What Actually Worked When I Cleaned My Old Dirty Sneakers
For months, I’ve been challenging myself to declutter and improve my wardrobe by replacing all of my cheap accessories with nicer versions—my own take on the one-in, one-out cleaning method. Since I don’t have a lot of money and mostly prefer to buy used luxury items, this is very eco-friendly and makes me feel good about the whole thing.
However, the problem with buying used items is that they are usually already used , meaning they are actually worn out. I don’t blame the previous caretakers of my belongings when I receive shoes, a bag, sunglasses or a scarf that looks like it saw some horrors in its prime; If I spent a lot of money on something, I would let it down too. One of the reasons I get such good deals on these items is because I need to do some maintenance when I get them, so it’s a good trade-off. However, last week I bought a pair of white sneakers that were so dirty that I wasn’t sure if I could fix them. I did it, of course. I am a woman of perseverance and life hacks. Here’s what helped my ruined old shoes get clean again (and what didn’t).
Sneaker cleaning solution 1: vinegar.
It seems like every day I research a household trick that involves using vinegar instead of more intense or expensive cleaning products and products. You can clean your steamer , clean your humidifier , unclog your sink , descale your coffee maker , and—according to some instructions I’ve looked at—clean old sneakers. I decided to try it. Here’s what I worked with when I went on my mission:
We have some abrasions. We have yellow spots. We have brown spots. Baby we got it all. Will vinegar help fix the situation? As it turns out, no! I started by using an old toothbrush to rub vinegar into the stains. As I suspected, nothing much happened, but I was surprised when adding baking soda to the mixture also produced zero results. This usually removes blisters with stains and dirt, but it does not lead to anything.
Sneaker Cleaning Solution 2: Nail Polish Remover
After unsuccessfully cleaning scuffs with a toothbrush and a mixture of vinegar and baking soda, I remembered that a few months ago I tried a method for removing scuffs from patent leather using nail polish remover . I decided to try it.
It took a lot of effort to get the elbow oiled, but all the scuff marks disappeared after a thorough cleaning with remover and a paper towel. I even applied a little to the stains on the body of the shoe and saw a slight improvement, but I wanted a different approach to get rid of them, so I switched gears.
Sneaker cleaning solution 3: Melamine sponge
Somewhere between vinegar and nail polish remover, I went back to the drawing board and started Googling for more ways to clean old shoes. I saw that Mr. erasers. Clean Magic are advertised as a reliable option ( even on this excellent website ), so I went and bought them.
They worked ridiculously well. I’ve never used melamine sponges to clean fabrics before and didn’t know what to expect, but I really don’t like the idea of completely submerging shoes in water, so this stain treatment method was my last hope before filling the sink. The yellow marks disappeared almost instantly with a little rubbing, and the magic eraser even removed a few remaining scuff marks left by the nail polish.
General Thoughts on Cleaning White Sneakers
The magic eraser and nail polish remover helped me avoid getting my shoes in soapy water, so I wholeheartedly recommend them. There was a stain on the back of one shoe that I couldn’t remove with all-purpose cleaner or laundry detergent. I’ll have to think more about what to do about it and may end up having to bleach them, but overall the shoes look a lot better now and I can wear them in public as is. All the necessary equipment cost less than $5 and amazed me with its effectiveness.