Whether it’s a black shoe or a white one, it is a must for you to keep them clean for prolonged use, especially if you’re wearing them on a daily basis. However, white shoes do tend to get dirtier easily which makes it a necessity for you to take extra care for its maintenance.

These are two different methods that you can follow to keep your white shoes clean when they get soiled with dirt.

Soap & Water

This is the basic method of cleaning white shoes including the ones made out of white leather. Pour a few drops of liquid/powder soap into a bucket and fill it up with enough water to create a foamy solution. You can also use white vinegar as an alternative.

In order to clean the rubber, leather or plastic parts of the shoe, dip in a sheet of magic eraser into the soapy solution and start rubbing it. Wipe it back and forth until all the stains and smudges have disappeared.

Coming back to the actual surface of the shoe, dip a toothbrush into the solution and start scrubbing it in circular motions. Apply extra pressure on the areas with stubborn stains. To dry off the excess soap water solution from your shoes, use paper towels or a dry piece of cloth to pat dry it as much as possible. You can also wash them off with water if your shoes are resistant to water.

For the last step, keep the shoes in an airy place so that it can dry off easily overnight.

Toothpaste

The toothpaste method is best if you want your shoes to look nearly as new as they were when you bought them. Take a clean towel or a piece of microfiber cloth and dip it in a bucket of water and squeeze it. Use it to somewhat dampen your shoes so that you can apply toothpaste afterward to form a lather.

Apply a blob of toothpaste on a toothbrush and use it to create circular motions on the shoe surface. Create slightly pressurized motions on areas smudged with dark stains. Once finished, let it sit for about 10 minutes before you leave it outside to air dry. However, you must use completely white toothpaste to avoid any further stains on your white shoes.

After 10 minutes have passed, use a piece of wet cloth to get rid of the toothpaste from the surface. You can use the previously used wet cloth if you wish.

Note that it may take some time to clean up all the toothpaste from the shoes. Leave the shoes in a well-ventilated area once you are done cleaning it. If you want to dry them off faster, let them sit in front of a fan or in the sun for a couple of hours to do the trick.

Follow the steps of both methods accordingly and you will be able to wear your white shoes longer than usual!