We always take great care to groom ourselves. We use the best soap and fragrances for ourselves, and wear clean, neat, and pressed clothes. But many of us take our sneakers for granted. Though we wear clean socks, we don’t clean our sneakers or shop sneaker cleaners as often as required. In this article, we’ll see some simple steps to keep your sneakers clean, and sweet-smelling.
How to wash your sneakers in the washing machine?
Many people think that the washing machine is only for clothes. However, you could use it to get your shoes clean too. To start with, you’d need to first physically scrub your shoes to remove the dirt and then add them to the machine without any other clothes.
To start with, add some vinegar and baking soda to a bucket of lukewarm water and immerse your shoes in it. Remove it after some time and brush it to remove all the dirt and grime. After this, put only your shoes in the washing machine and add half a cup of laundry detergent and start the machine. Use the cold rinse technique for this.
How to clean your sneakers by hand?
Mix some abrasive powder detergent and warm water in a bowl. When it forms a paste-like consistency, use an old toothbrush to scrub the shoes and make them spanking clean. It doesn’t matter if the shoes are Top-selling sneakers online or any other white sneakers, this method works well always. Once you’ve scrubbed them clean, you can wash them with warm water and let your shoes dry in the sun.
How to use toothpaste to clean your sneakers?
Another unconventional way to clean your sneakers, non-gel toothpaste works wonders when it comes to cleaning your sneakers. Instead of dunking them in water, you could apply white toothpaste to them through an old toothbrush, scrub it and leave it for about 10 minutes. When done, wipe the toothpaste from the shoes using a damp cloth. Repeat whenever needed.
How to clean your shoes using vinegar and baking soda?
Similar to the way you could clean your sneakers with toothpaste, adding a teaspoon each of white vinegar and baking soda with hot water also works wonders. Apply this mixture with an old toothbrush to the shoes- both on the rubber soles and the canvas upper. If the stains are stubborn, you could use more of this mixture and rinse the shoes with lukewarm water after you’re done.
Keep them dry later in the sun.
Things to keep in mind for leather and suede shoes
Leather shoes- Given the propensity for leather shoes to stain easily, you should use a leather conditioner to remove leather stains. Scrub the shoe lightly, as rigorous scrubbing can damage the leather further.
Suede shoes- Known to be quite difficult to clean, suede shoes require a special suede brush to clean them. When brushing the shoes, remember to brush in the same direction as the material as doing the opposite could damage the shoes.