A light pair of sneakers or sneakers is a must-have item in the wardrobe of a modern stylish person. However, it is these shoes that get dirty, clogged with dust, and lose their original appearance faster than others. To keep sneakers looking neat and well-groomed, they need to be bleached regularly.
Synthetic sneakers
Often, to clean white sneakers made of synthetic materials, it is enough to wash such sneakers in a washing machine with the addition of a good detergent. But you should use the minimum temperature mode and do not use the drying and spinning mode. You can also enhance the whitening effect with other folk remedies:
- mix vinegar and baking soda, rub the resulting mixture onto your shoes and rinse;
- Mix powder, hydrogen peroxide and vinegar in equal parts, rub on white sneakers and rinse.
How to keep your sneakers white: 10 tips and life hacks
White sneakers are good for absolutely everyone, except for one thing: they quickly lose their original whiteness. Let's figure out what to do to get it back (and what it's better not to do).
Unusual shoe laces: 11 ideas with instructions
General remarks:
— To care for suede sneakers, use tips for suede shoes (selection here).
— To wash and wipe white sneakers, take white cloths: colored ones can stain the leather or soles.
— If the sneakers have colored details or embroidery, do not let peroxide or white toothpaste get on these parts.
— Wash off any washing and cleaning products well from white shoes: if they are left on the skin, they can turn yellow over time.
Sports chic: what to wear with sneakers and sneakers
Tips and hacks for white sneakers:
Use a water-repellent finish
When you buy new sneakers, use a water-repellent treatment just like you would any other pair of shoes. Renew the impregnation regularly (before doing this, the sneakers must be washed/cleaned and dried). Impregnation will prevent water from penetrating into the leather and cuts (including dirty water, for example, from autumn puddles) and will keep the shoes not only dry, but also cleaner and whiter.
Don't wash your sneakers in the washing machine
Can sneakers be machine washed? There are examples when sneakers withstand such washing well. More often, however, this applies to fabric sneakers. It’s still better not to wash leather and suede ones like that. There is a possibility that the natural material will deform or become rigid. It may not happen, but why take the risk?
Cleaning and washing sneakers from heavy dirt
Let's start with the most difficult option: let's say the sneakers are covered in dirt and soil.
How to wash white sneakers:
— Take out the laces.
— Use a damp cloth or sponge to remove most of the dirt from the sneakers, including the soles.
— Dilute the detergent in warm water and wash the sneakers with a sponge soaked in water and the product, removing any remaining dirt.
— Seams, sections of leather and the sole can be additionally washed with a medium-hard brush with the same water and detergent.
— Afterwards, you need to wipe off any remaining water and detergent from the sneakers with a damp, clean cloth.
Removing medium-intensity stains: micellar
Micellar water can help wash slightly dirty but slightly white leather sneakers.
How to wash sneakers with micellar water - action diagram:
— take out the laces;
- remove dust from the skin with a brush;
— Apply micellar water to a cotton pad, wipe the skin, tongue and sole;
— wash the micellar with a clean damp cloth.
Remove stains: vinegar and hydrogen peroxide
You can try removing stains from leather sneakers that remain after basic cleaning with vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Just in case, test these products on the least visible small area!
We proceed like this: drop a little vinegar (helps against yellow spots) or peroxide (helps against various stains) onto a cotton pad and wipe the stain. Then wash off with a clean damp cloth.
Do not use this method on suede sneakers.
We return the whiteness to sneakers: toothpaste and brush
If there are no stains or obvious dirt on your white sneakers, but they still don’t look fresh enough, you can try cleaning them with toothpaste and an old toothbrush. Important: take a white paste, not a colored one, otherwise the effect may be the opposite. It is also better not to use pastes and powders with an abrasive effect to clean the leather, as you can get scratches and damage the top layer. This will make the sneakers get dirty faster.
The method is suitable for both cleaning leather and white soles of sneakers. Not suitable for suede!
How to wash sneakers with toothpaste and brush:
— take out the laces;
— apply a pea-sized amount of paste onto a damp brush;
— clean contaminated areas, adding pastes if necessary (take special care along the seams and sections of the skin);
— wash the paste with a clean damp cloth.
Returning the whiteness to the sole: soft and hard methods
It seems that the sole can be treated a little more freely than the leather part of white sneakers. But it is not so. If you use harsh abrasive methods, you can add scratches and irregularities to the top layer of the sole, into which dirt and dust will be driven in with double force. But such harsh methods give a clear effect of returning whiteness. True, you will have to use them often.
Hard methods:
- use of soda;
- use of abrasive toothpastes;
- use a melamine sponge and the hard side of a regular sponge.
