Best Way to Clean Dirty White Converse
Everybody has a classic pair of Chuck Taylors in their closet. When it comes to keeping them looking their best, a little effort is required once in a while.
Although Converse recommends against it, white converses can be washed in the washing machine. It’s unlikely anything bad will happen to your sneakers, but there are some steps you can take to be extra safe.
So, what is the best way to clean white converse?
Take out the laces before putting the trainers and laces in the machine. Avoid bleaches and chlorinated products. Hang in the sun to air dry instead of using the machine if possible, this prevents damage and enhances the whitening effect.
What Is the Best Way to Clean White Converse?
- Remove laces from the sneakers
- Brush away any dry dirt with a dry brush
- Put your converse in the wash on a warm but not hot cycle to avoid melting any glues
- Put a few towels in with your shoes to prevent them from hitting the sides of the machine and getting damaged
- It’s best not to use the dryer – this can cause shrinking. Dry outside in the sun to accelerate the whitening effect
If there are any dark stains that you don’t think the washing machine will get rid of, you can pre-treat these in a few different ways.
How to remove stains from white converse and clean with baking soda
- Scrub with baking soda, vinegar, and a toothbrush
- Scrub with clear dish soap and a toothbrush
- Scrub with peroxide and a toothbrush
- Dab the stain with acetone (nail varnish remover) and a cotton pad
Let us know which of these worked for you – or if you have any other tried and tested methods!
How to Clean White Converse FAQs
It’s fine for white converse or other white sneakers to go in the washing machine. Hot water can melt glue and cause certain stains to set permanently, so keep washing temperatures mild and you should be good to go. For best results, try and remove any darker stains by scrubbing with a mild cleaning product and a toothbrush before putting them in the wash.
Baking soda is great for cleaning white converse. It’s a mild, but abrasive natural product that can get deep into the fibers without causing damage. After you’ve treated any bigger or darker stains with baking soda, throw your shoes in the washing machine on a mild and delicate cycle to remove any baking soda.
What Is the Best Way to Clean White Converses? – Final Thoughts
White converse are such a versatile staple that looks great with so many outfits.
And although they do look good when they’re a little worn, there comes a point when they’re past their best. This is when the washing machine is calling.
You might have heard scary tales of white sneakers going yellow after the wash. This tends to be because they’ve used bleach. Or, in some cases, the shoes were yellow from dirt and sweat – but covered up by dirt from the ground and other stains so you couldn’t see the yellowness until they were washed.
In most cases, you’re fine to wash your favorite white sneakers.
Just avoid hot temperatures, and strong detergents, and dry them in the sun and you’ll have them looking (almost) brand-new again.
