How to whiten sneakers at home

White sneakers have long ceased to be a purely sports wardrobe item. Modern designers advise combining these shoes with long coats, feminine dresses and even classic trousers. Such images look fresh, stylish and attract attention. However, any light-colored material instantly becomes dirty and requires regular thorough cleaning. There are several proven ways to bleach white sneakers so as not to spoil the shoes and keep the insoles clean.

Causes of loss of white color

It is very difficult to protect white shoes from getting dirty. An aggressive environment awaits her literally everywhere. Before you try to get rid of stains, you need to find out the cause of their occurrence:

Leather dress shoes suffer from the ingress of water, dust and dirt; they often bear marks from the black soles of someone else’s or even your own shoes; they can be scratched by stones or knocked off by curbs;
sports shoes - sneakers, sneakers made of leather and leatherette - are susceptible to the appearance of creases into which dust and dirt become clogged;
rag shoes, sneakers, sandals can darken after the first exit into the city, where there is a lot of smoke from cars and just street dust;
The white stitching threads and edging of any shoe darken not only from dirt, but also from care products.

Tip: contamination can be avoided or minimized by treating new shoes with special products. This can be a colorless nourishing cream, dirt- and water-repellent impregnations. Actually, impregnation is the first thing you should provide to a new couple before their first appearance.

White shoes look very beautiful, but require special care

There are various ways to restore white shoes to their original appearance. You can entrust your item to professionals or do it yourself.

Preparation for the process

Before washing your favorite pair of sports shoes, you need to analyze exactly how to clean them so that they do not become deformed or damaged.

Some manufacturers provide recommendations for caring for their products, even indicating washing rules.

There are no guarantees that cheap sneakers from an unknown manufacturer will survive washing. Even if the manufacturer denies the possibility of washing their products, owners of sneakers wash them by hand and in a washing machine. The result of such processing will be unpredictable.

High-quality stitched shoes made of genuine leather will most likely survive washing well if you follow all the rules.

Before washing your shoes, you should prepare them:

pull out the laces;
remove the insoles;
rinse shoe soles with water;
remove difficult stains from the surface (for example, from lubricants).

If small pebbles are stuck in the grooved sole, you can clean them out using an old toothbrush or toothpick.

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.

Products for whitening sneakers

All available products that can be used at home are divided into two types:

professional;
henchmen.

Shoe products

These substances, as well as special brushes, can be purchased at shoe stores or in the appropriate departments of supermarkets. There is a huge variety of these funds. The choice is yours; the main thing when purchasing is to read all the information on the label.

Shampoo for sneakers is a good way to quickly wash off dirt

For white sneakers made of textiles and smooth leather, the easiest way is to use a white impregnation emulsion, applying it to a clean and dried pair.

Household products

What resourceful housewives do not use to put their shoes in order. In addition to traditional cleaning products - laundry soap and washing powder - everything that can be found in the house is used:

lemon;
vinegar;
toothpaste;
laundry soap;
soda and vinegar;
ammonia;
hydrogen peroxide.

These substances are not only used directly for cleaning, but also used to make all kinds of pastes and solutions in different proportions.

Lemon juice can be used to clean white shoes made of any material.

Vinegar and baking soda are used to clean white sneakers.

Dirt from rag shoes can be easily cleaned with a soap solution.

Preparatory measures

To properly wash white sneakers, you should follow the following sequence:

Identify the material and read the information on the tag. The manufacturer can use leather, dermantin, textiles, suede. Each material requires an individual approach.
Remove the insoles and laces. The optimal means for cleaning accessories is white powder or laundry soap.
Treat the sole - clean the dirt, get rid of pebbles stuck in the sole.

Fabric sneakers can be washed by hand or in a washing machine. Additionally, you can use a laundry bag. Leather products simply need to be wiped with a damp cloth. Suede requires a special brush, which, by combing, returns the pile to its original beauty.

Quick ways to treat dirt on sneakers

There are several universal recommendations that are suitable for shoes made of any materials.

Make it a rule after returning home to always wipe your shoes first with a dry and then with a damp cloth with the addition of washing powder, if necessary. After that, wipe it dry, and if you used powder, then first clean it with a damp sponge.
If you find more serious contamination, immediately treat it with lemon. To do this, dilute lemon juice in water in a 2:1 ratio. Then rub the pre-cleaned shoes with this solution and leave for a while. Afterwards, remove the remaining juice with a damp cloth and wipe dry.
Purchased products should be applied to shoes using a brush. Otherwise, streaks may remain on the product.

Important nuances

Before you start bleaching your white sneakers, you need to find out what material they are made of. Shoes can be made of natural and artificial leather or fabric. Summer models often have mesh inserts that provide additional ventilation. The sole of the shoe can be made of polyurethane or other polymer material.

It is necessary to choose a bleaching method taking into account the material of manufacture. So, many people simply wash fabric sneakers in a washing machine with the addition of bleach. It is dangerous to immerse leather sneakers completely in water; the shoes may become warped.

Do not clean polyurethane soles with organic solvents; such treatment can destroy them.

You need to air dry any shoes; you cannot use a hairdryer or put a pair on the radiator. Drying at high temperatures will warp your shoes.

How to whiten sneakers or sneakers at home

White sneakers or sneakers are often subject to contamination during use. Cleaning them has its own nuances. Let's look at this process in detail.

