How to clean white shoe soles?

Over time, white shoes turn yellow or turn gray. The dust that has settled after a street walk also does not add freshness to the steam. This is especially true for the outsole. It is better to wash your shoes immediately upon returning home, but this is not always possible, so the dirt falls on the sole as a dead weight. How to wash the steam? How do I clean white athletic shoe soles?

Causes of the appearance of yellowness

Modern rubber, which is used in the manufacture of sneakers, has increased wear resistance. Unscrupulous manufacturers replace rubber with synthetics. But in both cases, one goal is pursued - to give the shoes strength and elasticity.

By adding various components to the material, manufacturers are trying to achieve the durability of the sneaker and their resistance to the external environment. However, over time, the material ceases to fulfill its functional purpose, and a dirty yellow tint appears on the outsole.

Available Methods for Removing Contamination

Quality sneakers are shoes that can last for years. But sometimes people rush to throw away the product when yellowness appears on it. Not everyone knows that yellow color and other contaminants can be dealt with at home using available methods. It is really possible to wash the soles of shoes on your own using simple mechanical or chemical methods.

Mechanical "assistants":

• school eraser... They need to thoroughly rub the contaminated surface. Fragments of dirt will go away with the pellets of rubber. In addition, the eraser will reliably remove fresh black streaks. This process is very laborious, it can only be completed by a patient person, since attention, in addition to the sole, must be paid to the lateral surfaces. If they are embossed, then even more efforts need to be made;
• melamine sponge... It is moistened with water and, applying force, rubbing the white rubber surface. The sponge benefits significantly over the eraser because it covers a large area. However, this method is very costly, since the sponge is not cheap. In order to save money, you can try to purchase it in the online store;
• machine wash... A versatile way to rinse out external dirt on sneaker fabrics and soles. But against the yellow effect, such a procedure is powerless. Before loading shoes into the machine, remove the laces and remove the insoles. It is also important to familiarize yourself with the information on the labels beforehand, otherwise the couple will lose their appearance.

Dry cleaning involves the use of the following methods:

• bleach from a mixture of vinegar and high-quality washing powder... To prepare it, dilute a teaspoon of 9 percent vinegar and two tablespoons of powder in one glass of warm water. Rub the prepared product into the steam, previously washed from dirt, with a brush with stiff bristles or a soft sponge. Leave the shoes for 30 minutes, then rinse well with warm water or wash in an automatic machine;
• toothpaste will help whiten the sole of sneakers... Using a toothbrush, rub it into the surface of the sole with progressive movements and rinse with water. The color of the toothpaste is not important, but ordinary tooth powder is still the best option;
• bleach for soaking laundry... It does not matter which of them will be at hand - domestic or imported, liquid or powder. It is necessary to dilute the bleach in water (the amount of concentrate or powder in this case should be twice as much as in normal soaking of laundry). Put shoes in the basin and add water and bleach up to such a mark until the sole is completely submerged in water. Leave the steam to soak for several hours, periodically checking the result. This option will help both wash off the dirt and remove yellow deposits.

To remove light dirt, you should try using one of the folk methods. They are less effective, but sometimes lead to the desired result:

• nail polish remover... She needs to soak a cotton pad well and walk through the contaminated areas;
• regular baking soda... It removes yellow plaque well, but does not cope with black stripes;
• lemon acid, the crystals of which must be intensively rubbed with a cotton pad or soft sponge into the surface of the sole.

To effectively clean the white soles of sneakers and trainers, you can only try several methods and choose the most suitable one.

If all of the above methods did not help, then there is only one way out - to go to the dry cleaning. Special means used in these institutions will restore the original snow-white appearance of the shoes.

Washing the soles and not causing harm to the shoes is possible only by observing certain conditions.

• when cleaning with substances such as acetone, nail polish remover, you need to pour them only on a piece of white cloth. Otherwise, there is a possibility that the paint from the fabric will remain on the light-colored sole;
• refuse to use pure bleach. She will not add whiteness to the shoes, but she will provide yellowness forever;
• it is better to clean the sole with a brush with coarse stiff bristles that will penetrate all the holes;
• start cleaning your shoes with less safe products: baking soda, vinegar, laundry detergent. In the absence of a positive effect from them, you can switch to more stringent ones;
• after completing the procedure for cleaning the soles of white sneakers, you need to rinse it with hot water and wipe it dry.

In order to extend the life of the shoe and maintain its appearance, it is worth adhering to some recommendations:

• when buying shoes, give preference to those on the sole of which the tread pattern is not deep, or it is absent at all;
• wear any shoes with care, and light ones - in dry, sunny weather;
• do not let the dirt "take root" on the soles of white sneakers, wash your shoes regularly, this way you will be able to keep its whiteness longer;
• the rubber soles of shoes can only be cleaned after removing the main visible dirt.

Shoe storage rules

Over the winter, sneakers or sneakers can lose their presentation, turn yellow and change shape. In order to avoid such troubles, you need to properly pack your shoes for the winter.

First of all, it is worth taking care that there are no traces of dirt on the shoes: wash them and dry them in a special dryer.

For leather shoes, it will not be superfluous to use a special shoe cream, which gives elasticity to leather products or its substitute.

The next step is to disinfect the couple. In the absence of a special product, you can replace it with hydrogen peroxide or ordinary table vinegar. To do this, apply liquid to the cotton wool and treat the inner surface of the shoe.

Place the treated pair of sports shoes in a cardboard box, put in a dark, dry place.

In order to easily whiten the sole of your sneakers or not at all, it is important to simply maintain them regularly. Cleaning should be timely, it is better to use different means for them. Then it will be possible to wear fashionable novelties for a long time and with pleasure!