Caring for white shoes: basic rules

White shoes are always a tricky purchase. They look good and highlight the style, but it ends very quickly. There's nothing attractive about yellowed sneakers or white shoes splattered with black marks.

And yet, if you have such a pair in your arsenal, then you need to find out how to care for white shoes: the basic rules. Keeping them white will, of course, require a lot of effort, but it is worth it and anyone can do it.

How to prevent white shoes from getting dirty?

Before you start wearing white shoes, they should be treated immediately.
Special impregnations will prevent contamination and also help make the surface of the shoes water-repellent. Such products can be made based on wax, silicone, or tree resin. For reference! Please note that all contamination that occurs while wearing light-colored shoes must be removed immediately.
In general, any owner of white shoes should be careful in their use. In this case, you can avoid serious problems with cleaning them. To do this, you should try not to walk on a dirty road or puddles; it is advisable to stick to walking on the sidewalk.

Additional care: if the shoes are very dirty

Buying a pair of white shoes is a waste of time if a person is not ready to maintain their snow-white appearance. The type of shoe and the material used to make it automatically changes the type of cleaning method that needs to be used.

Leather

When cleaning leather shoes, you should always start at the sole. Street dirt that collects in the tread pattern, as well as where the sole attaches to the leather, should be cleaned with a stiff-bristled brush. There is no need to immerse such shoes in a container of water, as this can damage the material from which the pair of shoes is made. It is also possible that the bonded surfaces will weaken.

To care for leather shoes, you need to prepare a soap composition. This could be liquid soap or dishwashing detergent. When dry preparations are used, they are first diluted in water so that no sediment remains. Otherwise, an abrasive effect occurs during the cleaning process.

Manufacturers produce many products that make it easier to care for white shoes:

Tamaris gel. It is able to cleanse the most stubborn impurities in the deep pores of the skin. Recommended for use on natural and artificial surfaces;
Reno Mat smooth skin product. This cleaner does not require rinsing and easily copes with stains left by oil, silicone or grease;
aerosol Avel Detacheur Hussard. This cleaner will help clean not only leather shoes, but also models made from textiles. The aerosol form makes it very convenient to use.

From textiles

Shoes made from textiles may contain fittings or additional materials. If the pair is entirely made of fabric, then machine washable is possible. As for combined ones, only hand washing is allowed here.

Initially, the insoles and laces are removed from the shoes. These components are washed separately, in any convenient way. Then a soap concentrate is prepared and, using a cloth soaked in the prepared composition, it is applied to the surface of the shoes.

For reference! Washing powder is used exclusively for light-colored shoes, otherwise use light-colored laundry soap crushed on a grater.

Especially for textiles you can find the following products:

Set nanomax. The kit includes 5 different protective sprays that will help protect your shoes from dirt and water. Cleaning products are provided, as well as a medium-hard brush made of natural bristles;
Duke of Dubbin. This is a colorless impregnation that helps get rid of stains after wet shoe cleaning. It enhances the color intensity of the shoe and also softens the material.

If the shoes are made of suede, then you will need a universal cleaning aerosol complete with a sponge or cloth. It is acceptable to use a toothbrush to clean small areas such as marks on the sole.

Varnished

Patent leather has been specially treated to achieve its characteristic shiny, glossy appearance. White patent leather on shoes can be a challenge to keep clean.

First, remove any dirt or debris from the material by wiping it with a damp sponge. Next, the patent leather should dry, after which you need to take a piece of fabric, dip it in olive oil and rub it into the shoes. Leave for 20 minutes and wipe with a clean cloth.

Vaseline works well and must be rubbed into the scratches with a soft cloth until they disappear. Instead of Vaseline, mineral oil is quite suitable. To get rid of deeper scratches, wax is useful. To begin with, it is heated, and then applied in a thin layer to the surface and left for several minutes. Then use a clean cloth to remove any remaining wax.

If you want to purchase a specialized product for patent leather, then you need to buy Woly Neutral. It is applied to the skin and left for 3-5 minutes, and then rub the shoes with a cotton cloth until shiny.

Preparatory work

Before you bleach your shoes, you need to prepare them for the procedure. if dirt remains on its surface or sole, nothing will work out - it will become even dirtier and become covered with ugly stains.

