Taking care of your white shoes
Be Lenka
White colour has long been among the most popular colours when choosing shoes. It is the simplicity of the colour that makes white shoes so universal and easy to style with different outfits. White shoes are suitable to wear with jeans or even dresses.
Table of contents
Many women have already chosen to wear white shoes even with their wedding dress. White sneakers are simply the most versatile fashion piece that cannot be missing in any wardrobe. We could say that they are the most important piece of any capsule wardrobe.
White shoes are a great addition to any outfit. But the truth is that white is somewhat an inconvenient colour when it comes to dirt. White shoes really don’t forgive us anything. And just as they can perfectly complement our wardrobe, the dirt shines perfectly on them. But we will advise you how to take care of white shoes and how to keep them looking new even after years of wear. Not possible? Incorrect. Read on and see for yourself.
Prevention is the key
As with everything, even for shoe care, prevention is the key. Take care of your shoes and you will ensure their longevity. Wash your shoes regularly, waterproof them and wear them in suitable weather. Just as we don’t wear sandals in the rain, we don’t wear white canvas sneakers for a walk in the woods. Right? If we have a responsible and sensible approach to our things, they will make us happy for many years and we will not have to make unnecessary purchases.
White is no longer white. What now?
Shoes are consumer goods that get worn and dirty. The only way to prevent this from happening is by putting the new shoes on a shelf and just smiling at them without actually ever wearing them. But that is not what we buy shoes for. And cleaning them is not such a science. With the help of a few home tricks, you can clean even older and worn-out shoes and you won’t need expensive products from the store at all. Most likely, you already have everything you need at home.
The miracle called baking soda
Essays could be written about the wonders baking soda can do. This simple “invention” can clean scale deposits, burnt pots, can be an eco-friendly way of cleaning the whole household, whiten white laundry or remove odours from the dishwasher. It would be a shame if it couldn’t deal with dirty shoes.
How to do it? All you need is baking soda, water (or vinegar) and a brush or a sponge. A paste can be created from the baking soda mixed with water or vinegar (ratio 1:1/2) and this paste can be used to clean dirty shoes. Less stubborn dirt goes away almost immediately. If the shoes are yellow or the dirt is not coming off, “massage” the paste into the shoes properly and let it sit for a few hours. Then wash the shoes and with a sponge and clean water. They will be like new. Maybe there is no dirt that baking soda can’t deal with after all.
Toothpaste doesn’t only whiten teeth
Similarly to baking soda, toothpaste can be a miraculous helper in every household. Be careful though, in order for the toothpaste to be suitable for cleaning, it needs to be white. It musn’t have any menthol or coloured strips or pigments. That is, if you don’t want to add some extra “spice” to the white. The shoes can be cleaned with the paste quite easily. You apply the paste on the sponge or the brush, moisten it gently and then clean the dirt with circular movements like brushing your teeth. The effect is comparable to baking soda. When the two are compared though, the toothpaste comes out as a more expensive cleaning agent.
Makeup remover can be used on shoes as well
Your read that right. The dirt from your shoes can be also removed with a makeup remover. How? Micellar water. This cosmetic miracle works based on the fact that the micelles in the micellar water bind dirt and oil to them. If it works on the skin, why shouldn’t it work on shoes? However, this method will not cope with really stubborn dirt. Micelles might not be able to deal with it (but baking soda can, see above). This method is also mainly recommended just for dealing with local dirt. Cleaning the entire shoes with micellar water would probably be quite expensive. Apply the micellar water to a cotton swab and clean the dirty area. For an even better cleaning effect, it is recommended to use a shoe polishing cloth for the cleaning process. You don’t have to afraid to use micellar water on rubber, leather and suede.
Wipe away the dirt with a rubber
Dirty soles? The rubber can easily handle this. It occurs quite regularly that our shoes get dirty from the inside, as we put one foot in the way of the other. These dirt marks that cannot fight the rubber. A classic white school eraser will do the job. Alternatively, you can buy a special type of rubber that you can just throw into your bag and have it at hand whenever you might need it. You can easily clean suede and nubuck with this special eraser.
To wash or not to wash – what a question!
Unfortunately, we still encounter the opinion “do you have dirty shoes? Put them in the washing machine.” Many of us took the advice and after the washing cycle was done, although there was no dirt left on the shoes, we still had tears in our eyes, because even though the shoes were clean, they were completely destroyed. But to be fair, some shoes really can be thrown into the washing machine and we don’t have to worry about any disaster. So what can be washed in the washing machine and what principles should we follow so that the shoes from the washing machine don’t go straight into the bin? Textile shoes. Shoes other than textile do not belong into the washing machine. Especially leather shoes! Fabric shoes will survive the washing machine is the following is ensured
- Avoid contact with the drum. Wash the shoes in a laundry bag or a pillowcase.
- Liquid detergent. Choose liquid detergent instead of powder so that there are no detergent deposits left on the shoes.
- Low temperature and speed. Choose a gentle washing programme with the lowest possible temperature and speed. High speeds can damage the shoes and no one wants to have to endure the sound of that either.
- Remove the laces from the shoes.
- After taking the shoes out of the washing machine, rinse them from the inside to thoroughly wash out all the detergent.
- Let the shoes air dry but do not dry them in a direct sun and do not, under any circumstances, put them in a tumble dryer.
Summary
White shoes are a must-have for anyone who wants to have a versatile and easily combinable wardrobe. If you’ve been afraid of the white because it is difficult to take care of, you don’t have to anymore. According to the advice given in the article, you can deal with any dirt, even the very old one. White shoes will make you happy for a long time. You don’t even need to buy special tools, what you already have at home is enough. After all, who doesn’t have toothpaste or baking soda at home?
Clean your shoes regularly. This will prevent the dirt from really getting into the material and their maintenance will be easier. Waterproof the shoes regularly, this way, you will not only increase the resistance to moisture but also dirt. Do not wear fabric shoes in bad weather. Do not wash leather shoes. Invest in one high-quality pair of shoes rather than a large number of low-quality and cheap ones (in the end, it will be more expensive anyway because they don’t last long and and you are forced to buy new ones more often). A final piece of advice? Wear the shoes with love and take care of them and they will take care of your feet for many years.
