We’ve all been in situations where our white shoes turned yellow after washing or after being stored away. No one wants to walk around with their white shoes full of yellow stains. This can look unpleasant and cause embarrassment.
However, don’t throw away your stained shoes just yet as there are a few ways to clean white shoes that have turned yellow. If you’re wondering how to get yellow stains out of white shoes, then stick around as we discuss a few methods that can help. These methods are all safe and will not damage your shoes in any way.
Things You’ll Need to Get Yellow Out of White Shoes
There are a few things that you’ll need before you can start to clean your yellow stained white shoes. These items a cheap and easy to find. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Soap/detergent
- Magic eraser
- Bleach/ hydrogen peroxide
- Lemon juice
- Water
- Cloth
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Gloves
How to Clean White Shoes that Turned Yellow
There are many ways to get yellow stains out of your white shoes. Today we’ll be looking at 5 ways that you can try to restore your shoe to its original appearance. These methods are effective, easy, and require just a few minutes. For the best results, be sure to choose the method that is best suited to your shoe type.
1. Soap or Detergent
The first method is cheap and simple. All you need is soap, a mild detergent, or shampoo. You’re bound to have one of these items already at home. Here’s what you need to do:
- Mix ¼ cup of soap, detergent, or shampoo with 2 cups of warm water to make a cleaning solution.
- Take your cloth and dip it into the solution.
- With the cleaning solution on the cloth, gently scrub the shoes until the yellow tinge is gone.
- Once the yellow tinge is gone, wash the shoes and leave them to air dry.
2. Magic Eraser
Magic Eraser can remove yellow stains from white canvas shoes. You can also use it to remove yellow stains from plastic and rubber soles. Magic Eraser is made from a material called melamine foam. When combined with water, the micro-structures in the foam act in a similar manner to sandpaper and remove stains well.
- Wet the magic eraser with some water and add some soap or detergent.
- Rub the wet eraser over the yellowish parts of your shoes until you can see the white come back.
3. Bleach or Hydrogen Peroxide
Bleach can be used to get those tough stains out, but if you use it incorrectly, then you can end up with more yellow stains. If you do choose bleach, make sure you mix it with five equal parts of water before applying it to your shoe.
If you are not comfortable working with bleach, then you can choose to use hydrogen peroxide instead. Hydrogen peroxide is a non-toxic solution that acts as a brightening and cleaning agent. It is safe to use and apply to your shoes.
- Moisten a clean cloth or toothbrush with the hydrogen peroxide or your diluted bleach solution. If you are using bleach, wear a pair of gloves to protect your hands.
- Rub the cloth or toothbrush over the yellow stains in a circular motion.
- If you are using hydrogen peroxide and the stains refuse to come out, you can leave the peroxide on the stains for 30 minutes.
- This allows the hydrogen peroxide to work its magic to loosen and lift the stain from the layers of the shoe fabric.
- After the time has passed, try rubbing over the stains in a circular motion once again and it should be gone.
- Rinse the shoe with lukewarm water and leave it to dry.
4. Lemon
This solution is simple, cheap, and easy. Lemon is known for its many benefits, but did you know that it has anti-bacterial and cleansing properties? Lemons are acidic which makes them an effective and quick natural cleaning agent for white shoes. They can also work as a disinfectant and kill germs lingering around on your shoes.
- Squeeze half a lemon into a small bowl.
- Add a few drops of water to the lemon juice.
- Dip a clean cloth or sponge into the lemon juice and water solution.
- Rub the dirty stains on your white shoes until white
- Wash the shoe with warm water and air dry them.
- Do not put the shoes in the sun to dry.
5. Toothpaste
Toothpaste was designed to remove yellow stains on teeth, so why not try it to get rid of yellow stains on shoes? If you’re in a rush, then you can try this toothpaste method; however, it may not be as effective as the other methods mentioned above.
- Take a small amount of non-gel toothpaste on a toothbrush
- Apply the toothpaste generously and scrub the stained areas
- Let the toothpaste sit on the shoe for 20 minutes and wash it off
How to Wash White Shoes Without Turning Them Yellow
When washing your white shoes, there are some unwritten rules that you must follow. Failure to follow these rules can make your shoes prone to developing yellow stains or turning yellow.
- Dilute bleach properly. Mix bleach with five equal parts of water before applying it to your shoe.
- Do not pour bleach directly onto your white shoes
- Do not leave the bleach on your shoes for long periods
- Remove traces of any soap, detergent, or other solutions used to clean the shoe. Rinse the shoe until all the residue is gone.
- If you are drying your white shoes in the sun, cover them entirely in white tissue paper before doing so. The tissue paper will safeguard your shoes from direct sunlight.
Conclusion
You can try any one of these methods mentioned in this article or combine 2 or more methods to get yellow stains out of white shoes. Remember to follow the few rules when washing your shoes to stop them from turning yellow.
If your shoes have been in storage for a long time and are moldy, then read this article on how to clean mold off shoes.
