White sneakers have always been very popular. They are stylish, fashionable, comfortable, but get dirty quickly. To preserve the original appearance of your shoes for a long time, you need to familiarize yourself with cleaning methods.
Rules for cleaning white shoes at home
When cleaning at home, it is important to follow safety precautions. Chemicals are often used to remove stains, so you need to take precautions. How to clean:
- you need to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands;
- in order not to spoil the shoes, the cleaning substance is applied to a small area;
- It is forbidden to use household bleaches, because they contain chlorine, which spoils any material;
- You cannot dry your sneakers with heaters or just in the sun; you must wait until the shoes dry on their own to prevent deformation.
Cleaning is carried out using both folk and professional methods. The most popular methods are using toothpaste, vinegar, lemon juice, washing powder. You can also purchase a special oxygen-based bleach. Leather products may be treated with white shoe paint.
Preparatory work
Before cleaning your sneakers, you need to properly prepare them. First, the products are treated with a dry brush or rag. This way you can remove dust and dirt. In case of heavy dirt after rain, it is better to wait until the dirt dries.
Important! It is better to clean immediately after a walk, without waiting until the dirt becomes more difficult to remove.
If there are stains, it is recommended to use a regular brush or a suede brush. You must first remove the insoles and unlace the shoes.. It is better to wash these elements separately using bleaches, powders or regular laundry soap.
Cleaning leather sneakers
First you need to remove the insoles and unlace the sneakers. Sometimes the internal elements look worse than the external ones. Dirt, germs, and sweat are firmly embedded in the structure of the insoles due to the constant pressure of the foot. To clean the internal elements, you need to soak them in a solution with added soap for an hour. Baking soda will help enhance whitening. The laces are cleaned in a similar way.
Important! When working with leather products, you need to limit contact with water. Do not soak or machine wash. Otherwise, after drying, the skin will lose its elasticity and become rough.
Leather shoes must be cleaned with a damp sponge or just a cloth; you can use a cotton pad. To remove heavy dirt, use a medium-hard brush.After cleaning, rinse off the cleaning product and wipe the sneakers clean with a dry cloth.
An effective folk cleaning method is the use of milk and starch. The ingredients are mixed in equal proportions and applied in a thin layer to the leather surface. Then the product is removed with a dry cloth. To make the surface look new, you need to polish it.
Traditional methods may not be effective enough. Then you will need to turn to professional cleaning methods. You can purchase special creams, sprays, sponges, wipes, bleaches, foams. Often leather care products are offered in branded shoe stores.
Features of cleaning fabric
Fabric, especially white fabric, gets dirty faster and more severely when compared with other materials. But it is also easier to clean matter. Nylon and polyester are used for sneakers. These materials are machine washable. Plus they don't shed.
Important! Do not machine wash shoes with rubber soles. It is quite heavy, so it can damage equipment.
It is recommended to remove local stains first. You also need to soak the sneakers in a soapy solution. You need to treat the sole with a stiff brush in liquid and soap. Toothpaste also effectively cleans the lower part.
When lightweight materials are used for the sole, there are no contraindications for machine washing.. Running models can be safely loaded into the machine alone. If in doubt, you can put sportswear or old bedding along with the sneakers.
It is forbidden to use regular powder, as it can cause yellow spots to appear. It's better to take soap shavings. Do not spin or dry.These simple rules will protect your sneakers from deformation, yellow spots, and cracks.
Recipes for cleaning sneakers manually:
- you need to mix vinegar and soda (the ingredients are available in every kitchen) in proportions 2:1, rub into the cloth and leave for 15 minutes, then the product is washed off and the sneakers are dried;
- a mixture of dishwashing detergent and baking soda should be carefully applied to the outside of the shoe so as not to damage the mesh;
- to make the most powerful remedy, you need to combine a tablespoon of vinegar, regular powder and add a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide.
Fabric products can be cleaned with professional cleaning products. These include shampoos, foams, special cleaners and bleaches. The instructions will help you understand the correct use of the funds. If desired, you can combine professional and folk methods.
Cleaning suede
Suede is a delicate fabric. Finding an effective and safe way to clean these sneakers is almost impossible. You can try steaming the suede or dry cleaning it. Features of cleaning suede sneakers:
- dry cleaning is carried out with a special brush; before work, you must make sure that the shoes are completely dry;
- to steam, you need to boil water in a kettle and place your shoes under the steaming spout so that the steam raises the fluff and the dust can be removed more easily;
- It’s best to take a special dry shampoo or foam, apply it to the outer surface, measure the required time, and then remove it with a dry cloth.
