How To Clean White Shoes

Alas, white shoes don’t stay white on their own. If you’re a human being who actually does stuff (running errands, chasing kids, walking dogs, chasing dogs and dogs), you’re bound to see those whites quickly turn to grays.

But we’ve got solutions. Cleaning your white shoes, whether they’re canvas or leather, should only take you the better part of an hour (plus time to allow your shoes to air dry). That’s barely halfway through your Spotify Discover Weekly Playlist.

Follow these very basic steps to freshen up your white shoes:

• Remove any excess dirt or grime from white shoes, especially the soles. Clap the soles together, dry brush and/or wipe down your white shoes with a clean damp cloth so that any unwanted clumps of debris fall free. Try to avoid rubbing the dirt back into the shoes, which would just create more work for yourself.
• Mix 1 tsp of Dawn Dish Soap with 1 cup of warm water. Stir mixture until it’s good and sudsy.
• Using a stiff bristled toothbrush, work the soapy mixture in circular motions over the rubber bits and soles of your shoes to remove dirt. Before moving onto the fabric portions of your shoe, thoroughly rinse the toothbrush under the faucet to remove any dirt and to avoid dirtying up your soapy water solution.
• Repeat the same process over the leather/canvas areas of your white shoes, especially on stained or smudged spots/areas. Apply more pressure to stubborn problem areas.
• If your shoelaces are dirty, remove them and scrub them separately using the same technique. You can also toss most shoelaces into the washing machine, especially if they’re made of cotton, nylon, or polyester. Another option is to soak your fabric laces in a bleach/warm water solution (1:5 ratio) for about an hour, before letting them air dry.
• Using a clean damp towel, pat your shoes gently to remove excess soapy residue. Don’t wipe shoes with the towel, since you might redistribute dirt or smudges.
• Let your shoes air dry. Ideally overnight to make sure they’re completely dried, or leave them out in the sun or near a fan for a few hours.

If your white shoes still have scuffs or stains after they’ve air dried completely, we recommend spot treating them with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is perfect for cleaning white shoes, whether the soles or the fabric. Simply wet the Magic Eraser, wring it out, and give it a squeeze to activate its cleaning powers. Then use it to buff out any undesirable stains. Which is every stain.

How to clean white leather shoes

Leather shoes are actually the easiest to clean, despite leather generally being more delicate than canvas or fabric when it comes to tolerance for abrasive cleaning products. But that’s why we love leather, right? It’s both delicate and hardy. Plus, it gets more attractive with age. We should all be so lucky.

Anyway, cleaning leather shoes is super easy, and you can use household products that you likely already have stashed away under your sink. Here are two different but effective ways to clean your white leather shoes.

Dish soap + warm water

• Mix 1 tsp of Dawn Dish Soap soap with 1 cup of warm water.
• Stir mixture until it’s good and sudsy.
• Using a stiff bristled toothbrush (one you don’t plan to use in your mouth ever again), work the soapy mixture over the rubber bits and soles of your shoes to remove excess dirt. We like to use circular motions because it’s both effective and satisfying.
• Thoroughly rinse the toothbrush under the faucet (to avoid dirtying up your soapy water solution) to remove any dirt.
• Use the freshly rinsed toothbrush and soapy water solution to repeat the same process over the leather/canvas areas of your shoes, especially on stained or smudged spots/areas. Feel free to apply more pressure to problem areas like grass stains.
• If your shoelaces are dirty, remove them and scrub them separately using the same technique. You can also toss most shoelaces into the washing machine, especially if they’re made of cotton, nylon or polyester.
• Using a clean damp towel, pat your shoes gently to remove excess soapy residue. Try not to wipe shoes with the towel, since you might redistribute dirt or smudges.
• Let your shoes air dry (ideally overnight to make sure they’re completely dried) or leave them out in the sun or near a fan for a few hours.

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

• Banish any undesirable marks on your white leather shoes with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, using it to spot treat both the soles or fabric.
• First, dry brush the leather shoes and wipe them down with a clean damp cloth to remove any excess dirt and debris.
• Wet the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, wring it out, and give it a squeeze to activate its cleaning powers.
• Gently scrub or buff out any spots or stains, moving from the sole to the laces.
• Let shoes air dry.

How to clean white canvas shoes

White canvas shoes really take a beating. While it’s tempting to simply toss them into the washing machine with some bleach, that could potentially cause discoloration and premature deterioration. If you insist on washing your canvas shoes in the washing machine, be sure to remove the insoles first and avoid putting them in the dryer.

But all you really need to clean your white canvas shoes are some basic cleaning items, a little bit of time, and some motivation.

Baking Soda + White Vinegar Paste

• Baking soda is perfect for cleaning canvas, mesh, or fabric shoes.
• Mix baking soda, vinegar, and hot water until it forms a thick paste. If the mixture seems runny, add more baking soda. Don’t be alarmed if the vinegar and baking soda start to fizz and foam. That means it’s working!
• 1 tablespoon hot water + 1 tablespoon white vinegar + 1 tablespoon baking soda together in a bowl.
• Using a stiff bristled toothbrush and a medium amount of elbow grease, massage the baking soda paste into the fabric of your white shoes.
• Cover the entire exterior surface of your shoes with the baking soda paste. You want the shoes to be thoroughly coated enough for the shoe material to absorb the mixture.
• Assuming you’ll want to reuse this toothbrush (for cleaning only!), rinse out its bristles so the paste won’t dry in them, leaving it all crusty and weird.
• Let the baking soda paste dry onto the shoes for 3–4 hours. Try setting your shoes in direct sunlight to help the paste dry and harden.
• When it seems you can scratch off the dried paste with your fingernail, the shoes are ready. Clap them together outside and use a dry brush to remove the dried solution.

Toothpaste

• Toothpaste is effective for cleaning fabric or mesh. Be sure to use a non-gel toothpaste that’s white.
• Wipe off your shoes with a damp cloth to remove any excess dirt and to dampen them slightly, which will help the toothpaste foam up.
• Rub a dime-sized bit of toothpaste all over your shoes with a toothbrush. Spread the toothpaste into a thin coat across the entire shoe, working it into the fabric with circular motions. Feel free to add an extra dab to stains or smudged areas.
• Let the toothpaste sit for about 10 minutes.
• Wipe away the toothpaste and dirt with a clean wet cloth. Be sure to remove all toothpaste residue from your shoes.

Bleach

• Make a diluted solution of bleach + warm water in a 1:5 ratio. ^*Seriously, don’t overdo it with the bleach, or you might give your (soon to be) fresh white kicks a weird yellow tinge. (Because Lily White is a preferable shade to Jaundice.)
• Work in a well-ventilated area of your house (or outside!) and we recommend wearing nitrile gloves when using bleach, as to not try out your hands.
• Using a stiff bristled toothbrush (one you don’t plan to use in your mouth ever again!), work the bleach mixture over your shoes using circular motions, starting with the rubber and plastic parts (i.e.: soles).
• Thoroughly rinse the toothbrush under the faucet (to avoid dirtying up your bleach solution) to remove any excess dirt.
• Use the freshly rinsed toothbrush and bleach solution to repeat the same process over the canvas areas of your shoes, focusing on stains and smudges.
• If your shoelaces are dirty, remove them and scrub them separately using the same technique. You can also toss most shoelaces into the washing machine, especially if they’re made of cotton, nylon or polyester.
• Using a clean damp towel, pat your shoes gently to remove excess water.

After any of these methods, you’ll need to let your shoes air dry. Ideally overnight, but to speed it up you can leave them out in the sun or near a fan for a few hours.