How to clean white shoes and make them look brand-new

sWhite shoes are a great addition to any wardrobe, but not when dirty and scuffed. Replacing them whenever this happens is wasteful, costly, and unsustainable. Thankfully nowadays, cleaning white shoes yourself is possible with common items, specialized cleaners, a little patience, and some elbow grease. How can you do it? Learn about how to clean white shoes with these tips. 

How to clean white canvas shoes

It’s worth knowing how to clean white canvas shoes, as they’re comfortable to wear, inexpensive, and go with almost any outfit. This means you’re likely to wear them often and get them dirty. Fortunately, their material makes them relatively easier to clean than other types of white shoes.  

What you’ll need

• Old toothbrush

• Soft-bristled brush

• A soft cloth or paper towels

• Eraser sponge

• Bleach pen

• Baking soda (3 tbsp)

• White vinegar (1 tbsp)

• Mild liquid or powder detergent

• Rubber gloves

Step 1. Do general cleaning

Start by removing the shoelaces and setting them aside for separate cleaning. Loosen any large bits of dirt or mud on the shoes by knocking the soles against each other. 

After removing any large bits of dirt, mud, or other debris, prepare the items for cleaning the surfaces of both shoes.  

Go over the surfaces of both shoes with a soft-bristled brush to get rid of loose dirt. Give the shoes’ tongues, outer edges of the tongues, and the soles special attention with the brush, as loose dirt may settle in the nooks and corners.  

Step 2. Clean the shoe surfaces

Next, make a cleaning solution by mixing the white vinegar and baking soda in a small container. Mix the two until it forms a paste. Dip the old toothbrush in the paste, and apply it to the entire surface of each shoe. 

Place the shoes in a warm, dry area away from direct sunlight and allow the paste to air-dry. 

Make sure the shoes air-dry away from direct sunlight, as any excess water exposed to sunlight may turn parts of the shoe yellow as the paste dries. After letting it sit for a few hours, brush off all the hardened paste, then wash off any residue with warm water. 

If the shoes have stubborn stains, you can do spot-cleaning with a bleach pen. Apply the pen directly on the stain and leave the shoes to dry for a few minutes. Then, you can brush off the bleached spot with a paper towel or soft clean cloth. You can then wash off the rest of the cleaning solution with warm water.  

Pro tip: A vinegar and baking soda solution is one of the best ways to clean white shoes, but it mostly works best on canvas or cotton. Don’t use this on leather or suede! 

Step 3. Clean the soles

Use an eraser sponge (like Mr. Clean Magic Eraser) to remove dirt or scuffs on the soles. Simply follow the usage instructions; wet the sponge and scrub all the surfaces of the soles. 

To clean the undersides of the soles, use a soft-bristled brush or old toothbrush and mild detergent. 

Step 4. Dry the shoes

Finally, crumple up some paper towels into balls and stuff them into the shoes. These balls of paper towels are meant to absorb excess moisture and retain the shape of the shoes as they dry. Make sure to let the shoes air-dry in a clean area away from direct sunlight.

How to clean white leather shoes

Knowing how to whiten shoes made of leather is important since this type is more stylish and expensive. White leather shoes can also be a good investment since they can make formal outfits look fetching, almost as much as formal footwear. 

The caveat to wearing white leather shoes is that they lose their appeal if they’re dirty. Here’s how you can clean them. 

What you’ll need

• Eraser sponge or pencil eraser

• Old toothbrush

• Soft cloth

• Dish soap

• Warm water

• Paper towels

Step 1. Remove loose dirt

Start by removing the shoelaces for separate cleaning. Go over the entire surface of each leather shoe with an old toothbrush or soft-bristled brush to remove loose dirt. 

Step 2. Do a thorough clean 

Progress to a more thorough cleaning with a mixture of dish soap and warm water. Mix 3 to 4 drops of dish soap with the water and stir until homogenous. Dip an old toothbrush into the soapy water and apply it on the surfaces of the leather shoes.

To avoid damaging the leather, remember to gently scrub to remove any dirt. Slightly dampen the soft cloth with water and wipe away the dish soap mixture. 

Step 3. Clean the soles

Use the eraser sponge to remove scuff marks, dirt, and stains on the sides of the soles. Dampen the soft cloth and wipe down the sides of the soles. 

After the sides have dried, clean the underside of the soles with the cleaning mixture, then wipe with the cloth. Leave the shoes to dry in a clean area away from direct sunlight.  

How to clean white suede shoes

White suede shoes can be the most difficult to clean due to their delicate nature. Use these tips to clean these stylish shoes, but if your white suede shoes have tough stains, you’d best find a professional cleaning service. 

Pro tip: Never drench a suede shoe or suede part on any shoe. Instead, lightly dampen the suede.

You shouldn’t clean suede shoes or suede portions of your shoes if they’re wet. Wiping or brushing wet suede may push stains into them that will be difficult, if not impossible, to remove!

What you’ll need

• Suede cleaner, white vinegar, or rubbing alcohol

• Suede eraser or eraser sponge

• Suede brush or old toothbrush

• Soft cloth

Step 1. Remove dirt and debris

Suede is a magnet for loose dirt and debris. After removing the laces, lightly rub the suede with a suede brush or toothbrush. A soft, dry cloth is a good alternative if you don’t have a suede brush. 

Be sure to brush the suede in a gentle side-to-side motion, making it easier to lift dirt and debris off the suede fibers. 

Step 2. Rub out marks

With a specialized suede eraser from a shoe store, an eraser sponge, or even a pencil eraser, scrub away any marks or stains on all the suede surfaces. Do this with a side-to-side motion but with a little more pressure. 

Don’t apply too much pressure, as doing so can damage the suede fibers.

Step 3. Remove stains

Serious stains on suede shoes may be removed with a soft cloth and suede cleaner. Rubbing alcohol or white vinegar are viable substitutes if you don’t have a suede cleaner. 

Remove the stain with the damp cloth (but never drench the suede!) and do a light massaging or circular motions on the stain. Repeat until the stain is removed.

You can consult a shoe cleaning expert if the stain persists. 

Cleaning the shoelaces

To clean the laces, make a bleach solution from 3 tablespoons of bleach mixed with a gallon (4 liters) of water. Don’t overdo the bleach; if the solution is too harsh, it can loosen the laces’ fibers and cause them to come apart. 

Immerse the laces in the solution for about 10 minutes. Should the laces still have stubborn stains, toss them into the washing machine and use regular laundry detergent. 

Hang up the laces on a clothesline to dry.

Caring for your white shoes

Part of keeping your white shoes clean and looking new is to give them proper storage space. Check out these helpful shoe storage ideas. Once you’ve decided on a storage option, why not hire a carpenter to build it? Another aspect of caring for your white shoes is using protective sealants or sprays. 

No time for DIY cleaning? Hire an expert instead!

Cleaning your white shoes can be fun, especially when you have the tools, time, and energy to spare. But when you can’t find the time or prefer not to DIY, hire a Tasker with cleaning expertise – you can always book an expert to clean your white shoes and relax! 

And don’t forget, you can also hire Taskers for other cleaning jobs and access vast resources on cleaning when you sign up.