There's nothing quite as annoying as scuffing your favorite pair of white shoes. The tiniest spec feels dramatized to epic proportions — you can nearly see it from the moon, right?
Well, fear not! We have you covered with different ways to brighten, whiten and clean your white shoes, from the products that will transform your old dirty sneaker to DIY advice from top cleaning experts.
The best products to clean white shoes, according to editors and shoppers
Grandma's Secret Sneaker Cleaner
This affordable sneaker cleaner is another top-rated that shoppers say works on white canvas sneakers, tennis shoes, soles and more. According to the brand, the formula is toxin-free and can remove a variety of stains, from dirt to grass.
Crep Protect Biodegradable Sneaker Cleaning Wipes
Stepped in a puddle or scuffed your sneakers? Don't panic. Simply keep one of these individually-wrapped wipes in your bag, so you can tackle dirt and stains as soon as they happen. Each wipe has two sides — one is textured to help scrub away tough marks and the other is smooth for wiping away grime.
Pink Miracle Shoe Cleaner Kit
This shoe cleaning kit has more than 23,000 five-star ratings and is currently the No. 1 bestselling shoe cleaner on Amazon. The brand says that it works on all washable leather, vinyl, nubuck, suede and canvas sneakers and many shoppers have raved about how well it's worked on their old, dirty white shoes. "I wasn't expecting it to be this good, I applied it on my white shoes, and boom in just a few minutes my shoes were as good as new," one reviewer wrote.
Reshoevn8r Original Kit White Sneaker Shoe Cleaner Wipes
Style expert Zanna Roberts Rassi previously shared these wipes on TODAY as a way to clean dirty sneakers. One side is smooth and the other is textured to tackle stains or rub down leather or plastic.
Jason Markk Shoe Cleaner Essential Kit
This bestselling shoe cleaning kit has racked up more than 17,000 perfect five-star ratings from shoppers who say that it has made their dirty white sneakers "look brand new" and helped them smell fresher than ever before. The kit comes with a sneaker brush and a cleaning solution that the brand says can clean up to 100 pairs of sneakers.
Stardrops The Pink Stuff The Miracle Scrubber Kit
I tried this Miracle Scrubber Kit on my decade-old Converse sneakers and was amazed by the results. Using the viral cleaning paste and the sneaker brush included in the kit, I was able to remove years worth of dirt and grime from the shoes, leaving them not completely like new but pretty close. Along with the sneaker brush, it comes with brushes for grouting, delicate surfaces and tight corners, so you can tackle plenty of other cleaning tasks while brightening up your shoes.
How to clean white canvas shoes with baking soda
To clean canvas shoes, cleaning experts Holli Schaub and Jennifer Parnell, founders of the plant-based cleaning line Humble Suds, recommend a bit of kitchen science.
"Combine 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of hot water and 2 tablespoons of liquid hydrogen peroxide. With an old toothbrush, apply two layers evenly to shoes," Schaub and Parnell wrote in an email to TODAY.
Allow the shoes to dry and harden in the sun for three hours, but "don't leave them out too long or they will turn yellow," they caution. Then just remove baking soda residue by slapping the shoes together.
If they look good as is, there's no need to rinse them. If there is a bit of residue, rinse with water, shake and place packing paper inside the toe area to help shoes keep their shape while drying. Repeat the baking soda routine if there are any additional areas of concern.
How to spot-clean white sneakers using a steamer
A handheld steamer is a great tool to lift stains out of white canvas shoes, especially when the stain requires more than a cool-water rinse (like red wine or grape jelly). The steam helps loosen stains without compromising the glue around the rubber sole.
Before you start, wipe off any dust or loose dirt with a dry cloth. "Once the steamer is warmed up, apply the steam to the shoe using a swift back and forth motion," says Bailey Carson, head of cleaning at Handy, a household services booking app. Then, dab the stained areas using a clean rag. Once you've absorbed it all, make sure to let your shoes dry before you wear them next.
Bonus tip: If you have stinky shoes, a bit of steam directed at the soles helps to aerate away unpleasant smells.
How to clean rubber shoe soles
So what about pebbled, rubbery soles that are the most vulnerable to soiling? Fairouz Ait Lkhal, the founder of Oh My Hacks blog, recommends a delicate process. "Take a little bleach with a cotton swab and apply the product to the rubber parts of your shoes, then rub it in lightly," she says.
No bleach, no problem! Dig into your beauty cabinet for nail polish remover, which is just as effective.
How to clean white leather shoes with items you have at home
When rolling up your sleeves to whiten your leather shoes, Jennie Varney, brand manager for Molly Maid suggests a DIY method. Keep in mind that doubling this recipe makes for a zesty vinaigrette, too
- Combine 1/4 cup white vinegar with 1/2 cup olive oil in a medium-sized spray bottle.
- Screw on the spray top and shake the bottle vigorously to combine the ingredients.
- Spray shoes with the vinegar and olive oil mixture, coating the entire surface thoroughly. Apply more solution to particularly dirty or discolored areas.
- Allow the solution to sit for five minutes.
- Wipe off the solution with a soft, dry cloth.
While the vinegar serves as an astringent, the oil lubricates the leather to keep it supple.
You want the leather to dry as quickly as possible, so try stuffing your shoes with water-absorbing microfiber cloths to speed up the process.
Conditioning leather shoes
Smallin Kuper recommends cleaners and conditioners made for cleaning the leather interiors of cars. "Leather is leather," she adds.
Whether new or newly cleaned, always spray leather shoes with a protectant to prevent stains in the first place and don't forget to respray every few weeks.
How to clean shoe soles
Toothpaste works when you have tiny spaces that are hard to reach, like texturing on rubber soles.
"Toothpaste's microspheres break down anything, so they are perfect to clean a lot of things, especially your shoes," says Abe Navas from Emily’s Maids, a house-cleaning personnel service.
Get your biceps ready for a thorough wash. "You really need to take off all the paste because it's sticky, it traps dirt, so if you don't clean the paste really well, your shoes will get dirty really fast," explains Navas.
Should you machine wash sneakers?
The verdict is mixed on whether you should toss sneakers into the washing machine. Some experts fear the machine's drums will loosen and the shoe's construction will be compromised, but lifestyle expert Denise Wild has a hack to help avoid this.
"Remove the insoles and shoelaces and throw your canvas shoes in a cool-water, low-spin cycle with some white towels or rags if you want to lessen agitation," she says. She also recommends applying an enzyme-based spot treatment with a rubber-bristled brush.
“I like rubber bristles for cleaning shoes because they’re stronger and firmer than toothbrush bristles, so they really give a good scrub," she explains. The bristles are larger, so they’re not pushing dirt into the fibers of the fabric. And it's easy to find! You can buy one at the pet store — they’re sold for getting pet hair out of upholstery and carpets.
Consider a mesh bag to prevent laces from tangling.
Always, always air dry
Whether they're hand-washed or machine-washed, allow the shoes to air dry. "The dryer can affect the structure of the shoe and could shrink the canvas," says Victor Ornelas, director of brand management at Fleet Feet shoes stores.
Shoes to clean by hand
Canvas shoes with mixed fabrics like suede should be cleaned by hand. Try fabric shampoo or a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar. The paste will remove the dirt from the shoe material as it begins drying into a powder. "Repeat all over the shoe, then once finished take a damp clean cloth and wipe the excess powder off," says Sean Parry from Neat Services.
