What to do if your sneakers turn yellow after washing
Your favorite white sneakers have turned yellow after washing, and they're no longer appealing. What should you do? Should you throw them away and ditch the white color forever? We don't think you should take such a drastic step; we suggest trying to restore your sneakers to their original whiteness. There are several ways to do this, and we'd like to share them with you.
Why do sneakers turn yellow after washing?
To restore your sneakers to their original white color, you need to understand why they're turning yellow in the first place. What's the nature of the yellow stains? Perhaps this can help combat them. There can be several reasons for yellowing shoes.
- One of the most common causes is improper drying. Most shoe owners, in an attempt to speed up the drying process, dry their shoes outside in the sun. While this does dry the sneakers faster, after a while, the UV rays begin to yellow. This may not happen immediately, but it may take several drying sessions.
- Rinse with a small amount of water. In other words, the detergent was not properly rinsed out of the sneakers' fabric, which, after drying, appeared as yellow stains.
The water for washing and rinsing should be warm, but not hot! This can also cause the sneakers to turn yellow.
- Another reason is the wrong choice of detergent or the low quality of such detergent.
- Rarely, yellow stains can be caused by improper preparation of shoes for washing.
- The cause may be chemical reactions between the powder and the sole material.
- Pay attention to the water you're washing your sneakers in. Is it clean? Sometimes, when water pipes are replaced in a neighborhood, small particles of rust appear in the water, making it cloudy.
Yellow stains can appear not only on the outside of shoes but also on the inside. For people who sweat excessively, yellow stains can be caused by sweat. If washed incorrectly, these stains will show through. No matter how careful you are, you'll have to deal with these stains.
A working method to get rid of yellowness
From the comments, we concluded that the best way to get rid of yellowness is the method suggested by our website visitor, Oksana. She described it at the bottom of the page in the discussion of this article:
"I've been struggling with my sneakers for a long time. And finally, I found a solution. So, hand-wring out your washed white sneakers or trainers. Then stuff paper inside. And most importantly, take thin napkins and wrap them completely around them. So the paper gets soaked and sticks. Then you can put them in a regular, warm place. All the yellow stains will remain on the paper, and you'll be wearing white sneakers again. Good luck!"
Judging by the reviews, this method really works. You can thank Oksana in the comments below.
Bleach and soap
The first thing that comes to mind when removing stains from white fabric is, of course, bleach. There are many options, but oxygen-based bleach is best. Before washing sneakers with bleach, you need to prepare them:
- remove laces and insoles;
- wash the soles from dirt.
Remember! Only bleach clean shoes, otherwise the desired effect will not be achieved.
Next, soak the shoes in warm water with bleach or laundry detergent for a couple of hours. However, this doesn't mean you should just put them in the water and leave them there for two hours. From time to time, sneakers need to be scrubbed with a brush; you can use a toothbrush. We clean not only the top of the shoes, but also the inside.
If yellow stains are stubborn, try using toothpaste. Sprinkle the powder on the stain and brush it away. You can repeat the soaking process a couple of times, changing the water each time. Once the sneakers have reached the desired color, begin rinsing them generously with clean water.
If yellow spots have just appeared and are light in color, you can try to whiten them with soap. Just use bleaching soap instead of laundry soap for this. For example, "Ushasty Nyan," "Sarma," and "Clean & White" soaps. Wet the shoes, lather them, and rub them in, leaving them for 30-40 minutes before rinsing off the soap. Repeat several times.
Toothpaste and toothbrush
Toothpaste works well to remove yellowing from shoes. You don't need an expensive one; regular toothpaste with a whitening effect will do. The toothpaste itself should also be white, without any blue or red particles. Otherwise, instead of whitening, your sneakers will be stained.
We carry out the procedure as follows:
- lightly moisten the surface of the shoe, it should not be wet;
- apply the paste to a damp sponge, white cloth or toothbrush;
- three dirty areas of shoes;
- leave the paste for 20-30 minutes;
- Let's clean everything again;
- wash off the paste;
- rinse thoroughly;
- we dry.
Note: Toothpaste whitens not only shoe fabric but also rubber soles.
Peroxide and ammonia
Ammonia, a tried-and-true remedy, can help remove yellow stains from white sneakers. Some people underestimate its effectiveness due to improper use, but it's still effective. Make sure your sneakers are clean and dry before applying. Soak a bandage or cotton pad in ammonia and rub the yellowed area. Leave it for 20-30 minutes, then rub again. The stains don't start to fade immediately, so you'll have to repeat the procedure up to 10 times, which will require patience. Finally, the shoes are rinsed and dried.