How to get rid of stains?
Sometimes there is no need to clean the entire product, just removing a few stains is enough. Several effective techniques are used for this. When choosing a method, you need to start from the material of the sneakers.
Products for cleaning individual stains:
- a quarter teaspoon of baking soda and a few drops of lemon juice;
- toothpaste (it is important that it is pure white, without colored inclusions);
- Dish detergent is excellent at removing grease;
- baking soda or hydrogen peroxide can help get rid of traces of grass;
- special bleaches will save you from fuel oil.
How to wash in a machine and is it possible?
Only fabric sneakers are allowed to be machine washed. You need to be absolutely sure of the quality of the shoes, otherwise the sole may suffer after such treatment.. First you need to soak the sneakers for a couple of hours in a solution with added soap. Products must be placed in a special protective bag, old bed linen or loaded with clothes.
Do not use regular powder.
You need to take a special stain remover. It is necessary to wash in the “sports shoes” mode. But not all machines are equipped with it. Then you need to start the “hand wash” or “delicate” mode. Otherwise, you can damage your shoes or even equipment. To prevent yellowing, it is necessary to use a vigorous rinse. Do not wring out or dry sneakers in a machine.
How to update the inside of white sneakers?
Insoles contain a lot of dirt and bacteria, which penetrate deep into the structure of the product and cause an unpleasant odor. To clean the insoles, they must be removed from the sneaker.
Cleaning insoles is not easy. You will need to take laundry soap, lather the products well and start actively scrubbing with a brush. After rinsing, you need to evaluate the quality of cleaning. If necessary, repeat the procedure. Drying is done with a regular hairdryer.
Drying Features
Drying is important when cleaning sneakers.It is important to know how to correctly perform the procedure at home so that the shape of the sneakers does not change. Before drying, it is recommended to stuff your shoes with soft paper. You can take pure white napkins or toilet paper. Such materials do not have dyes, so they are ideal for drying white sneakers and sneakers.
Important! Do not fill shoes with newspaper. This is a tough paper that contains dyes. It will not be able to completely fill the space inside the sneaker, but will only color the white material.
If cleaning was carried out with scented products, then you need to put a tangerine or orange peel inside the sneaker. She should lie there for several hours. If after a while a chemical aroma is still felt, then peeled potatoes are placed inside. This vegetable also has the property of absorbing unpleasant aromas.
Leather products just need to be wiped with a cloth and they are already dry. It is better to dry fabric items in a room with good air circulation. Do not place the product on radiators or in direct sunlight.. They must dry in their natural environment.
Methods for whitening sneaker uppers
White sneakers always make a person stand out. They are always in fashion and help create a stylish look. But sometimes such shoes become dull and regular cleaning does not help, so whitening is required. Ways to whiten sneakers:
- folk - the use of improvised means, independent preparation of bleaches;
- professional – use of special chemicals.
Leather shoes can be bleached using traditional methods using a mixture of stain remover and gasoline. The product is applied for 15 minutes, after which it is washed off. You can purchase gels that show good results in one procedure.The product should be absorbed into the skin, after which the residue is washed off with warm water.
Important! You can choose a gel or spray in a specialized store after consultation with the seller.
You can clean sneakers with mesh using traditional methods using baking soda and vinegar. The correct paste should start to sizzle. The product is rubbed into the fabric with a sponge or brush. Next, the shoes are soaked in water and then dried at room temperature. Sneakers with mesh can be washed with bleaching powder. There are also professional gels and sprays.
How to bleach soles?
Most of the dirt comes from the sole, so cleaning it can be difficult. The situation is complicated by the fact that the structure of the lower part is embossed. RIt is recommended to use manual methods, but if they are ineffective, then resort to machine washing. Methods for cleaning soles:
- you need to take bleach (preferably oxygen), mix it with water and place only the sole there. Then you can perform additional cleaning using a brush;
- you need to mix acetone and vinegar in proportions 1:1. Next, take a cotton pad, soak it in the product and treat the sole;
- You can take undiluted citric acid. Work must be carried out with gloves so that the product does not damage the skin of your hands.