How to Clean White Shoes to Make Them Look Brand New (2024)

Slip-on or lace-up, white sneakers somehow look great with almost every outfit we pair them with. But something that can quickly ruin even our best white sneakers outfits? Dirt. Or mud. Or any other type of stain, like oil or food. That's why we're constantly looking for hacks on how to clean white shoes, thus ensuring our go-to footwear stays pretty and pristine.

Thankfully, there's no shortage of expert-approved ways to wash white sneakers and restore them to their original color. So whether you're ready to mix up ingredients in your pantry or looking for quick and easy solutions, experts weigh in with helpful tips for keeping your footwear looking its best.

Keep reading to learn how to clean white shoes, according to experts.

What to Consider

Materials

When cleaning white sneakers, there are different methods for different materials. For instance, to clean suede white sneakers, you should use a gentle brush to clean away any soil or scuffs, instructs Tide senior scientist Jennifer Ahoni. For leather styles, she recommends a damp cloth to gently wipe away stains. (Warm water should work just fine, but you can use dish soap on more stubborn stains.)

Care Instructions

You might know that you can't place all your clothes in the washer or dryer—lest you want to ruin them. Shoes are no different, says Ahoni. The expert adds that before washing your white sneakers, you should check the care instructions to ensure that you won't damage them by throwing them in the washer or dryer.

Type of Stain

Our shoes can get stained with all sorts of solids and liquids—and some stains are easier to remove than others. If you have the typical dirt or grime, a regular wash will do. However, if you have difficult stains—like those caused by oil or yellow in color—you'll need an approach that requires a bit of elbow grease. (More on this later.)

The Best Way to Clean White Shoes

Machine Wash

You can put tennis shoes in the washing machine, but Ahoni reminds us it's important to look at the label on your sneakers prior to doing so. "While it’s recommended not to put some sneakers in the washing machine, many sneakers made from canvas and cotton are machine washable," she tells InStyle.

Still, you shouldn't just throw shoes in the machine and wash them on a delicate setting. According to Madeline Miller, product specialist at The Laundress, shoes should be placed in two separate mesh bags. Ahoni agrees and shares her step-by-step process for thoroughly cleaning white sneakers, here:

1. Use a dry, soft brush to remove any excess dirt and mud from sneakers.
2. Create a solution ofequal parts Tide Ultra Oxi Liquid Laundry Detergent With Odor Eliminatorsand warm water. Use the brush to scrub and clean away dirt from the soles of the sneakers.
3. Remove the shoelaces and place the sneakers into a mesh garment bag.
4. Place the shoelaces in a separate garment bag to keep them from getting tangled up and wash them separately. For white shoelaces, use the warmest temperature as recommended by the care label.
5. Remove insoles and wash them separately, or hand-wash them depending on care label instructions.
6. Wash the sneakers on a delicate/gentle cycle in cold water usingTide Ultra Oxi Power Pods With Odor Eliminators.
7. Air dry. This may take more than a day, but you'll want to make sure your sneakers are completely dry before wearing them again.

Hand Wash

Again, Ahoni tells us it the best way to clean white shoes boils down to what the care label says. If you can't or don't want to put your white sneakers in the washing machine, she says that mixing detergent with water in a bowl, then using a brush to scrub the fabric, will also help to get them clean. Miller adds that washing shoes by hand is the gentlest yet most effective method.

When and How to Use Bleach

Our main tip for using bleach to clean your shoes is: Proceed with caution. "Chlorine bleach can damage certain fibers and fabrics and lead to permanent staining," warns Ahoni.

If you can clean your canvas white sneakers with bleach, it's best to dilute it with water. CloroxcleaningexpertMary Gagliardi, a.k.a. Dr. Laundry, says to measure one quart of water in a measuring cup before adding one tablespoon of Clorox Disinfecting Bleach, then stir before scrubbing with a nylon brush.

"Working on oneshoeat a time, dip the brush in the bleach and water solution, and then gently scrub the canvas in a circular motion," instructs Gagliardi. "Dip the brush again as needed to keep applying the bleach solution to the canvas until the entireshoehas been treated. This only takes a few minutes; you can scrub the rubber outsole while you are at it." After one minute, spray all the treated areas with hydrogen peroxide, then rinse the shoe completely with clean water before cleaning the second one, Gagliardi adds.

Bleach Alternatives

Laundry Detergent

Not everyone feels comfortable compromising the integrity of their white shoes via bleach. In these cases, color-safe bleach—likeTide Plus Bleach Powder Laundry Detergent—might be a good alternative, since it doesn't contain chlorine.

Miller adds that The Laundress Whites Detergent is also just as fast-acting as regular bleach and is gentler on fabrics. "It helps dissolve both fresh and old stains and discoloration—including yellowing—for cleaner fabrics, and visibly whitens and brightens," she says.

Lemon Juice or Vinegar

Experts seem to agree that detergent and bleach alternatives are great solutions for cleaning white sneakers. But Jennifer Rodriguez, chief hygiene officer at Pro Housekeepers, says that lemon juice or whitevinegar work just as well. "Simply fill a cup with one and use a toothbrush tocleanyour product," she tells InStyle.

Baking Soda

Macie Kreutzer, the founder and content creator behindFor the Love of Simple—a blog dedicated to organizing, decluttering, and simplifying life—agrees with Rodriguez, also recommending a quick DIY mix. "Use a medium bristle toothbrush with a small mixture of baking soda,whitevinegar, and warm water to help remove stains and scuff marks," she says.

How to Remove Difficult Stains

Oil Stains

"[The Laundress Stain Solution] is specifically formulated to dissolve oil and grease-based stains," Miller tells us. She recommends applying the solution directly to the problem stain and using the brand's Stain Brush to work the soap into the stains. Once you're done, pat dry the area with a damp, lint-free cloth.

Yellow Stains

If you did use bleach to clean white sneakers, leaving it on too long or not diluting it correctly may leave behind annoying yellow stains. "These yellow stains are tricky to get off," says Rodriguez, although they aren't impossible to remove. "If this happens, you’ll need to soak them in a different solution to minimize the yellow," she instructs. Rodriguez recommends a salt and hot water scrub, cream of tartar, or laundry detergent and white vinegar.