Who doesn’t like bright white tennis shoes, right? The problem is keeping them this bright and white at all times.
Thankfully, there are various easy ways to whiten your favorite white tennis shoes at home. You can clean them manually with mild dishwashing liquid, baking soda, with bleach, toothpaste or by using other methods. You can also reduce the yellowing which tends to occur to white shoes over time. Of course, you can wash them in your washing machine too, but there is a risk that they might get ruined or shrink during the process, so use this as a last resort.
Always remove the laces and wash them separately, by hand or with your laundry, when cleaning your white sneakers
- With baking soda
Mix a spoonful of baking soda with half a spoon of water and half a spoon of hydrogen peroxide. Mix them until they turn into a paste. Use a toothbrush to apply the paste on the shoes. If necessary add a second coating. Let the shoes dry. You can place them in direct sunlight, because it will make the hydrogen peroxide whiten the shoes even more. After a few hours, clap the shoes together to remove the powder. Voila! Your shoes are bright and white again with this easy and cheap home cleaning method.
- That turned yellow
If your nice white tennis shoes are starting to turn yellow, or have ugly yellow spots on them – don’t worry. You can treat this with some magic eraser and white shoe polish.
Dip the magic eraser in some water and use it to rub the yellow stains on your shoes. Magic erasure is great for leather, plastic, rubber and harder parts of the shoe. After you are done, make sure that the shoes are dry and apply white shoe polish on them. Use the applicator or a Q-tip for the smaller crevices and edges.
The yellow stains should be gone after this simple and quick procedure!
- With bleach
Whenever you use bleach, make sure you wear rubber gloves, keep the bleach away from your clothes, upholstery and carpeting, and follow the exact instructions!
To clean white shoes with bleach, mix bleach with water and some mild dishwashing detergent. use a toothbrush to apply the solution on the shoes. Let them dry completely before wearing them.
You can also use bleach for white shoes if you are washing them in the washing machine. Just add a cap of bleach to the detergent.
- With toothpaste
Use white, normal toothpaste. It is abrasive and can remove some stubborn stains and whiten your tennis shoes too. Apply it with a toothbrush and let it dry completely. After it is dry, use a soft, clean and damp cloth to remove it off of your shoes. If the stain is still there, you can repeat the procedure as many times as necessary in order to end up with bright white shoes again!
