Similar to your shoes, your laces get dirty from walking through muddy water or just from everyday wear. If your laces aren't worn out, there's no need to throw them away - you can clean them thoroughly and re-lace your shoes. Cleaning shouldn't take much time. If you want to know how to clean your shoelaces, read on.
Wash shoelaces in the washing machine
Dirty laces on cool sneakers will ruin your entire look. Unfortunately, they can often get dirty when the rest of the shoe is still clean. Since they are usually made from materials such as cotton, dirt shows up more quickly. If you have a washing machine on hand and your colored or white shoelaces are made of cotton or another washable material, you can save yourself the work of cleaning them. You can even wash the laces with other laundry, making the process part of your normal laundry routine.
- Remove the laces from your shoes. Run them under cool running water and use a toothbrush to remove any obvious mud or dirt.
- Examine the surface of the shoelaces. Apply stain remover (if necessary) to any discolored areas and leave for 20 minutes.
- Place the laces in a laundry net and close it. Throw the laundry net into the washing machine with detergent. If you only wash white items, add a capful of bleach to the washing machine to lighten the white material of the shoelaces.
- When the washing machine is finished, remove the shoelaces from the laundry net and hang them on a drying rack. Do not put them in the dryer.
Clean colored shoelaces with dish soap or liquid soap
Colored shoelaces do not allow dirt to show through as much as white laces and aretherefore easier to clean.They also cannot be washed with bleach as this will remove their color, so you are better off using the following method for your colored shoelaces:
- Remove the laces from the shoes.
- Remove any visible dust and dirt.
- Soak the shoe laces in warm, soapy water for a few minutes - this will soften any dirt and debris and prepare the laces for the next step. You can use dish soap, liquid laundry detergent, or your favorite liquid soap.
- Use an old toothbrush and brush the length of the lace rather than the width. If necessary, remove stubborn dirt with small, circular movements - but do this carefully so as not to damage the laces.
- Rinse the shoelaces in clean water and repeat the process if necessary.
- Allow them to air dry completely before lacing the shoes again.
Get white shoelaces white again with baking soda
Baking soda is an excellent cleaning agent, especially when combined with a mild acid such as vinegar or lemon juice. In the case of shoelaces isBaking soda is an excellent remedyto clean and brighten the dirty laces. It is an ideal way to clean shoe laces without using bleach.
- Remove the stained and dirty laces from your shoes.
- Mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda with 120 ml of water in a bowl.
- Cover the shoelaces with the baking soda paste and let the paste sit for 15 minutes.
- After the paste has taken effect, rinse off any residue with warm water.
- After removing the remaining paste, you can either hand wash or machine wash the laces to remove any residue - leaving your white shoe laces sparkling like new again.
Clean white shoelaces with toothpaste
If you want to clean your shoelaces with toothpaste, you should be careful not to use colored toothpaste on your white shoe laces - there is a risk that the color of the toothpaste will transfer to the laces.
Around your shoelacesclean with toothpaste, you need to do the following:
- Take the laces out of your shoes.
- Use a small brush to brush away any larger debris.
- Moisten the laces in warm water and take an old toothbrush and suitable toothpaste.
- Brush the toothpaste onto the laces and let it sit for a few minutes before continuing to brush the laces.
- Rinse the shoelaces with warm water.
- Wash off the remaining toothpaste with your hands or in the washing machine.
How to keep your shoe laces clean longer
If you don't want to wash your shoelaces every week, here are a few tips on how to wash themkeep clean longercan:
- Avoid wearing your shoes in places where they could get too dirty.
- If you have to go somewhere where your shoes might get dirty, wear the shoes with the darkest laces. This will prevent dirt stains from becoming visible.
- Store your shoes away from dust and anything that could cause dirt.
