How To Clean White Shoes

Lots of you in the Sweat Community may already know that I am obsessed with white sneakers! Looking down at my feet in clean, fresh-looking white shoes makes me feel SO happy!

Jump to:

• Cleaning white sneakers: step-by-step
• Check your shoes
• Brush off dirt
• Wash with an old white towel
• Add a scoop of washing powder
• Address any odours
• Wash on a cold wash cycle
• Air dry

Wearing white sneakers goes hand-in-hand with one of my other favourite things: cleaning! I consider looking after my sneakers the same as taking care of my workout clothes. With white shoes comes extra attention to keeping them clean, especially if you’ve got a busy schedule and are training in the gym on a regular basis. 

Quite a few of you have asked how I keep my sneakers so clean, so I’ve put together my top tips for you ladies! 

A step-by-step guide to cleaning white sneakers

Getting your white sneakers clean is actually pretty simple. Just follow the seven steps below to find out how to get dirt off white shoes and bring them back to their sparkling white best!

1. Check your shoes 

Please inspect your shoes before you start to see what they’re made of. These tips are only suitable for shoes made of non-leather materials. If you’re cleaning white canvas shoes or white mesh shoes, you’re good to go!

2. Ditch the dirt 

I get rid of any surface dirt from the shoes with a laundry brush. You can also use an old toothbrush as it’s the perfect size for getting rid of dirt that can build up in the grooves on the soles. Don’t spend a lot of time doing this — it should only take a minute or so to get rid of the dirt that might be caked into the bottom of the shoe — as the wash will take care of the rest.

3. Put an old white towel in the wash

Whenever I put my sneakers in the machine, I always wash them with an old white towel as well, which helps to stop them banging around in the washing machine.

4. Add a scoop of washing powder

Don’t use Napisan, stain remover, bleach or fabric softener. Your regular washing powder will do the trick!

5. Tackle that odour

If you have smelly shoes, you can also add a cap full of vinegar to the wash.

6. Set your machine to a cold wash cycle

Make sure you’re only using cold water. Warm water may cause damage to the structure of the shoe. My machine has a quick wash cycle that takes about 50 minutes — so I use that. 

7. Air dry

Once the cycle is finished, I loosen the laces and allow the shoes to air dry. Just like when you are cleaning your workout clothes, don’t use a dryer! Clean your sneakers on a day when you’re not in the gym – it’s a good activity to try on your rest days.

One last thing to check after you’ve washed your shoes

Always give your sneakers a thorough inspection after they’ve dried — especially if they are a little older — to make sure nothing has become damaged. 

The shoes you wear during workouts are really important for protecting your feet and posture. If you’re wearing the wrong shoes, or your shoes have started to show signs of wear, then you may risk an injury. 

So there you have it — my super-easy guide to cleaning your sneakers. I hope this helps with keeping your shoes fresh! Let me know in the comments below!