Take the laces out and soak them in water with laundry soap or bleach if the dirt is heavy. Wash with washing powder, rinse, dry. If the laces are not bleached, replace them.
Wipe your sneakers with a dry cloth to remove dust and dried dirt. Clean the sole from sand, small stones and other debris with an old toothbrush.
Dampen a cloth in a water solution with soap or washing powder and wipe the dirty surface. Wipe the sneakers with a cloth soaked in a soap solution
To restore the original whiteness of your favorite sneakers, apply a little toothpaste to an old brush and rub the surface of the shoes. To enhance the whitening effect, add a few drops of lemon juice. Then remove the paste with a rag soaked in warm water. Dry your clean sneaker.
Instead of toothpaste, you can prepare a whitening paste: mix 2 tbsp. l. washing powder, 1 tsp. vinegar, 1 tsp. hydrogen peroxide and 1 tsp. spoons of lemon juice. Apply the resulting mixture to the brush, rub the sneaker, leave for 5-10 minutes, then remove with a damp cloth and wipe dry.
A clean, wet sneaker should be stuffed with white paper and dried at room temperature, away from batteries and radiators.
After the shoes are dry, they need to be treated with nourishing and protective agents.

How to Whiten White Suede Sneakers

White suede sneakers will only look perfect if you take tireless care of them.

Clean the surface from dust with a suede brush.
Apply a special foam cleaner, leave for a while (indicated in the instructions for use), then treat the surface with the soft or hard side of the brush, depending on the degree of contamination.
Prepare a bleach solution: 1 tsp. hydrogen peroxide, 1 tsp. ammonia and 1 tbsp. water. Then dampen a flannel or microfiber cloth with it and wipe the entire suede surface. This procedure will turn it white, and if you treat it with a rubber brush, it will take on a fresh look.

How to clean and dry textile sneakers

Remove laces and insoles from sneakers.
Grate half a piece of laundry soap and beat it into foam with a small amount of warm water. Immerse fabric shoes in the resulting solution, cover with film or a bag and leave for 40 minutes. This will not harm sneakers with rubber soles or stitching, but inexpensive sneakers may come apart. If in doubt, it is better to avoid prolonged soaking.
Mix 50 g of soda, 45 g of fine salt and 50 g of whitening toothpaste, and mix until a homogeneous viscous mass is obtained. Using a toothbrush, apply the resulting mixture to sneakers washed under running water, leave for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
If you are satisfied with the result, then stuff the sneakers with paper and dry them at room temperature, changing the paper as they get wet.
If the shoes are not white enough, place them in the soapy solution again for 15 minutes. Then put it in the washing machine for 30 minutes without spinning. Hand-wring the shoes and dry them.

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:

Protect the drum from mechanical impact.
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.

How to bleach yellowed sneakers

Not only dirt can ruin the appearance of white shoes. It also happens: you spent time, effort, and bleaching powders to return your favorite sneakers to their whiteness, but during the drying process they became covered with yellow spots. There may be several reasons for this injustice:

washing was carried out in excessively hot water;
during rinsing, part of the powder remained and reacted with the material;
sneakers were dried in direct sunlight or on a radiator, which could cause the shoes to fade.

If yellow stains appear on sneakers or sneakers, hydrogen peroxide will help correct the situation.

Soak the sneakers in cold water for several hours, then rinse thoroughly.
Drain the water from the shoes, blot the inside and outside with paper towels, then stuff the inside with white paper and dry at room temperature or in the shade outdoors.
If this is not enough, prepare a bleach solution from equal parts hydrogen peroxide, vinegar and fresh lemon juice with a tablespoon of laundry detergent. You should get a creamy mass. Apply it to the yellow areas using a toothbrush or dish sponge and leave for 5-7 minutes. Remove the mixture with a napkin and rinse the shoes under the tap with cold water. Carry out drying according to the rules described above.

Yellow stains on rag shoes may appear after washing

Video: how to remove yellow stains from white leather sneakers

How to get rid of yellowness on artificial leather

If a pair of faux leather sneakers has turned yellow, you can remove the stains with soap and water or laundry detergent. Apply the solution with a brush, then rinse with a clean damp cloth, and then wipe the surface dry. Yellowness can also be removed using nail polish remover or hydrogen peroxide. Soak a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide and wipe the damaged area on the sneakers. To enhance the effect, you can add a few drops of ammonia to the peroxide.

White shoes characterize the one who wears them as a neat, non-lazy person and a true connoisseur of beauty. Flaunt yourself in white shoes, enjoy life and the smiles of passers-by. And in case of troubles - gray plaque, yellowed spots and other contaminants - you now know what to do.

In the washing machine

The automatic machine makes washing leather sports shoes a breeze. To prevent shoes from dangling in the drum and hitting the walls, you should use a special mesh or additionally add a couple of old terry towels to the load .

If your automatic washing machine has a special “Sports Shoes” mode, you should use it.

In the absence of a special program, the sneakers are washed on a delicate cycle without spinning.

The optimal temperature for washing leather sports shoes is from +30ºС to +40ºС.

Hotter water can cause the shoes to come apart and require repair, and cold washes will be ineffective. Washing detergent for sneakers should be designed for an automatic washing machine. For a white pair of shoes, it is possible to use powder or gel with a whitening effect, but not containing chlorine .

It is advisable not to select the “spin” mode. Even minimal speeds create an increased load on the elements of the washing machine, shortening the service life of the equipment and causing breakdowns. After the end of the washing cycle, the wet shoes are taken out to dry.

If the sneakers have permanent decorative elements that require delicate handling, then machine washing is not acceptable.