Keeping white shoes clean can be one of the most difficult things, even for adults. There are a few techniques and products that you can use to clean shoes, depending on the material you are cleaning.

Today I will help you figure out how to clean white shoes. 

1. White leather shoes

To clean your white leather shoe, you will need the following items:

1. Soft old toothbrush
2. Ivory soap
3. Old cloth or t-shirt
4. Paper towels
5. Mesh bag
6. Mr. Clean Magic eraser
7. Soft shoe brush

Using the items above follow these steps…

1. Remove the laces from your shoes and place them in the mesh bag to be washed with your clothes.
2. Use the soft shoe brush to brush away any excess dirt or you may use a dampened paper towel to wipe away the excess dirt, and then let your shoes dry for around 10 minutes.
3. Make a solution with ivory soap and water, dampen your old white cloth or t-shirt using a circular motion gently massage out the stains on your shoes. 
4. Dampen the Mr. Clean Magic eraser, you do not want any running from the magic eraser, and clean the soles of your shoes using an up and down motion until there is no more dirt or stains on your shoes. 
5. With a wet cloth wipe off the entire shoe.
6. Stuff the shoes with paper towels and let them air dry out of direct sunlight.

Remember not to soak your shoes with water, you only want them wet enough to clean away the dirt. 

Sometimes the above process has to be repeated to get your shoes back to looking brand new. Also, if you have a leather shoe cleaner, skip step 3 and follow the package instructions. 

2. White canvas shoes

Keeping a pair of white canvas shoes white can be so difficult. It is as though they catch the dirt from the air. But, the great thing about a good pair of white canvas shoes, they can be cleaned with the following 3 ingredients and in 3 easy steps!

Items you will need:

1. 1 tablespoon of baking soda
2. 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
3. 1 cup of water

Once you have combined the above ingredients and placed your shoelaces in a mesh bag to go in the washing machine with your next load, follow these steps:

1. Dip an old white cloth, t-shirt, or toothbrush into the paste you have made
2. Scrub away all of the dirt and stains on your shoes
3. Brush away the dried paste and let your shoes air dry

Not too complicated huh? 

Also, if you do not have the time to scrub your shoes, you can throw your white canvas shoes into the washing machine in a mesh bag on the gentle cycle set to cold with mild detergent.

Remember to remove your shoelaces and place them in a mesh bag too. Then, take them from the washing machine and let them air dry out of direct sunlight.  

3. White tennis shoes

When it comes to white tennis shoes, they can be made using so many different types of material. There are leather, canvas, suede, and mesh white tennis shoes. Depending on what material the shell of your shoes is made of will determine what you will need to clean them.

If they are made of leather or canvas, you can use the steps above to clean them. But, if they are made of mesh or have suede you will need to take on a different technique. 

White mesh tennis shoes

You will need:

1. 1 tablespoon of dish soap
2. Warm water
3. Cool water
4. Old toothbrush/soft shoe brush
5. Old cloth/t-shirt

Make a solution with dish soap and warm water, with the solution you will do as follows:

1. Remove the shoelaces and set them aside to go into the wash. 
2. Dip the toothbrush/shoe brush into the water solution and clean your entire shoe. 
3. Rinse the brush with cool water and go back over the shoes again to get rid of any dirt that was loosened.
4. Dampen the cloth with cool water and wipe all of the soapy solution off to reveal your good as new white tennis shoes. 
5. Sit your shoes in a warm area away from direct light to air dry. 

You may also put your white mesh tennis shoes into the washing machine. Place them in a mesh bag with the washing machine set to the gentle cycle on cold with mild detergent. Remember to remove your shoelaces and place them in a mesh bag as well. 

White suede tennis shoes

Most white tennis shoes with suede on the shell have an accented area that may need to be cleaned differently compared to the other material. To clean suede you will want to gather these items:

1. Suede brush
2. White vinegar
3. Pink pencil eraser
4. Soft cloth

You will:

1. With the soft cloth blot the suede to remove any moist
2. Use the pencil eraser to gently rub out any stains
3. For difficult stains, dampen the soft cloth with the white vinegar and gently rub the stained areas 
4. Dry the cleaned areas with a paper towel, by applying pressure over the area that was stained. Be sure not to rub the stained or dirty area because it could spread to another area of the shoe. 

After the shoes have dried use the suede brush to return the suede to as good as new. 

Is bleach ok?

There are many ways to clean your white shoes without using bleach. But, if you have a really difficult stain you may try using bleach with a ratio of 1 part bleach to 5 parts water.

When using this solution be sure to wear gloves. Also, do not use more bleach than this ration recommends because it could cause your shoes to turn yellow. 

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