How to Clean Dirty Shoes

Last Updated: August 3, 2022

Everyone’s shoes get dirty at some point or another. Taking the time to clean your shoes according to their construction materials will not only have you looking your best, but it can also extend the life of your shoes!

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Cleaning White Shoes

1
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.^{[1]
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2
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.^{[2]
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3
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.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Cleaning Canvas Shoes

1
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.^{[4]
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2
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.^{[5]
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3
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.^{[6]
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- 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.^{[7]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Rio Jongsae Kim
  Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
  Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.}
4
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.^{[8]
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5
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.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Rio Jongsae Kim
Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.}^{[10]
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Research source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Cleaning Leather Shoes

1
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.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Rio Jongsae Kim
Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.}^{[12]
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Research source}
2
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.^{[13]
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Expert Source

Rio Jongsae Kim
Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.}^{[14]
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Research source}
3
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.^{[15]
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Expert Source

Rio Jongsae Kim
Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.}
4
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.
5
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.^{[16]
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Expert Source

Rio Jongsae Kim
Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.}

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Cleaning Suede Shoes

1
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!^{[17]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Rio Jongsae Kim
  Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
  Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.}
2
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.
3
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.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Cleaning Vinyl Shoes

1
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.^{[18]
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Expert Source

Rio Jongsae Kim
Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.}
- If the toothbrush is too soft, cut the bristles to make them stronger.^{[19]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Rio Jongsae Kim
  Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
  Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.}
2
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.
3
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.
4
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.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Cleaning Dirty or Smelly Insoles

1
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.
2
Remove excess dirt and debris with an old toothbrush or a soft bristled shoe brush.^{[20]
X
Expert Source

Rio Jongsae Kim
Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.} 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.
3
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.
4
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.^{[21]
X
Expert Source

Rio Jongsae Kim
Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 April 2021.}

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you clean Yeezys?

Rio Jongsae Kim
Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
Rio Jongsae Kim is a Designer Shoe and Bag Repair Specialist and the Owner of Kim’s Shoe & Bag Repair in Vancouver, BC, Canada. With over 40 years of experience, Rio and Kim’s Shoe & Bag Repair specialize in the repair and reconstruction of leather and luxury goods including shoes, handbags, and accessories. Rio’s experience and dedication to quality repair and restoration have led to his work being featured on Yahoo, Insider, and MSN.

Rio Jongsae Kim

Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist

Expert Answer

Every type of shoe requires different maintenance, depending on the material. But you can regularly do brushing, cleaning, conditioning, and waterproofing to keep the shoes longer.
Question

How do you remove permanent marker from shoes?

Rio Jongsae Kim
Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
Rio Jongsae Kim is a Designer Shoe and Bag Repair Specialist and the Owner of Kim’s Shoe & Bag Repair in Vancouver, BC, Canada. With over 40 years of experience, Rio and Kim’s Shoe & Bag Repair specialize in the repair and reconstruction of leather and luxury goods including shoes, handbags, and accessories. Rio’s experience and dedication to quality repair and restoration have led to his work being featured on Yahoo, Insider, and MSN.

Rio Jongsae Kim

Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist

Expert Answer

For suede, you can try cleaning with suede gum. For leather, a magic block or thinner can remove the marker. You'll probably need to touch up the shoes afterwards, because the stain will be removed along with original color of leather.
Question

How do you clean a Birkenstock footbed?

Rio Jongsae Kim
Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist
Rio Jongsae Kim is a Designer Shoe and Bag Repair Specialist and the Owner of Kim’s Shoe & Bag Repair in Vancouver, BC, Canada. With over 40 years of experience, Rio and Kim’s Shoe & Bag Repair specialize in the repair and reconstruction of leather and luxury goods including shoes, handbags, and accessories. Rio’s experience and dedication to quality repair and restoration have led to his work being featured on Yahoo, Insider, and MSN.

Rio Jongsae Kim

Designer Shoe & Bag Care Specialist

Expert Answer

Use suede gum or soft sandpaper to remove the stain and use suede cleaner with a suede cleaning brush or toothbrush to rub the surface. Remove the soap foam with wet towels. After drying, brush the nap of the leather with a suede brush. If the footbed is too old or too damaged, then it’s better to replace the lining entirely.