If you've tried cleaning your white sneakers with bleach, there's a good chance you'll have yellow stains on them. This happens if the bleach has been sitting for too long or you haven't diluted it properly. However, this is just one reason why we don't recommend this method. The other is that you can certainly use more natural alternatives with excellent results. However, if the stains are already a fact, here's how to get yellowed sneakers white again, using only home remedies.
Get yellowed sneakers white again – this is how it works with table salt
- First, take a small, heatproof bowl and fill it with about 8 ounces of hot water from the sink.
- Dissolve 1 tablespoon of table salt in the water. Stir with a clean toothbrush until the salt is completely dissolved.
- Soak the toothbrush thoroughly in the solution and scrub vigorously, soaking it again and again. You'll probably need to scrub for a few minutes before the stain fades.
- Once the stain begins to fade, allow the shoes to air dry on a towel for about 20 minutes or until they feel dry. Then soap the toothbrush again and scrub the stain vigorously with the bristles of the toothbrush for a few more minutes.
- Stop scrubbing if you notice that the yellow stain has not faded despite your efforts with the toothbrush in the last few minutes. Note that the stain may not be 100 percent gone, but it will definitely have faded significantly, allowing you to continue wearing your white sneakers.
Cleaning White Sneaker Soles – How to Get Them Like New Againfind out here!
Get yellowed sneakers white again using detergent and vinegar
- Remove the laces from your white sneakers so they don't get tangled. Then wipe your sink thoroughly to make sure it's really clean and fill it 3/4 full with lukewarm water.
- Add half a tablespoon of detergent to the lukewarm water and stir well until thoroughly mixed and foam forms.
- Soak your yellowed sneakers in the sink and start scrubbing away the yellow stains with a toothbrush. Make sure the brush is well soaked in the soap solution. Scrub for a few minutes until the yellow spots begin to fade. While you work on one of your sneakers, place the other one in the sink so that it absorbs the soap solution well. Then repeat the cleaning process with this one too.
- For the next step, it is not necessary to wash the detergent out of the sneakers. Simply put them in the washing machine by turning on the warm water program and add 120 ml of vinegar to the fabric softener compartment. White vinegar will also help you whiten yellowed sneakers because it has bleaching properties.
- After washing, let your sneakers air dry or put them in the dryer for 30 minutes. Then you can enjoy their white color again!
Other effective tricks with home remedies that you can use to clean white sneakers:can be found here!
Soak your sneakers in cream of tartar solution
- Use a heat-resistant container large enough to fill with 1 liter of hot tap water to hold your yellowed sneakers.
- Add 120 ml of cream of tartar to the water. Stir with a large spoon until the water and cream of tartar are completely mixed. Cream of tartar is available in small containers at most grocery stores, so you may need to purchase several containers to get a sufficient 4 ounce amount.
- Soak your yellowed sneakers in your cream of tartar solution. After 30 minutes, check to see if they are now clean. However, if the yellow stains are older and have settled deeper into the shoes, you will need to leave them in the solution longer (up to 90 minutes).
- Once the yellow stains have been removed or have faded to their optimum, remove your sneakers from the solution and rinse them thoroughly with cold water. Be sure to remove any leftover acidic tartar solution, as it is an acidic cleaner that can damage the material of your sneakers if you are not careful.
- Place your sneakers on a towel and allow them to dry completely before putting them on. You can also put them in the dryer on low heat for 30 minutes.
