White shoes are incredible. However, the color attracts and retains stains easily. If you don’t know how to clean white shoes that turned yellow at home, you might end up discarding them because stains make them so unsightly.
How to get yellow stains out of white shoes
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In another article, we looked at how to get mold off shoes. Cleaning your white shoes at home is not hard at all. Besides, the cleaning products that you need are already readily available at home.
You might have realized that your white sneakers sustain yellow stains after cleaning them. So, why do white shoes turn yellow when you wash them?
Usually, the yellow stain comes from bleach. This cleaning product contains yellow dye. Thus, if you do not rinse the bleach totally out of the shoes, they will develop yellow stains. These stains can be very stubborn, hard but not impossible to remove.
Here are a few steps that you can follow to make your white sneakers sparkling white, again.
How to clean white shoes that turned yellow using baking soda
Baking soda is the wonder cleaning product that we all have in our homes. It is easy to use it for different cleaning products without any side effects.
First, gather the items that you will need. These are baking soda (1 tablespoon), hydrogen peroxide (1/2 tablespoon), toothpaste (1/2 tablespoon) and an old toothbrush.
The cleaning process
Using a small bowl, make a paste by combining the above three ingredients. Use the old toothbrush to spread this paste across the yellow stain thoroughly. Let the paste stay on the stain for at least 30 minutes so that it can dry completely.
After 30 minutes, bang the shoes so that the now dry paste can fall off. Check out the condition of the shoes. If the stain remains, you can repeat the process all over.
Even if you do not have hydrogen peroxide, you can still go ahead and work without it. The baking soda paste alone is going to be enough for you.
How to clean white shoes that turned yellow from bleach with toothpaste
From many of the articles that we have done here about how to clean shoes, it seems that toothpaste can do much more than just clean and whiten teeth.
Today, if your white kicks have sustained yellow stains, you can use toothpaste to remove the stains. However, be sure you choose a white non-gel toothpaste rather than the colored ones. Colored toothpaste can add more stains to your footwear.
To use toothpaste to remove yellow stains from shoes, you need the toothpaste itself and an old toothbrush.
Always remove the superficial dirt on the shoes first before you can remove stains. With your old toothbrush, apply the white toothpaste on the stain firmly by brushing it in so that it penetrates.
The toothpaste works by breaking the molecules of the stain. It will then absorb the yellow dye out.
Once you have applied the toothpaste, let it stay for about 10 minutes on the shoes. You can then clean out the toothpaste with a damp cloth.
Inspect the area that had the stain again. If some traces of the stain remain, just repeat the process until it is completely gone.
How To Use Detergent and Vinegar to Remove Yellow Stains from White Shoes
If you have vinegar at home, you can use it to remove yellow stains from white shoes. It takes more time than the other methods that we have discussed here. However, sometimes, it is just that time when you must roll up the sleeves and get your hands dirty.
You need water, probably using the sink is better, laundry detergent, washing machine, white vinegar and an old toothbrush.
How to clean with soap and vinegar
To get started, clean the sink thoroughly, to remove any grease. If you don’t, the same might attach itself to your shoes and cause more stains.
In this process, there will be two stints. The first one is for water and soap and the second one is for water and vinegar, in the washing machine.
Step 1: using soap and warm water alone
Fill the sink to about halfway with warm water. Also,don’t make the water too warm. Place the drain stopper in place so that the water does not run out.
Add a ½ tablespoon of liquid laundry soap into the water. Stir the soap into your hands so that it mixes thoroughly.
Remove the shoelaces and then immerse the shoes into the water. Please note that this far, you have not used vinegar. You will get to use it soon enough.
Take the old toothbrush and scrub gently at the stained area. Do it gently but firmly. You should continue scrubbing until the yellow stain starts to fade. Be patient because it can take time. Also, interchange the shoes, scrubbing one while the other one soaks.
Remove both shoes out of the water and drain the water. Place them in the washing machine and then select a low cycle with warm water.
Step 2: Clean with vinegar in the washer
When the washer is filled with warm water and it is running, add a half cup of white vinegar. You can now close the lid of the washer and wait for it to run the full cycle.
White vinegar is very good at breaking the molecules of the stain. Since you had already done some of the work, by the time the wash cycle is complete, the rest of the stain might be gone completely.
Vinegar has more benefits when used on shoes. For instance, it removes any odor-causing bacteria.
After the wash cycle is complete, remove the shoes and check them keenly. You will see that the stain will be gone completely.
Air-dry your shoes completely, for as long as it takes. Never store shoes when they are not 100 percent dry.
Something to note: You cannot clean leather boots and suede shoes in the washing machine.
How to clean white rubber shoes that turned yellow
The process for cleaning white rubber shoes that turned yellow is as we have detailed in the sections above.
Depending on what you have at home, you can use vinegar and soap/washing machine, white non-gel toothpaste, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.
Apart from the process of using the vinegar and laundry soap, the other cleaning processes are very simple.
When you have white rubber or canvas shoes, you can use the washer to help make the work easier. But you cannot use the same process on leather shoes.
How to clean white leather shoes that turned yellow
Just like the rubber, canvas and other types of white shoes, leather shoes can also sustain yellow stains.
To clean up the shoes, you can use two simple methods.
Method 1
Make a solution with a small amount of white vinegar, baking soda and water and then use an old toothbrush to scrub at the stain.
Give it a few times to break the yellow stain and then wipe with a damp piece of cloth. It will work!
Method 2
You will need liquid dish soap, vinegar and warm water. Mix them in a small basin to make a solution. Dip a small piece of cloth in the solution and wipe down the stained leather.
When the stain loosens, you can use a piece of cloth dampened in clean water to wipe away the grease. This will do the trick.
It is important not to let the water penetrate the leather. Leather takes too long to dry.
How do you dry white shoes without turning yellow?
It is very simple. When you have rinsed the shoes thoroughly with water, shake them to remove the excess water. Also, stuff the shoes with white paper towels so that they can absorb the rest of the moisture.
Use a dye-free bleach such as how do you dry white shoes without turning yellow, which you can buy on amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/Ecover-Chlorine-Laundry-Bleach-Ounce/dp/B00B97OGXU/). Preventing the formation of the stain is better than waiting for it to form and then attempting to remove it.
Final Thoughts
You have seen how to clean white shoes that turned yellow at home. It is simple, and it need not take too much of your time.
It is best to prevent the formation of the yellow stain from bleach rather than try to treat it. You can also wear your white kicks when the weather is good or when you are not going on stain-prone areas.