White shoes are an indispensable fashion icon in the locker of anyone. It’s, with the symbol of purity, considered as one of the easiest colors to mix-match outfits. Despite the beautiful looks, white shoes are often dirty and get stains after being used for a while.
Today, we will share with you useful tips on how to remove yellow bleach stains from white shoes.
The causes of yellow stains on white shoes
White shoes have a youthful and easy-to-match style, making them extremely popular among footwear lovers. However, these types are very susceptible to dirty stains after a period of use. So, what are the reasons? Actually, there are many things that lead to this issue. Some of the most common causes are:
– Using too often gives rise to blemish shoes.
– Infrequent shoes cleaning makes stains build up from time to time.
– Improper washing also results in discoloration.
– Wrong storage makes canvas shoes become moldy and fade.
If these yellow stains have not been properly handled, after a long time, they will become difficult to remove. So, you need to apply some treatments right from the sign of staining.
In case your shoes only stains on certain parts such as shoelaces or sole, you do not need to wash the shoes anymore because there are recipes that specialize in cleaning these parts. These easy-to-follow methods will definitely save you a lot of time and effort!
How to whiten shoelaces?
Instead of throwing bundles of shoelaces in the washing machine, hand them in warm water with a little soothing soap. If necessary, combine a brush to gently scrub. Then, dry the shoelaces in the shade.
How to clean white shoe sole?
The white sole cleaning formula is simple, but if you are not careful, you can still make mistakes that make your shoes more and more dirty! Here are some important notes:
– In the washing step with soap, you must wash it thoroughly, make sure there is no soap residue on the shoes because after sun drying, this residue will create a yellow streak on the shoe.
– If the sole is greasy because it has not been rinsed, soak the sole in water for 5 minutes and then dry.
– Should wrap the shoe body with a plastic bag so that when cleaning the sole, the body will not be affected.
– Do not dry shoes in a place with high sunlight because the sole will be soft, especially plastic soles.
Now, let’s move to the main point of the article.
How to remove yellow stains from white shoes?
1. Lemon
The juice of a lemon is incredibly bleaching. Just put a few drops on the yellow areas on the white shoes and they will automatically melt. Still, this is not enough to get rid of the stain completely! In fact, you have to combine lemon with a little more vinegar, then, drip on the stains.
After that, use the brush to gently scrub and leave there for about 10 minutes. Finally, add a little more water-absorbent detergent to scrub, making sure the dirty spot is completely blown away this time.
Since the area where the new stain has been scrubbed off will be white as brand-new, it’s best to wash both pairs for more even color.
2. Alum
It may sound unbelievable, but in actual fact, alum is used a lot for water filtration purposes, especially in areas where floods often occur. With strong reduction ability, alum makes the water clear again quickly.
If the spot is moderate, you can soak your white shoes in alum to remove it. Meanwhile, if the dirty area is heavily stained, you can soak up a little water and then rub the alum over with a light brush.
3. Toothpaste
Toothpaste has a very good whitening agent and how to use it is also easy. You just need to apply a little paste on the stain area, then rub evenly with a damp brush until foamy. After that, rinse it off with water. If the yellow stain does not go away, repeat the process a few times until the stubborn stain has to “surrender”.
Finally, take a dry cloth or paper towel to wipe. This way is great to use when you want to whiten your shoes quickly. Nevertheless, because toothpaste is not too strong, so you should only apply it when the stain is not too large.
4. Alcohol
This is a substance that is also quite good at cleaning. Simply soak a little alcohol on a cotton or paper towel, then apply to the stained area, leave it on for about 15 minutes. Following that, rinse it off with warm water. As a result, your shoes will become bright and white.
In case you do not have alcohol, you can use white wine instead, but it must be a strong alcohol. If you take a light one, the stain will not come out at all.
5. Nail polish remover
You may also know that nail polish remover can be quite effective in washing off yellow stains on white shirts. It also has the similar ability to make your shoes white again.
Firstly, you need to apply nail polish to a cotton or paper towel then spread it over the stained area. Remember not to use your bare hands during the process because nail polish remover is quite harmful to the skin of your hands. After that, wait about 15 minutes, then wash the shoes with warm water.
6. White vinegar and salt
Like lemons, vinegar is incredibly good at cleaning and deodorizing. You will need to mix 1: 1 salt powder with vinegar in a tub, then soak the stained shoe in the mixture for about 30 minutes. The result definitely surprises you! Not only is the stain removed, but the shoes are also whitened again like new.
7. Baking soda
If you have baking soda, then use it with white vinegar to remove yellow bleach stains from white shoes. This way works better than the above.
The process is also simple: mix the baking soda and white vinegar in a 3: 2 ratio, which will lead to a thick paste. After that, use it to spread over the dirty area and scrub it with a toothbrush.
Finally, washing and drying the shoes. You can wrap your shoes with a layer of white paper towel and dry them in the sun. This helps to preserve your shoes better.
How to prevent white shoes from yellow bleach stains?
Yellow stains on shoes make you less confident when walking on your feet. To keep your shoes clean like new, there are a few ways you can apply:
1. Wash shoes properly
To prevent color fading when washing shoes, you can apply the following procedure:
– Preparation: Warm bath, soap and toothbrush.
– Perform:
- Soak and wash the shoelaces separately with the insoles. Removing the laces before cleaning will help you scrub every corner of the shoe surface.
- Use a toothbrush to rub the shoes with a mixture of warm water and soap. Gently do it several times until all the stains are gone, then rinse the shoes with water. Toothbrushes make it easy to clean every small corner of the shoes. In addition, toothbrushes are quite soft, so it does not cause fraying or tearing when rubbing.
- After washing, if the stains still remain, take some toothpaste and brush directly onto the stain. Then, use clean water to rinse your shoes.
- Wait for the water to drain, wrap your shoes with a paper towel so that the stain soaks into the towel.
- Let shoes dry naturally and then remove the paper towel.
- Avoid washing white shoes with other color shoes.
2. Dry shoes carefully
To make white shoes retain their beautiful color and durability, you should not dry directly in the sun because sunlight will cause discoloration. Shoes that are regularly sun-dried will look old and dull faster. Instead of that, you need to dry them in a cool place.
You should also note that you should not dry wet shoes overnight, shoes will dry for a long time and easily leave a smell.
3. Decent storage of white shoes
If you do not use white shoes regularly, you should store them well to prevent mold and stains. Remember to wash and dry the shoes before storing. Then, put them in a box or plastic bag and store in the cupboard.
You can also add a desiccant bag inside to keep your shoes dry. Absolutely do not leave them in the humid since moisture penetrating also makes shoes stained.
Final thoughts
It’s great to see your lovely pair of white shoes maintain their original color, which will make you confident whenever putting them on walking out on the street.
If your white pairs are likely to get ugly yellow spots, no worry, all mentioned approaches on how to remove yellow bleach stains from white shoes are exceptionally effective. Just choose the most suitable method to do it by yourself at home!