You can restore the white color using hydrogen peroxide. To do this, mix it with vinegar and laundry detergent in a 1:1:1 ratio. Rub the resulting paste onto the sneakers and leave it to work on the stains. After 30-40 minutes, rinse, and dry.
Let's try to paint over it
And finally, the last resort is to dye yellowed shoes. Stores offer special shoe dye that's very easy to use at home. The dye will cover not only the yellowed areas of the fabric but also other stains.
The paint comes in a spray can and comes with instructions. So, read them carefully before use and follow every step. The result will be brand new, sparkling white sneakers.
Washing instructions
If the shoes don't have any small glued-on parts and the manufacturer allows them to be washed in a washing machine, machine washing is perfectly fine. Some people are terrified of washing any shoes in a washing machine, thinking it will ruin them immediately. This is unfair, because if you follow the washing instructions for machine-washing sneakers, washing them will cause much less damage than hand washing. What are these washing instructions?
- Before washing, you need to unlace your sneakers, take out the insoles, and then put the shoes in laundry bag and only then put it into the washing machine drum.
If the shoes are heavily soiled, they should be treated with detergents before machine washing.
- Choose powders and gel cleaners that don't contain chlorine. Chlorine-based detergents will darken your sneakers.
- Choose a gentle wash cycle, which will cause the drum to rotate slowly. The spin cycle must also be turned off.
- Shoe laces are best washed by hand. If you throw them in the washing machine, there's a risk they'll slip into the drum and then get stuck in the drain.
- If your washing machine has a drying function, do not use it under any circumstances. Forced drying in the drum of a washing machine will definitely cause your sneakers to turn yellow and become misshapen.
- Use the extra rinse function.
When washing sneakers by hand, you also need to remember some rules. The main rule: do not use aggressive chemicals, especially those containing chlorine and acids. When washing shoes in a basin, do not scrub too hard to avoid damaging the shoes. Also, make sure the brushes do not have coarse, abrasive surfaces or bristles. Wash and rinse the shoes only at 30-35 degrees Celsius (86-95 degrees Fahrenheit). Rinse at least five times.
The more carefully you care for your white sneakers, the longer they'll last. The less likely they are to turn yellow. We hope you now know how to wash white canvas shoes. Be careful!
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I've been struggling with my sneakers for a long time. And finally, I found a solution. So, hand-wring out your washed white sneakers or trainers. Then stuff paper inside. And most importantly, take thin napkins and wrap them completely around them. So the paper gets soaked and sticks. Then you can put them in a regular warm place. All the yellow stains will remain on the paper, and you'll be wearing white sneakers again. Good luck!
Thank you so much! I didn't expect stain removal to be so easy. Such a long article, and all I need to do is take your advice!
Thank you! This advice really works.
Thanks for the advice! I tried it and it worked great!
Your advice is wonderful in its simplicity and effectiveness. Thank you!
You are priceless, Oksana! Thank you so much!
Oksana, hello, I read about your advice yesterday and tried it right away. It really does work. All the yellowing on the paper remained, but my sneakers are now sparkling white! Thank you so much, I was almost disappointed.
Helpful article! Thank you!
Did you wash it by hand or can you wash it in the machine too?
Yellow stains on my sneakers after washing are apparently caused by hard water. If I do the last two rinses in warm filtered water or boiled water, there are no stains. At least, it worked for me.
It's best to use white toothpaste and a toothbrush. Rub it in, leave it on for 20-30 minutes, and rinse. You can wash it once, though. The main rules: don't use hot water, rinse thoroughly to remove any detergent, and dry it out of the sun. They'll definitely turn yellow without you doing that. 🙂
I washed my sneakers yesterday, then threw them in the dryer, and ended up with yellow stains all over the edges. What should I do?
Denis, take Oksana's advice in the first comment below the article. It's the perfect solution to your problem.
This yellowing is glue and dirt that rises up from the sole and insole along with water through capillaries, settling anywhere on the white fabric of the sneaker. Dry them with the sole facing up, making sure the fabric doesn't touch anything (or whatever you choose).
Thanks for such simple and effective advice! The sneakers dried in the paper, and there was no trace of the yellow stains left. I deliberately left the bookmark open to check if it was true. And to leave a comment. Absolutely true!
I also deliberately didn't close the tab. After washing my sneakers in the washing machine, they were covered in yellow stains. I washed them again following this advice. They are clean again!
Oksana, thank you, kind soul! One comment from you is worth more than all the articles on the internet.
I've thrown out so many white sneakers, why didn't I find this article sooner? This method works 100%, the sneakers are pristine white, like new, and there are no yellow stains after drying! Thanks so much for the advice!
I'm shocked! This method really works! Thank you so much, I'm thrilled!
Thank you! The method works.
Thank you!