White fabric shoes are timeless and comfortable. However, when you opt for white sneakers or white Converse, you know that you are potentially getting yourself into real trouble! Between pollution, dirt and the vagaries of life, white never stays white for long. A simple walk in the grass can turn your tennis shoes into a mud nightmare and the rain makes them take on all the grime. In short, when the dazzling whiteness is no longer, you must act quickly! And out of the question of risking yellowing them with bleach… If for white soles, a magic sponge, toothpaste or nail polish remover will do the trick, how do you clean the fabric? Here are all our grandmother’s tips for cleaning your favorite white fabric shoes to make them look like new!
Good to know: The shoes can be put in the washing machine. To do this, use a short program at 30°C in a closed pillowcase and keep the laces in a net (be careful of the risk of discoloration). Unfortunately, this can’t be done all the time, but it’s great for deeper, more intense spot cleaning. Softer, the solutions below will also restore their whiteness. Avoid using a hair dryer for drying: be patient! In a pinch, slip newspaper into your pairs to absorb moisture.
1) Soapy water: classic
For shoes that are not too covered in dirt, lukewarm soapy water (Marseille soap or dishwashing liquid) may be suitable. For greater efficiency, however, we recommendadd a little lemon juice or white vinegar in the water. You can also completely wet the shoes and brush them with a very effective dishwashing detergent/baking soda mixture. A toothbrush or brush that is not too stiff will work very well for scrubbing. Rub well in circular motions then rinse and dry away from the sun.
2) Cleaning with vinegar or 70° alcohol
Still for lightly soiled shoes, it is possible to clean with one of these two products. To do this, soak a brush with water. Then add vinegar or alcohol. Brush your shoes until they shine again. Then rinse and air dry.
3) White toothpaste to clean white fabric shoes
We now get into the more powerful tips for white fabric shoes that display no more stubborn dirt. The toothpaste will detach and deodorize the fabric effectively. To do this, take a little product and rub with a microfiber cloth or sponge. Then rinse thoroughly and allow to air dry.
4) Soda crystals or sodium percarbonate to help white
Nothing seems to be turning the shoes yellow or graying properly? Take it to the next level with one of these natural products whitening powers. And be careful, wear gloves when cleaning! Here, three tablespoons of soda crystals or percarbonate are dissolved in half a liter of hot water. Then, rub carefully and dry in the open air, away from the sun’s rays.
5) Other solutions for whitening shoes
Lemon, percarbonate of soda, crystals… nothing seems to work to whiten your shoes? In this case, after cleaning and on damp shoes, pass a cloth soaked inhydrogen peroxide and let it sit a little. Then use a sponge to rinse and let dry away from direct sunlight. If even hydrogen peroxide doesn’t change anything, then the solution remains white shoe to get the white canvas back!
6) For very dirty shoes, no quarter!
If you don’t mind using more toxic chemicals, we wanted to mention that it is possible to use… oven cleaner on shoes! When they are very dirty, but you do not want to put the shoes in the washing machine, this is the ideal solution. It nevertheless remains a very powerful cleaning which could damage the shoes. So don’t repeat this tip too often and only use it as a last resort. Also, be quick to limit the risk of ruining your pair of shoes. Here, we spray the product on the surfaces to be treated, brush without delay and rinse immediately.