Here are 9 different methods to whiten your shoes so that you’re no longer afraid of wearing them whenever you feel like it.

1. Baking soda and white vinegar

To make your favorite sneakers look shiny white again, you don’t need to buy overpriced products that are often hard to find. Just by using baking soda, white vinegar, and hot water, you can get rid of most of the dark stains that appear on the fabric of your shoes after a few months of use.

Start by mixing one tablespoon of white vinegar, with one tablespoon of baking soda, and one tablespoon of hot water in a bowl. You’ll obtain a sort of paste that you should apply to the sneakers using a brush or an old toothbrush. Scrub both the sole and the fabric lightly. Let the paste sit at least 3 or 4 hours under the sun and then remove the excess baking soda paste by clapping the shoes together.

Not only will this “bleach” your shoes effectively, but it is also a good solution to get rid of the bad smells produced by bacteria that can accumulate inside shoes.

2. Coarse salt and milk

When the white shoes acquire that yellowish tone, it is time to clean them thoroughly to see if we can bring their initial color back. You will only need to mix half a cup of coarse salt with 1 liter of milk in a large bowl.

You have to soak the sneakers in this whitening mixture for at least 3 hours so that it has the effect you are looking for. After this time, you can rub them with a brush to remove any stains that are still there. Then, rinse them with a copious amount of soapy water and let them dry in the open air. Be careful not to leave any trace of the milk!

3. Toothpaste

Some types of shoes, due to their delicate fabric, require less aggressive cleaning and whitening methods than others. This particular method is useful when you’re in a hurry too.

A good trick to bring back the original white color to this kind of sneaker is to use whitening toothpaste. Using an old toothbrush, rub the stained surface of the sneakers until they’re white again. Don’t forget to clean the dirt that is found in the border of the soles. Let the paste sit for about 15 minutes.

Then remove the toothpaste. You will only need a damp cloth or a clean sponge (and some patience) to wipe out the paste and get amazing results.

4. Coarse salt and soapy water

If you don’t have time to bleach your sneakers for hours and they’ve been left on the shelf for a while, don’t worry: with any soap you have at home and a bit of coarse salt, you can get rid of those annoying dark spots that are so easy to get on white sneakers.

Start by rubbing the shoes with a dry brush, both inside and outside, to remove excess dirt that could be stuck to the fabric. Then start rubbing them with at least 150 grams of coarse salt and let the salt sit there for at least one hour.

After this time, wash them with cold water and liquid soap to remove the dirt and salt that you used to whiten them. You can now clean the insoles to remove the bacteria that accumulate there with daily use. Salt is also a great ingredient to remove bad smells from shoes.

5. Ammonia

If you have tried different methods to make your shoes white again, but the stains are too big or almost impossible to clean, it might be time to use a more effective method: ammonia.

This procedure could be one of the most effective ones when it comes to whitening sneakers. However, it is very important to take extra precautions when using chemical compounds like ammonia. Always wear gloves and avoid contact with your eyes.

You can use half-strength ammonia, a solution that contains 50% ammonia and 50% water. If you don’t have half-strength ammonia at home, you can make it yourself. Dip a cloth in the solution and rub your shoes where they have stains. After rinsing them with plenty of water, let them air dry for at least 24 hours to eliminate the strong smell.

6. Baking soda and laundry detergent

In order to thoroughly clean your white cloth shoes, you first have to remove the laces and then soak them in water before applying the mixture that you will use to whiten the fabric.

Start by pouring enough water to soak both the shoes and the laces until they are completely covered with lukewarm water. This last part is especially important. Warm water could make the stains even harder to remove from the fabric.

When the fabric is wet, mix one-part baking soda and one part of detergent in a bowl, so you have a solution that contains 50% of each ingredient. Using a brush or an old toothbrush, rub the mixture on the shoes. Spend more time on the darkest stains.

To remove the soapy mixture that you used to clean the sneakers, you can simply rinse them, soak them in water again, or even use a sponge and then dry them using a microfiber cloth.

7. Lemon and/or lime

Lemon juice is well known for its power to remove stains and unwanted odors at home. It is also a good option to use to whiten sneakers that have been turned brown by dirt stains.

To do this, you just need to cut a lemon or lime in half. Mix 3 parts water, for one part lime or lemon juice. Simply rub the mixture to remove the dark stains. You might need to rub vigorously on the parts that are very stained or that have adhered to the fabric.

Rinse the shoes with water to remove the excess dirt and the lemon. Let them dry to see the whitening effect.

8. Dirt erasers and pencil erasers

For your leather, synthetic, or suede shoes that have stains from friction or dark areas from excessive use, you can always use the dirt erasers that are often sold at drugstores to remove stains instantly.

Be patient, don’t rub too hard but try to erase all the dark areas on the shoes until they are white again. You can also clean the borders of the sole, a place that often accumulates a lot of dirt, using the same technique. Funnily enough, you can also use pencil erasers to get similar results.

9. The classic Marseille soap for whitening shoes

Marseille soap has vegetable oil compounds that, besides leaving a clean aroma, have hypoallergenic properties that do not cause irritation to sensitive skin. It is also a good option to remove very noticeable and difficult stains from fabrics and to whiten sneakers in a very effective and very simple way too.

