White trainers are a fashion staple but they get dirty quickly and inevitably. We show you all the tricks to clean white sneakers.
White is the main color of summer in Spain and white sneakers are in fashion. Made of fabric, canvas or leather, they are part of all kinds of outfits and can be worn in winter and summer.
When shoes get dirty, the simplest method of cleaning white sneakers is obviously to put them in the washing machine . However, whether the dirt does not go away with a simple wash or if you cannot wash them because they are made of delicate material, there are several alternative tricks that you can apply .
How to clean white fabric sneakers
Fabric slippers, whether cotton or canvas, can be machine washed as long as they are not extremely dirty. Low temperatures should be used, not higher than 30 degrees, and avoid centrifuging, and you should never use the dryer, since, on the one hand, it could undo the rubber of the sole or detach it from the fabric, and, on the other hand, It could ruin them completely if it’s canvas shoes.
If the shoes are stained, that is, if they have defined stains, a very effective solution is to moisten the area to be treated with warm water and apply Marseille soap directly on the stains . This can be done as a prewash as well.
The same effect of Marseille soap can be achieved with bicarbonate, either by adding it to the washing machine or by rubbing directly on the stain with a solution of bicarbonate, vinegar and water in equal parts, applied directly to the fabric by rubbing gently with a toothbrush. . And if you don’t have baking soda on hand you can use a lemon.
Just cut it in half and rub it across the surface of the shoe, stopping on the stains. Then we rub a little with the toothbrush, rinse and the shoes recover their original whiteness.
A very effective and hardly abrasive system, which is why it is highly recommended, is the use of dry coarse salt . Salt is absorbent, so if we cover a fresh stain with salt it will attract and absorb dirt and it will be enough to remove the salt and rinse so that the stain disappears or is significantly reduced.
Finally, if they are very stained, you can use dish detergent, which is very efficient as a stain remover. However, this is a solution that should be used only occasionally, when the others fail, because dish detergent is abrasive and can damage fabric if used often. And the same goes for ammonia, which is the most effective for dirt and most dangerous for clothes, or even for us. If you use it, hold your nose with something, as its vapor is quite annoying and can be irritating.
How to clean leather sneakers
Leather shoes get dirty the same as fabric ones, but it is not recommended to put them in the washing machine, since leather is not a fabric that resists well shaking, soaking and the application of industrial detergents. However, they are also easier to clean by hand than fabric ones because the skin tends to absorb the substances that cause stains worse.
A product that works very well in leather slippers is toothpaste, that miraculous concoction that is used for almost everything, and it will be enough to apply it by rubbing with a toothbrush so that the stains disappear.
Another fairly infallible, though little-used, method is to erase stains with a pencil eraser. It works like a charm on leather, rubber and leatherette surfaces and leaves no residue, provided the stains are superficial.
Ultimately, leather shoes can be “repainted” with leather dyes or shoe polish, although that solution should only be considered in extreme cases where dirt reduction has been achieved but is still noticeable.
Clean interiors, soles and laces
If we are going to put the shoes in the washing machine or apply any of the wet or dry cleaning systems that we have mentioned above, the first thing we must do is disassemble them, that is, remove the laces and insoles (in case they are removable).
The cords in most cases will be clean with a simple washing in the washing machine, and have the advantage of being able to be washed at high temperatures without deforming (although that depends on the material of its end, which if it is plastic it could deform to more than 60 degrees).
You can also use bleach or stain remover on them . Depending on the material from which the insoles are made, they may require more or less care, but most can be cleaned by imitating the techniques that will be used for the rest of the shoe.
Finally, the soles are usually made of rubber or leather, and in that case you can apply soap and water-based cleaning or use any of the methods described for leather shoes. However, if they were made of esparto (as happens with some shoes that imitate Catalan and Majorcan espadrilles, dry cleaning methods that do not affect the fiber should be used and avoid rubbing with brushes.
Fortunately, the few shoes with esparto soles on the market are often used for formal outfits, and do not end in situations where they are likely to end up full of mud, grease or other substances.
