Despite their getting-dirty-in-a-second nature, white shoes have always been a favorite among shoe enthusiasts and athletes. Because of their versatility, they have become a closet essential for both men and women alike. Even if they are not a favorite, certain academic requirements include white clean shoes, and so cleaning them becomes a challenge. From time to time you should deep clean your home, just like you do with your shoes.

Luckily, you will find all the supplies essential to do this cleaning such as vinegar, baking soda, old rags, wipes, soaps, etc. in your home. Check the material of your shoes, study the instructions, gather your supplies and get going!

Ways to Clean White Shoes

Here’s a step-by-step detailed guide by My Cleaning Angel, to make white shoe-cleaning a breeze for you. There is always a way to clean your white shoes or sneakers to spotless perfection, whether they are canvas, suede, or leather.

No matter what method you choose, always start by removing any big chunks or dry dust with a brush to clean out the threads. Removing the shoelaces should be done after this. This way, the cleaning agent (whichever you chose) can have a chance to go to work on the tougher dirt. You can clean shoes with:

Washing Machine

Make sure to secure your shoes in a mesh bag. Place the shoelaces in a separate mesh bag, a pillowcase would also work. Using cold water set your machine on a gentle cycle. Don’t add any detergent until the machine is halfway full, and use half the quantity of the detergent you would use normally. Air-dry in the end for optimal results. In case you need help cleaning your kitchen, learn with us.

Tip: Use a soft detergent.

Note: Cleaning your shoes with this method decreases their lifespan greatly. It is recommended to use the washing machine for this purpose sparingly.

Hand Wash

Hand Wash with Bleach

With an old toothbrush scrub your shoes with a bleach-water mixture. Let the shoes sit out in the sun after bleaching to get maximum whitening results.

Hand Washing with Baking Soda or White Vinegar

Baking soda and vinegar have the properties to get your shoes many times whiter than before. Make a mixture of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and water, or a mixture of baking soda, vinegar, and warm water. Brush the desired mixture on the shoe using an old toothbrush, hard enough to work out loose dirt, and let the paste in.

The baking soda mixtures dry pretty quickly. Brush off any remaining paste off of your shoes and laces. Brush on a second coat. Put the shoelaces in the remaining mixture. Let the paste crack off by putting the shoes and the laces in the sun for 3 to 4 hours.

This is an ideal way to clean white canvas shoes. If you don’t have baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and vinegar at hand, you can clean your canvas shoes with the soap and water method given below.

Note: too much sunlight can turn white soles into yellow, so be careful of the sun time you give your shoes after cleaning.

Hand Wash with All-Purpose Cleaner or Soap

Spray the cleaner or soap of your choice on your shoes. Continue scrubbing with an old toothbrush until your shoes regain their original white color. Wipe off with a soft cloth.

Cleaning Leather and Suede White Shoes

How to Clean Shoes That Are Suede

It’s a little tricky to clean shoes made of suede due to their delicate nature. While it’s extremely comfortable, suede is a fabric that stains easily. This is the main reason that there are no true white suede shoes. But off-whites can just as easily get dirty and look even more awful than dirty white ones. Clean your suede shoes gently and effectively by following the process described below:

You’ll need white vinegar, a suede brush, a pink pencil eraser, a paper towel, and a soft cotton cloth
Blot your shoes with the cloth to remove any moisture
Rub away any stains with the eraser
Use a paper towel on wet stains and apply little pressure, don’t rub the stains as they can spread
Rub away any remaining stains with a cloth previously soaked in vinegar
Let them dry and brush the shoes with the suede brush

You’ll see that by the end of this process, the signature velvety texture of the suede will be back.

How to Clean White Leather Shoes

Give your leather shoes a thorough cleanse with our instructions.

Leather is one of the easier materials to clean because it doesn’t absorb as much water as some other fabrics

Gather some paper towels, soap, some magic erasers, and cotton rags
Wring out a paper towel and gently wipe your shoes. This helps in removing big chunks of dirt.
Let the shoes dry for at least 10 minutes
Wet the magic eraser and wring it out thoroughly so it’s not drippy, just wet. Run in up and down the soles of our shoes until the stains are gone.
Wet your rag of choice and lather it up properly with the soap.
Gently massage the upper part of the shoe until it returns back to its perfect white color.
Wipe away any leftover soap with the rag
Let your shoes dry again for 10 minutes or more
The process may need to be repeated depending on the level of dirtiness of your shoes

Bonus Tips

Precautions

Prevention is always better than cure. Regardless of what type of white shoes you have, or where you plan on wearing them, the best thing to keep them from getting dirty is to treat them with a stain and water repellent. This way, you can minimize the amount of dirt that accumulates on your bright white favorites.

Shoe Wipes

White shoe owners swear by individual quick wipes. When you wear white shoes, keep wipes handy so you can easily wipe off any dirt the moment you notice it. You can also make do with makeup wipes for footwear emergencies.

Deodorize Your Clean Shoes

Baking soda absorbs odors, which makes it a friend for both the outside and inside of your shoes. Foot smells are inevitable no matter how clean your feet are. Seemingly clean shoes can still have a lot of bacteria on the inside. Take a liberal amount of baking soda and pour it into the shoe. Shake the shoe to evenly distribute the power in it. It’s okay if lumps and clumps form.

The soda will kill odor-initiating bacteria if kept overnight or longer depending on the level of bad smells. Tap the shoe over a trash can to get rid of as much baking powder as possible.

Tip: You can deodorize your shoes once per week if required. But leather shoes should not be done so often, as baking soda is capable of absorbing the oils in the leather.