Soft methods spare the material of the sole, but do not clean it as effectively.
Soft methods:
- the above-mentioned micellar;
- also mentioned hydrogen peroxide;
- washing with a toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste;
- washing with diluted detergent or special shoe shampoo.
There are also methods that you can use at your own peril and risk, since they involve the use of rather aggressive chemicals. It all depends on the sole: some sneakers will do nothing, while the sole of others may, for example, turn yellow or lose the top coating. In short, it’s better to try it in an inconspicuous area.
Aggressive chemical methods:
- wiping the sole with acetone or nail polish remover;
- use of aggressive bleach (in this case, you need to apply the bleach to the sole and leave for at least an hour).
Laces: hand wash only
Bringing back the whiteness to the laces surprisingly freshens up the look of the white sneakers.
The easiest way is to take out the old laces and, using them as a sample, select new ones in the store that are suitable in width and length.
If you don't have new laces, you can wash the old ones. It is better not to wash laces in the car, especially synthetic ones. The thin, light fibers of the threads from which synthetic laces are woven catch and stretch too easily, and the laces, after being washed in the machine with other things (and for a pair of laces, we are unlikely to run the machine) can lose their presentation. At the same time, dirty laces, according to experience, are not washed very well by hand, and it is inconvenient to wash them by hand.
How to wash white sneaker laces:
— take out the laces;
— in a small basin, mix hot water with laundry detergent, non-aggressive bleach and stain remover;
- soak the laces in the mixture for several hours;
— wash (it is better to use gloves), rinse and dry.
Should I use cream on white leather sneakers?
It depends on the model of sneakers.
If the sneakers do not have a large number of parts, seams, open cuts, and are made more or less monolithically (like those in the photo above), then you can use regular colorless or white leather shoe cream. We follow the traditional scheme: apply the cream to clean, dry skin, let it absorb, and go over it with a dry cloth.
If your sneakers have a lot of seams, details, open cuts, or fabric elements, it is better not to use shoe polish. The fact is that the fat and wax in the cream will make seams, open sections of skin and fabric more susceptible to absorbing dirt and dust. The sneakers will get dirty faster.
How to Remove Scuffs and Scratches from White Leather Sneakers
If the outer layer is damaged and the leather of the sneakers has scuffs and scratches, one of the best options is to use a special shoe paint. In our case, white. It comes in a spray, is available from different brands and is usually called “white paint for sneakers and shoes.” By the way, often this paint is also suitable for artificial leather and fabric.
You can also anoint the wiped area with white (not colorless) shoe polish. Cream, as a rule, masks damage worse than paint, but is suitable for minor abrasions.
It is better to ignore advice on using white nail polish or decorative acrylic paint to paint over scratches. It is quite difficult to apply them accurately and evenly. Visible stains and streaks may remain. And over time, yellowness may appear at the application site (especially in the case of varnish).
Photo: Adidas, lifestyle.euronics.co.uk, pixabay.com, textileenterprises.co.uk, fredrikrisvik.com, simple.co.uk, irmix. ir
Suede sneakers
Suede is a rather delicate material, so it requires careful care. First of all, after the shoes become dirty and wet, they should be cleaned and dried well. You can then use one of the tips listed below:
- walk with a dry suede brush, lift the lint and clean off the dirt;
- some stains can be removed with a regular office eraser;
- Apply cleaning foam to the sneakers, and then remove with a dry cloth;
- use a chlorine-free soap solution with the addition of ammonia.
Insoles, soles and laces
Insoles and laces from sneakers are washed separately. These parts are removed at the first stage of preparing shoes for washing or cleaning.
Laces
It is better to wash the laces by hand using regular laundry soap. The laces are moistened with warm water, soaped and soaked in warm water for an hour. Then rinse and dry on a line or dryer. It is not advisable to dry the laces on the radiator; the laces may turn yellow.
If you cannot remove the dust deposits, you can clean the white laces with whitening toothpaste. You need to wet the laces with water, apply a thick layer of paste and leave until completely dry. Then rinse off the paste with cool water.
You can use oxygen bleaches to wash laces. But using products containing chlorine is prohibited.
Insoles
Insoles need to be washed regularly, otherwise the shoes may develop an unpleasant odor. Usually, it is enough to wash the insoles with soap. Remove the insoles from the sneakers, soap them and rub them with a brush or sponge. Then you need to wash off the dirty foam and repeat the operation 1-2 more times. The product should be dried by laying the insoles flat on a horizontal surface.
Sole
The sole of white shoes gets dirty not only with dust and street dirt, but also with black traces of tar. In addition, the sole material may yellow.
