The best way to clean a pair of white shoes (which we know can get dirty fast) depends on the material. We’ve broken it down by material to ensure your white shoes are staying spic and span.
White Leather
1. Clean surface-level dirt:
Wet a paper towel or a soft cloth, squeeze out excess water.
• Gently wipe down the outside of your shoes. This will help remove any big pieces of dirt that are caught on different parts of the shoe. After this process, let your shoes dry for 10 minutes.
2. Use a shoe eraser
Wet your shoe eraser and squeeze out any extra water.
Run shoe eraser up and down the soles of your shoes until the dirt and stains go away.
Make sure that your shoe eraser is damp, but not dripping all over your shoes. Apply enough pressure to remove the stain, but not too much as you could scuff the material.
Apply some soap on a soft and wet cloth and squeeze out any extra water. Scrub up and down the soles of your sneakers or shoes until the dirt and stains are gone. Try to use enough pressure to remove the stain, but not too much as you could scuff the material.
3. Scrub with soap
Take a rag or cotton shirt and lather it up with a basic white, solid soap.
Then, in a gentle motion, massage the upper part of the shoe until it returns to its perfect white color.
Finally, wipe away any excess soap with the rag.
4. Dry
Pack your shoes with newspapers and let your white shoes dry.
Depending on how dirty your shoes are, you may need to repeat this process a few times.
Suede/Nubuck White Shoes
1. Being by blotting
Blot your shoes with a soft cloth to help remove any moisture.
Then, gently rub any stains with a pink pencil eraser.
2. Dry with a paper towel
Place a paper towel onto any wet stains and apply pressure.
Make sure not to rub the dirt and stains, as they could spread across the shoe.
3. Get rid of remaining stains
Dip your soft cloth into white vinegar and very gently rub any remaining stains.
Once you've done that, you'll want to allow your shoes to dry and then rub the outside of each shoe with a suede brush. This will help them get that velvety texture back.
4. Dry
Pack your shoes with newspapers and let your white shoes dry.
Canvas/Mesh/Knit White Shoes
1. Combine all of your materials
Mix a tablespoon of baking soda with two tablespoons of white vinegar and a cup of warm water.
Let the foam settle down before going on the next step.
2. Start scrubbing
Dip a rag or clean toothbrush into the baking soda and vinegar mixture of the previous step and scrub away the dirt on your shoes. The mixture will dry pretty quickly.
Once you're finished scrubbing, brush off any remaining paste and let your shoes air dry.
3. Dry
Pack your shoes with newspapers and let your white shoes dry.
Tip: If you don't have baking soda and white vinegar, you can also try using generic dish soap and water.