• corresponds to both business and festive style;
• serves as a separate accessory in the image.

Disadvantages of patent leather:

• creating a “greenhouse” effect, resulting in increased sweating on the feet and decreased hygiene with constant wear;
• unsuitable for high humidity;
• does not tolerate high and low temperatures, as a result of which it becomes covered with microcracks and loses its luster;
• with prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation it becomes less bright;
• fades due to irregular care and cleaning.

Despite the equal number of advantages and disadvantages, patent leather shoes do not go out of fashion and are in demand.

Leather and leatherette

The modern textile industry has created many artificial substitutes for real leather and eco-leather. Outwardly, it is indistinguishable, but its properties are practically not inferior to natural ones.

Advantages of high-quality leatherette - eco-leather:

• the material will ensure long service life of the shoes;
• breathability;
• no allergic reaction;
• comfortable wearing;
• relatively low cost;
• any shoe design;
• preserving the life of animals.

Flaws:

• tendency to easily catch fire from a flame;
• the need for special care products and regular cleaning and prevention of contamination;
• lack of frost resistance.

Important! The low quality of leatherette turns advantages into disadvantages, leaving behind the only advantage - easy availability and the lowest possible prices.

Advantages of genuine leather:

• high wear resistance;
• comfort in any weather, thermoregulation in cold and heat;
• protection of feet from hypothermia;
• takes the individual shape of the foot, allowing it to be worn both at home and at sporting events;
• aesthetic and natural appearance.

The disadvantage of shoes made of genuine leather is their high cost.

There are several ways to distinguish natural material from its substitute:

1. Apply a couple of drops of water to the material. The skin will quickly absorb it, the substitute will not change color and will repel moisture.
2. Bend it a little. If the folds smooth out quickly, the leather is genuine.
3. If possible, inspect the cut. The leatherette is much thinner than the original.
4. Difference in smell. Faux leather has a chemical smell.

Disputes about the preference for genuine leather or its substitutes are ongoing regularly, so the choice of material for shoes is individual.

Can white shoes be washed in a washing machine?

Let's make a reservation right away: cleaning white sneakers in the washing machine is an extreme measure that can only be used in exceptional cases. This is especially obvious when it comes to white leather sneakers. However, in most cases this is not the best option for fabric models. Warm water combined with detergent can soften the adhesive. In this case, yellow spots are only a small part of the problems that may appear as a result of washing.

But if you still decide on this bold experiment, keep in mind: sneakers cannot be dried either on radiators or in the sun. Negative consequences will be difficult to eliminate. For example, damp skin is very sensitive to heat and quickly becomes more porous. In addition, the fabric may stretch or, conversely, decrease in size and you will need to increase your shoe size (learn how to do this here). Therefore, it is better to stuff the inside with newspaper and let it air dry. Read more about how you can wash shoes in a washing machine in our separate article.

Important! Often the results of your efforts are only visible when the white sneakers are completely dry. When wet, the material usually appears grayish. Therefore, do not rush to conclusions and give the shoes time to dry.

Faux leather

The artificial material of the upper of the sneakers has significant differences from the natural one. It is lighter in weight, less demanding to maintain, and inexpensive. The disadvantages include less elasticity, poor breathability, and rapid wear.

Caring for such a pair of shoes will require a special approach. It is not advisable to wash such shoes in a machine, since leatherette may not survive intensive cleaning.

When washing by hand, you cannot:

• use hot water;
• use brushes with abrasive surfaces;
• apply effort - pressure, intense friction, etc.

Sports shoes made of artificial leather should be hand washed only if they are excessively soiled, since the material is not intended for wet processing.

Useful tips for caring for white sneakers

It’s better to play it safe and do it than to regret not doing it later – this saying definitely applies to white sneakers. So don't wait for unsightly stains to appear on light-colored shoes. Take basic precautions.

• Spray your shoes thoroughly with a waterproofing spray before going outside. This is especially important to do on days with high humidity.
• Clean the surface and interior of dirt and odors every day, even if it seems to you that the shoes are clean and you don’t need to do this.
• If stubborn stains appear, immediately use the special cleaning products or recipes described above.
• Store white shoes in linen bags in a place protected from sunlight. This way you can be guaranteed to preserve the color for a long time without additional funds.
• Colorless moisture-resistant cream is the best preventative measure. Daily evening treatment will not only increase the wear period, but will also protect against the appearance of premature cracks and creases.
• Dry your shoes properly and promptly.

Washing bag: why is it needed?

A laundry bag for sports shoes is significantly different from a regular bag intended for clothing. The main difference is the presence of seals that prevent shoes from hitting the ribs of the drum. Each bag is designed for one pair; its parameters are indicated on the packaging.

Externally, shoe washing bags may have different designs. Seals in bags play 2 roles:

1. Protect the drum from mechanical impact.
2. Prevents the shoes themselves from fraying.

The size of the shoe bag allows you to put both children's and adult sneakers in it.

If a special bag is not available, then when washing you need to add old terry towels to the drum . The sneakers themselves should be placed in a linen bag, for example, in an old pillowcase. The top is tightly tied or stitched to keep the shoes in place.

It is important to check in advance to ensure that the towels are not fading.