To clean white shoes by hand, start by scrubbing them with warm, soapy water using a stiff-bristled toothbrush. Then, wipe down the soles and any rubber pieces with a magic eraser.
Shoe Cleaner Brush
Do you run out and buy a new pair of kicks when your shoes start looking dirty? There are actually lots of different ways to clean shoes, no matter what they’re made of.
Read more about looking feeling brand here.
Final Thoughts on How to Clean White Shoes
Overall, the shine was nothing spectacular, just a solid, everyday shine rather than a high-gloss, mirror-finish shine. What did make this shine special, however, was the fact that it had happened five days prior. The Saphir polish’s hardiness is impressive, given that Mayes hadn’t placed the boots in a shoe bag, instead leaving them out and exposed to the air. Wax polishes tend to be relatively unstable—after a couple of days, the shine typically wears off as the solvent dissipates into the atmosphere. You can think of a cream polish as a hybrid of a conditioner and a polish. Accordingly, a cream polish will be a bit more nourishing than a wax polish,1 but it won’t provide the same high-gloss shine that a wax polish will.
There are so many shoes with white soles, such as sandals, oxfords and most notably, sneakers. One downside of white soles is that they come in contact with dirty floors and concrete sidewalks and get dirty very quickly.
Dip the magic eraser into your soapy water and wring it out. Wipe in short back and forth motions along parts of your shoes made of leather, rubber, or plastic. Keep working the eraser until all scuffs and stains are removed. Add a drop or two of liquid dish soap to a damp cleaning cloth and wash the patent surface clean. Hold the shoe over the garbage or take them outside, then gently move a soft-bristle brush in small circles, working top to bottom, to remove any loose debris. This will prevent your shoes from being a muddy mess when you wipe them with a wet paper towel. Using a silicone spray will help prevent new stains or water damage on your suede shoes.
Once you’ve removed all the dirt and grime, rinse the shoes with clean water and allow them to air dry. I love my white mesh sneakers, but goodness, do they get dirty, fast! Thankfully, due to their synthetic material, they are straightforward to clean with laundry detergent and water.
So proceed with caution because it’s not a gentle process. If you have a shoe brush, use it to brush off loose dirt. An old toothbrush, a soft nail brush, or even a soft cloth will also work. The goal here is to knock off any dust and dirt without pushing it deeper into the material. Like anything worth buying, leather shoes require care and maintenance to preserve their performance and good looks. Although you could just buy a new pair every few months, the combined cost of everything we feature in this guide is only about $100.
If the suede is extremely stained from salt, then use a toothbrush and water. For canvas shoes or mesh sneakers, you can also use diluted bleach, baking soda, or even toothpaste to remove stains.