The preparation is as follows:

If your shoes have laces, they need to be removed and washed separately. White laces are often difficult to wash with regular soap. In this case, they are placed in a small container and filled with hot water with washing powder and bleach.
The insoles are also removed and washed by hand with powder or soap. If they are very dirty, you can scrub them with a brush.
Now you need to clean the sole. First, all dry dirt is cleaned off and small debris is removed. Then the sole is soaped and brushed with a toothbrush.
If the material of the shoes allows, then they should be washed before bleaching. You can do this using an automatic washing machine, but choose either the “hand wash” or “delicate” mode. Some units have a special mode for washing shoes. This option is optimal.

This completes the preparation of shoes for intensive whitening. After drying, you can proceed directly to the important process.

Care products for white shoes

The more expensive the shoes, the more attention and money will go into keeping them clean. In order to make this task easier, many aids have been developed for the care of white shoes, which can be bought directly at the shoe store.

Foaming detergent

Several universal means should be highlighted:

Solemate Cleaner. This product provides stable foam and easily removes street dust. It copes no less effectively with black stripes on the soles of white sports shoes. Can give shoes a fresh smell for a long time;
Sandal Wash. With this product you can remove not only fresh dirt, but also old stains. Sandal Wash will make your shoes white and eliminate yellowing, and is also very gentle on shoe fittings. This drug is guaranteed to rid shoes of bacteria and fungi.

Conditioner for leather shoes

This product is a must have in your shoe care arsenal. Conditioners based on natural ingredients (beeswax) are able to restore the skin after the aggressive effects of cleaning products. The conditioner also creates a protective layer that will prevent water and dirt from ruining the appearance of the shoes.

Cleaning products

There are special products designed for cleaning light-colored shoes. The most popular of them are shoe shampoo and conditioner for leather shoes. To achieve maximum effect, you need to know how to use each of these tools correctly. To clean leather products with shoe shampoo, you need to do the following:

First of all, all dirt should be removed. A cotton cloth can easily wash away various contaminants from the surface of the product.
Now you can begin the cleaning itself. At this stage you need to be as careful as possible. Apply a small amount of shampoo to the product and thoroughly wipe the shoes both inside and outside. Rub until foam appears. For cleaning, it is recommended to use a shoe brush with soft bristles. After this, the remaining shampoo can be wiped off with a damp cloth or simply washed off with warm water and wiped dry.
The last stage is post-processing. Apply colorless cream or cream to match the shoes on dry shoes and polish with a piece of velvet.

Shoe shampoo can be replaced with a soap solution prepared at home. You will need washing powder or laundry soap for this.

It is important to know that excessive humidity is harmful to leather goods. Because of this, it is recommended to keep contact with water to a minimum. As for cleaning, after cleaning you need to wipe the shoes and give them time to dry naturally.

Leather products should not be left in the sun. This also applies to various heating sources. Otherwise, your favorite pair of shoes may simply become cracked or shrink.

To maintain their shape, leather shoes should be stored padded with paper. The same applies to drying. But it is not advisable to use newsprint, because the ink can ruin the color of the product.

Now is the time to move on to the second product - a special conditioner for leather shoes. It is applied as follows:

As in the previous case, you first need to clean your shoes from dirt. For this you should also use cotton fabric.
Then you can apply the product. Before you start cleaning your shoes with conditioner, you need to think about your safety, or more precisely, about protecting your hands. It is advisable to wear household gloves. As for the product, it is best to use a piece of fabric to apply it. Carefully distribute the conditioner over the entire surface of the product, then leave for a while. It copes well with dust and dirt.
Now all that remains is to remove the remaining product with a dry cloth, and the product can be coated with protective cream.

Traditional methods of caring for white shoes

What cleans white shoes? There are several different ways to clean white shoes. Moreover, for this it is not necessary to spend money on specific cleaning products. Simple homemade products can be just as good as store-bought ones, and in some cases even better:

toothpaste – if the soles of your white sneakers are starting to look too dirty, a great way to bring them back to life and clean them of all sorts of dirt is with a toothbrush and toothpaste. You need to take the paste and massage it in a circular motion with a brush into the area of contamination. After which the treated area should be left for 5 minutes. Then, use a damp, clean cloth to remove any remaining paste. After this procedure they will look like new;
Lemon Juice – If your white shoes are made of canvas or fabric and you have found that they look much thinner after wearing them, then this method will be the easiest solution. Simply spray lemon juice on the surface of your shoes and place them in the sun. Citric acid breaks down any remaining dirt and is especially effective on salt stains.