For whitening, it is recommended to prepare a mixture using different conditions:
- powdered bleach or powder for washing white fabrics;
- liquid soap;
- whitening toothpaste.
Everything needs to be mixed and applied to the sole with an old toothbrush. Clean and rinse well. Dry your shoes in the shade.
White sneakers go well with a variety of ensembles, but these shoes require careful maintenance. You can wash your sneakers and remove any yellow spots that appear on your own, using improvised or professional products.
Leather sneakers
To bleach white leather sneakers, it is not recommended to use an automatic washing machine. Natural material is sensitive to such procedures and can easily become deformed. It is better to use the following tips:
- Rub the snickers with a mixture of eggs and a quarter glass of milk, and then rinse with water;
- treat shoes with a solution of laundry and tar soap, leaving for 20 minutes, then rinse well;
- then rub the leather sneakers with Vaseline for 20 minutes, followed by removing the composition;
- Ammonia along with washing powder is considered a good remedy.
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.
Mesh sneakers
Typically, such models are worn in the summer, so dirt and dust appear on them faster. Often, to wash white sneakers of this type, a simple wash in the washing machine is enough. But to achieve maximum whitening effect, use other methods too. For example:
- Using a weak solution of acetone and vinegar, carefully treat your shoes with a soft sponge or cloth;
- A soft brush plus a regular soap solution will also help;
- If the model is bright in color and has many decorative elements, limit yourself to hand washing.
Washing options and drying features
There are two ways to tidy up your shoes. Both machine and hand wash are acceptable.
- In the typewriter. Sneakers are placed in a special bag for washing shoes and sent to the drum. You need to select the “Shoes” or “For shoes” mode. If there is no such mode, turn on “Delicate wash” or another cycle with a minimum temperature and spin speed. How to wash white sneakers without them turning yellow? Add bleach when washing, just make sure it is chlorine-free. Wash separately from other shoes to avoid shedding.
- Manually. To wash white fabric sneakers by hand, pour water into a bowl, add laundry detergent, and lather. Leave the shoes in the solution for a couple of hours. Hand wash and then rinse thoroughly. You need to rinse with plenty of water if you want to wash your white sneakers without streaks or stains. Let the water drain and send the shoes to dry.
You should not dry your shoes by intensive spinning in the drum of the machine, or on a radiator or in the sun. All this ruins the sneakers. Let them dry naturally - in the fresh air, in the shade. Stuffing your shoes with toilet paper will speed up the process.
What measures should be used and how to clean mesh shoes?
Is it difficult for you to keep textile shoes clean? No need to worry about it anymore. If you remember a few recommendations, then washing shoes with mesh will not take much time and will delight you with efficiency:
- the water temperature should not exceed 30 degrees Celsius;
- do not add too much cleaning agent to the water - shoes with mesh will be difficult to rinse;
- do not use sponges with a rough surface or hard brushes - they can damage the delicate material;
- Before washing, you must remove the laces and insoles and clean them separately;
- First you need to thoroughly clean the sole, and only after that you can proceed to the mesh itself.
Bili Krosivka
599.00 UAH
Shoe polish
For leather sneakers, you can use white shoe polish. It gently acts on the outer layer, giving it whiteness. Even if the sneakers are brand new, it is still recommended to use cream. This will avoid stubborn stains and yellowing. If your shoes have scuffs and scratches, the cream will eliminate them. For severe damage, you can use shoe paint. It’s called “paint for sneakers.” It will cope perfectly even with deep damage.
Proactive action: protection against pollution
The first thing you need to do after purchasing sneakers is to treat them with a special spray, which, when dried, forms a thin membrane. This impregnation does not interfere with air exchange and is suitable for all materials: leather, nubuck, suede, natural and synthetic fabrics.
The created protective layer will repel water and dirt, preventing them from penetrating the pores of the shoe. As a result, the sneakers will get less dirty.
It is recommended to repeat the treatment once every 2 weeks after mandatory preliminary cleaning.
Important! Do not store white shoes next to colored ones. Residues of cream, paint, dust particles can change the color of white sneakers.
These sneakers have a chance to stay white)
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.
Hydrogen peroxide, vinegar
Stubborn stains on white leather sneakers are not easy to remove with conventional means. To do this, you can use peroxide or vinegar. First you need to make sure that this method will not harm, and test it on an inconspicuous area of the shoe. Cleaning is done using a cotton pad. You need to apply a few drops of vinegar on it, it will help deal with yellow spots. In other cases, hydrogen peroxide is effective. Wipe the contaminated area with a disc soaked in one of the products, then rinse with clean water. If necessary, the process can be repeated.
