How To Clean White Trainers and Keep Them Looking Fresh

We all love a pair of white trainers. There's something about a crisp white trainer which we're all drawn to. You can wear them with pretty much anything you can think of and the neutral colour means you don't have to worry about matching them to your t-shirt or hoodie. They are an absolute wardrobe essential!

But picture this - you’re out and about rocking your brand-new white trainers and the sky begins to grey over. Before you know it the rain is coming down hard and you know you’ve got to walk home in it. We’ve all been there and as a sneakerhead it really is the worst case scenario, especially when you're wearing white sneakers.

These situations are sometimes unavoidable and can pretty much render sneakers useless. If this has happened to you, you may be tempted just to pick up a new pair, but don’t get ready to throw them out just yet.

Believe it or not, most dirty trainers are salvageable, no matter how bad the damage or what the material. As long as you’ve got the right product and techniques, you can clean your white trainers and give them another life. With a little bit of elbow grease even the dirtiest of pairs can be made totally wearable again! But how do you clean white trainers when they're covered in dirt or stains?

The simple answer is you’re going to have to put in the work to get them clean again, so read on for our definitive guide on what to do and for some top tips from the team here at JuzsportsShops.

Before we jump into how to clean your white trainers, lets talk about how they get dirty in the first place so you know what to avoid.

Unfortunately, the reason we love white trainers so much is the same reason they get dirty so quickly. White is such a vibrant colour that any fading, wear, marks or stains show immediately. If left without being worn for too long, white trainers can get dusty and this can leave noticeable marks and dull the brightness of the shoe.

On the other hand, if you wear your white shoes a little too much, any scuffs or wet marks you get on the shoes are likely to also stay there. The best thing you can do is be careful where you tread and hope you don't get caught out in the rain. However, this is not always possible. So what should you do when you need to clean white trainers?

When it comes down to the dirty business of getting your white trainers clean again, you’re going to need to be fairly stocked up when it comes to equipment. Depending on whether you're cleaning some dirt off your leather Use the same process to clean the midsole of your shoes What equipment will you need New Balances, Once you're happy, leave your shoes to dry naturally in a warm place.

There’s a whole range of products available from a number of different brands out there, but you can also use products that you may well have laying around at home for similar results.

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At the time of writing, the market for sneaker cleaning products is suitably saturated. There are plenty of different brands out there putting out dedicated kits for cleaning sneakers and most people who are into sneakers will already have their preferred brand. It’s worth taking a look at the likes of Jason Markk, Crep Protect, SneakersER and Sneak Defender, as they all offer a whole range of products for different scenarios.

Here at JuzsportsShops we’re unbiased when it comes to cleaning products, as different variations are designed to offer different solutions, so we’d suggest conducting your own research and maybe even testing products on beater pairs to achieve optimum results when you really need them!

Related Article: Jason Markk Product Review

Related Article: How To Clean Suede Sneakers

Lets kick things off with the hardest to clean, white suede trainers. Suede trainers are notoriously stubborn when it comes to retaining dirty marks and are also a lot more difficult to clean than other materials we will look at such as canvas or leather. It’s highly likely that you’re going to need a dedicated suede brush here and you’re also going to want to avoid getting the sneakers too wet, as it will damage the suede.

As before, you want to start by gently removing any dirt from the surface of the shoe with a soft bristle brush. If there is a mark on the suede, a great tool to try and use is a suede eraser. With this tool, gently rub and pull away with the eraser as if you were dabbing a stain.

If that does not work, go for a slightly tougher brush to remove stubborn marks. Use the brush and run it backwards and forwards through the patches of dirt, simply repeat this process until you start to see results. When you are finished, make sure you brush the suede all back in one direction to keep the nap of the suede looking fresh.

Now fabric trainers are a little easier than cleaning suede as you can afford to be a little tougher on the material. Put in the work and you will reap the benefits of a good cleaning session.

If you don't have dedicated shoe cleaning products, there are a couple other ways to clean your shoes at home.

Baking Soda - This can work great on white fabric trainers. Mix a small amount of hot water, white vinegar and baking soda to create a paste and then apply this to the canvas parts of the shoe.

If you’ve managed to get your white leather trainers dirty then you may want to count your lucky stars as it could be a blessing in disguise - leather shoes are quite simply the easiest to clean! Give them the once over with some wet wipes and you should be able to get the majority of the dirt off straight away, it really is that easy.

The first thing to do with dirty white leather trainers is to give them a quick wipe with a wipe or damp cloth and then dry them with your towel. This should immediately remove most of the dirt on the shoes and leave them looking fresh. If that hasn't quite done the trick, get your brush and cleaning solution and work some magic.

Because leather shoes are so easy to clean, there are a couple DIY methods you can use which can work really well.

Toothpaste - Apr, 2022 3:27 PM Stan Smiths. You apply a small amount of white toothpaste onto your brush and then apply it in circular motions. Once you have done this throughout the shoe, you should then wipe with a clean cloth and allow to dry.

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If you’ve got your shoelaces dirty too then don’t stress, as this is an easily resolved issue. Simply remove the laces from your shoes and stick them in the washing machine (with other white washing only), it’s likely they’ll come out looking brand-new again. If for some reasons the stains persist, you can pick up a fresh pair of laces for cheap at plenty of retailers across the internet, so a replacement might be the easy way out.

If you have some white laces which are looking dreary and dull, a quick home solution can bring some new life into them.

Bleach - You have to be really careful when handling bleach and be very sparing when using it in cleaning. For bleaching shoelaces, you want to add a very small amount into a container of water and then place the shoelaces in and swirl them around with a toothbrush or other object. Make sure to not get any bleach on your hands as it's an irritant!

Now you’ve got your white trainers looking sparkling-clean again, you’re going to want to avoid making the same mistake twice! We’d suggest thoroughly covering all of your sneakers in a reliable waterproofing spray, that way you should stand a much higher chance at leaving them unscathed after a quick run-in with the elements. While these sort of sprays don’t totally eliminate the dangers, it’s safe to say that they definitely help. Of course as well as all of this, make sure to just look where you’re walking - this will always be your saving grace!

Now we’ve covered all the various different techniques for cleaning white trainers, it’s probably worth us touching on what not to do. Make sure to never fall victim to the “washing machine method” - this will not clean your trainers, it will simply damage them! The only thing on a trainer that should ever be cleaned with the washing machine is the laces.

One of the most important tips when cleaning white trainers is to not give up. It might take three of four different attempts to remove stains sometimes, which can be a tiresome process.

If you really want to commit to rejuvenating your sneakers, make sure you dedicate some time to put in the work, actions reap results! Once they’re clean again you’ll want to protect them as we mentioned previously, and it’s also worth noting that you can spray brand-new trainers too, you don’t have to learn the hard way.

Keep it locked in right here at JuzsportsShops for more sneaker tips and advice and happy cleaning!