Expert opinion

Helen Goldman

Male stylist-image maker

It is not recommended to use this method on other materials, so you should make sure that the shoes are made of fabric.

Laundry Detergent – This may seem obvious, but it really works. Many may be tempted to simply throw white shoes in the washing machine, but this is not advisable as it may cause problems with the integrity of the shoes. Instead, use a soft bristle brush to remove dirt. After that, the shoes should be immersed in detergent for a short period of time and then wiped with a dry cloth. If it turns out that the stains are too stubborn and will not budge, you should repeat the process using a bicarbonate of soda mixture;

For reference! If the white shoes are made of suede or nubuck leather, then you need to avoid using any detergent as it may cause harm. Here you only need a brush with soft bristles.

How to clean from blood, stains and foam?

There are many ways to clean light suede shoes from this kind of dirt, here are the most effective:

Dissolve a teaspoon of soda in a glass of milk, moisten a cloth with the solution and rub the dirty areas. The mixture will remove dirt, make suede soft and eliminate greasy stains.
Add a teaspoon of magnesia, talc and turpentine to 200 ml of milk, apply the solution to colored stains and leave for 1-1.5 hours, then clean off the residue with a soft brush.

Both methods are suitable for removing old and fresh stains from light-colored shoes.

What you absolutely can't do with white shoes

There are a number of actions that should not be performed with light-colored shoes:

White leather shoes should not be dried in direct sunlight, as they may not only turn yellow, but also crack;
dry the insole together with wet shoes;
place washed shoes on a radiator or leave them near a gas stove that is on. According to the rules, shoes should dry at room temperature;
clean suede and nubuck shoes with creams for smooth leather;
wear patent leather shoes in the cold or rain, they will simply crack.

Do you wear white shoes?

Not really

How to clean leather shoes at home. Can leather shoes be washed?

If you are wondering whether leather shoes can be washed, then the only answer is no, it is not recommended. This is due to the fact that the material does not tolerate moisture. It is also prohibited to use washing powder, special stain removers, or bleaching agents. Therefore, the correct answer to the question of how to wash leather shoes is only by hand.

You need to clean leather shoes at home depending on what type they are. After all, each has its own special properties and characteristics. Consequently, the cleaning features will be different:

Finished models. It is understood that after making a pair, it is treated with various waxes, oils, sprays - at the discretion of the manufacturer. This procedure leaves a layer on the leather product that gives shine and the ability to retain the properties of the material for as long as possible. These models are more resistant to moisture than others, so they can be washed during maintenance.
Models without finishing. How to properly clean shoes in this case? It is capricious, so only special cleaning products are suitable. This is the only way to maintain its functionality and perfect appearance.
Varnished models. The shine of leather shoes in this case is noticeable from afar. This is a special type; to create it, the manufacturer uses artificial and natural resins. In this case, you need to be extremely careful with your favorite couple. One incorrect cleaning is enough, and the product will be damaged irrevocably.
Colored models. To give the product the necessary bright shade, dyes are added to the leather at the stage of leather processing. Improper care can ruin all your efforts. Shoes of different colors can only be cleaned using products of the appropriate shade.
White models. White leather shoes are the most difficult to clean. Any stain on its surface is very noticeable and difficult to remove. And incorrect and thoughtless manipulations with material of this color can significantly change the shade.

Should you buy white shoes for every day?

In the fashion world, white has always been considered a sign of wealth. Of course, it is very impractical and gets dirty very quickly and requires constant care. Therefore, by purchasing a pair of white shoes, a person thereby shows that he is able to afford such luxury.

In order to choose a pair for every day, it is still better to opt for sneakers or slip-ons. For those who prefer a relaxed style and eco-fashion, it is better to purchase espadrilles made of canvas and jute.

As for white shoes made of patent or matte leather, it is better not to use them for daily wear. Because creases and cracks will very quickly appear on their surface, which will create a sloppy appearance for their owner.