Start by getting the sneakers wet and then applying the soap directly, while rubbing insistently on the stains or dark areas. After leaving the soap on for about half an hour, you can rinse the sneakers with lukewarm water to see how the stains are completely gone and how your shoes look bright white again.

Do you have any sneakers that need urgent whitening? Do you know of any effective methods you can use to whiten sneakers? Let us know in the comment section and post pictures of the before and after of your shoes!

Use preventative care

Protect your white sneakers so they stay cleaner, longer. Snag a bottle of water and stain repellent at the shoe store, and spritz away before strutting around in your pristine kicks. Simply spray the repellent evenly on the surface of your shoes and let them dry overnight. Give your shoes a nice cleaning and spray session every few weeks.

Clean the soles

When your soles or the rubber detailing on your favorite pair of kicks could use a good scrub, there’s one spot-cleaning method that will slay—and it’s probably not what you think. Pick up a Magic Eraser next time you’re in the store, because it will soon become your go-to for keeping sneakers white. Simply wet the Magic Eraser with water, and rub your shoes in a circular motion to watch the melamine foam work its magic.

Don’t forget the shoelaces

Remove your shoelaces from your sneaks for a soapy bath. Fill your sink with hot water and add a few dashes of your favorite laundry detergent. Massage the laces between your thumb and index finger and watch them turn from drab to fab.

How to clean white canvas sneakers

Ready to put on your chemist hat? Combine baking soda with an equal amount of a mixture that’s half water and half hydrogen peroxide until it forms a paste. After making sure all excess dirt is brushed off of the canvas parts of your sneakers, apply the mixture. Let your shoes sit for around four hours until the mixture has hardened. Shake off the hard stuff and use a crumpled-up paper towel to remove the excess cleaning solution. You’ll notice your shoes are way whiter. 

How to clean white suede sneakers

Learning how to clean white sneakers that are suede can be a little tricky. Suede stains pretty easily, but you have to be careful when removing stains because the fabric is very delicate. Use a dry paper towel to blot the stain. Make sure you don’t rub it because that could spread the stain and make it worse. Then, use a soft cloth dipped in white vinegar to gently rub the stain out. If you have one, use a suede brush on the outside of the shoe once they are dry to get the original texture back.

How to clean white leather sneakers

It might sound too good to be true, but getting your favorite white leather sneakers looking good-as-new is as easy as taking a toothbrush with your favorite white toothpaste to the sootier surfaces of the shoe. Just like you would brush your teeth, scrub until you’re satisfied. Use warm water with this method to speed up the process. You can even add sugar to the toothpaste to create an exfoliant effect for any areas where filth seems to be caked on. Now you’ll never have to guess how to clean white sneakers again!

How often you should clean your white sneakers

If you want your white sneakers to always look squeaky clean, you’ll want to wash them every two weeks. Obviously, this depends on how often you wear them. Frequent cleanings can keep dirt, grime, and stains from building up. Remember, the longer you let a stain sit, the harder it will be to remove.

And Here’re some easy ways to DIY homemade cleaners at home for your white shoes

Hack #1 – baking soda and detergent 

Twitter user, @sarahtraceyy, shared before and after cleaning pictures of her white Converse shoes along with instructions on how she did it. And the best part? You probably have all the ingredients you need in your cupboard.

What you need

• Baking soda
• Detergent
• Toothbrush

Instructions

Mix 1:1.5 parts baking soda and detergent. Scrub the mixture onto your shoes with a toothbrush. Rinse and put shoes in the washing machine – just make sure you remove the laces and inner soles before washing on the delicate setting. Add some towels to the wash to balance the load and to stop the shoes from banging against the drum.

Hack #2 – Magic Eraser

Another way to get white shoes clean again, particularly if they have grippy rubber soles like Converse, is to use a little cleaning tool called a Magic Eraser. This little cube of white foam can remove almost any mark, just add water and start rubbing!

Hack #3 – baking soda and vinegar

Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and a cup of water. Use a cloth or old toothbrush to scrub your sneakers until clean. Works on leather and canvas. This method also apparently works with 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1/2 a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide/water combo. Use a toothbrush dipped in the mixture to scrub the shoes, wait 30 minutes for the baking soda to work its magic, then rinse with water. 

Hack #4 – Micellar water

Micellar water is a revolutionary makeup remover product, and it also cleans shoes! Just pop some micellar water on a clean cloth and give your white sneakers a good rub down. Works on leather, rubber and suede finishes. 

Hack #5 – Toothpaste

If it’s good enough to keep your teeth white, then it’s good enough to keep your kicks clean. Add some white-gel toothpaste to an old toothbrush, add a little water and scrub the dirty area of your leather, canvas or mesh shoes, then wipe away excess with a damp cloth. 

Hack #6 – toilet paper and water

This method is best for canvas shoes that – despite undergoing other methods of cleaning – still have yellow marks on them. Soak sheets of toilet paper with water and cover your sneakers with the paper like Papier-mâché. Leave to set and dry for 12 hours. Peel of paper and – voila! clean white shoes sans yellow marks.