How to Clean Dirty Shoes

Cleaning White Shoes

Clean white leather shoes with a wet cloth and white leather shoe cleaner. Wipe the shoes down with a damp cloth every few days. If you get stains, squeeze a little bit of shoe cleaner made especially for white shoes or white toothpaste onto the shoes and then rub gently with a wet cloth. Use a clean, dry towel to wipe the shoe clean.

Scrub white canvas shoes with detergent. Test a patch of the cleaner in an inconspicuous area of the shoe. If it doesn’t adversely affect the material or color of the shoe, use a shoe brush to gently scrub the shoes with detergent. Rinse thoroughly and then submerge in hot water with a drop of bleach and airy dry.

Clean white mesh sneakers in the washing machine. After removing any excess dirt with a toothbrush, toss them in the machine with a splash of detergent on the hot water cycle. Make sure you remove the laces before washing. Avoid bleach as it can cause synthetic fibers to yellow.

Cleaning Canvas Shoes

Remove dirt or debris from the shoes. Use an old toothbrush or a small shoe brush and gently stroke the dirt or debris that is adhered to the shoe. Use just enough pressure to weaken the dirt’s bond to the shoe. This will loosen and remove the debris or dirt.

Clean the soles using a baking soda paste. Getting the soles of your canvas shoes clean can be tough, so make a paste using equal parts baking soda and water. Dip the toothbrush in the paste and massage the soles of your shoes. Wipe clean with a wet cloth when finished.

Pretreat any stains with a stain remover. If your canvas shoes have any stains on them, place a small amount of stain remover on the stained area of the shoe. Allow the stain remover to sit on the shoe for the time recommended on the stain remover packaging. Make sure you test the stain remover on an inconspicuous part of the shoe first. This way you can make sure the product isn’t going to fade or stain your shoes. You can even use baby powder/cornstarch to lift an oil stain. Just leave it on for a couple of hours and then brush it off.

Wash in a washing machine on the gentle cycle. Add a gentle laundry detergent to the machine, choose cold as the water temperature, and begin running the gentle or delicate cycle. When the machine is about three-quarters of the way filled with water, add the shoes and close the lid.

Air dry the shoes. Once the washing machine has completely finished its cycle, it’s time to remove the shoes from the machine. Place them in an area that is away from direct sun, heat, or air vents. Allow to dry overnight.

Cleaning Leather Shoes

Remove any debris or dirt from the shoe’s surface. Using a stiff bristled brush or an old toothbrush, gently removed any dirt from your leather shoes. Take care not to scrub too hard or you might accidentally scratch the surface of the shoe.

Wipe grease and grime from the shoe’s surface. Find a clean and dry cloth you can use to gently wipe away any grease, oil, or grime that might be on the surface of the leather. An old washcloth, dish towel, or hand towel works well for this purpose.

Wipe down the shoe with a damp cloth. Once you’ve used the dry cloth to wipe away grease and grime, wet a cloth with warm water and gently wipe down the surface of the shoe. Be sure you don’t saturate the leather or you can cause damage.

Air dry the shoes. It’s important that you give your leather shoes an ample amount of time to air dry once you’ve finished the cleaning process and before you wear them. Allow shoes to dry for at least 30 minutes in a space away from direct sunlight, heat, or air vents.

Treat the leather. Apply a cream leather polish with a soft cloth and allow to sit for a few minutes. Then take the cloth and buff the leather to a shine. This will help preserve and protect your leather shoes.

Cleaning Suede Shoes

Use a soft shoe brush made specifically for suede and nubuck to remove debris. Brush lightly over the surface of the shoes to remove any dirt or debris that has adhered itself to the surface of the shoe. Be sure you don't apply too much pressure as this can scratch the suede and ruin your shoes. Make sure you brush in the same direction. Brushing in different directions can make the shoes appear to be two different colors of suede. Don’t use a wire brush on suede. This can ruin your shoes. Use a horsehair brush!

Use a rubber eraser to eliminate any smudges or dirt. Sometimes suede shoes get smudged, and an eraser is an easily accessible tool to help you eliminate any unsightly smudges. Gently rub any smudges or smears with the eraser to remove them. In most cases, brushing away dirt and erasing smudges will be enough to restore the suede.

Treat with a silicone spray. Using a silicone spray will help prevent new stains or water damage on your suede shoes. Once you’ve finished removing dirt, debris, and smudges, gently spray the surface of the suede with a silicon spray for extra protection. This can enhance the overall life of your shoes.

Cleaning Vinyl Shoes

Remove dirt and debris using an old toothbrush or a soft shoe brush. The first step to cleaning a pair of vinyl shoes is to remove any dirt or debris from the surface and sole of the shoes. Gently brush the shoes to remove the dirt before doing any further cleaning. If the toothbrush is too soft, cut the bristles to make them stronger.

Remove light scuffs using a pencil eraser. A simple household eraser will help you eliminate any scuffs or smudges from your vinyl shoes. Gently erase these marks with either an art eraser or a regular pencil eraser. Be sure not to use too much pressure.

Clean the surface of the shoe with a damp cloth. Find a soft, clean cloth such as an old washcloth or hand towel and dampen it with lukewarm water. You can also add a drop of mild laundry detergent to the cloth. Gently wash the surface of the shoe. If using soap, wipe any soap debris remaining on the shoes with a damp clean cloth before drying.

Air dry your shoes. Once you’ve finished wiping down your vinyl shoes, allow them to air dry before wearing. Place the shoes in a safe space away from heat, direct sunlight, and air vents. Allow them to dry at least 30 minutes, if not longer, before wearing.

Cleaning Dirty or Smelly Insoles

Remove the insoles from the shoes. To effectively clean smelly or dirty insoles, you will first need to remove the insoles from your shoes. Grip the back of the insole near the heel and gently pull the insole toward you until it is removed from the shoe.

Remove excess dirt and debris with an old toothbrush or a soft bristled shoe brush. Gently scrub the insole with the brush until all visible debris is removed. Don’t scrub too hard as this can cause certain insole fabrics to pill.

Use a wet cloth and detergent to launder the insoles. Apply a small amount of detergent to a cloth that has been immersed in warm water. Scrub the insole and briefly rinse in warm water before air drying.

Air dry the insoles before returning them to the shoes. Once you’ve cleaned and rinsed the insoles, place them in an area away from heat, air vents, or direct sunlight to air dry. Once they are completely dry, you can return them to the shoes.