How to Clean White Shoes With Baking Soda and Toothpaste

Clean white shoes make you look smart and fashionable. However, stains or dirt on white shoes usually pops out in an extremely ugly manner and can draw negative attention. If you wear white nursing shoes regularly, you most likely know how challenging it is to keep them clean. Chemicals, blood, and bodily fluids are some of the things that can ruin your white kicks at the hospital. Read this post to learn how to clean up your white shoes using baking soda, toothpaste, and other techniques.

See also: Why Do Nurses Wear White Shoes?

Table of Contents

4 Ways to Clean White Shoes

Using Baking Soda

If your white nursing shoes have become unsightly due to stains and other discolorations from the chemicals, blood, and bodily fluids you come in contact with, here is an excellent recipe to get them white again. It involves using baking soda and white vinegar.

What you will need:

Hot water (1 tablespoon)
White vinegar (1 tablespoon)
Baking soda (1 tablespoon)

Steps

Get a measuring cup or a small container and pour in the above materials. Mix until you get a consistent paste.
Next, apply the paste on your shoes using an old toothbrush. Be sure to apply the paste directly to the discolored areas or stains. Scrub gently in a circular movement. Apply the paste so it covers the shoe’s entire surface.
Once you are through with applying the paste on your shoes’ entire surface, take them outside to dry under the sun for three to four hours. Drying under the sun helps to whiten them as well.
When the paste has dried completely, knock off the dried paste by clapping the shoes together on a garbage can or some other hard surface. If there are still some leftovers of the paste, remove them with the aid of a scrub brush or a dry toothbrush.

This procedure can be used to get rid of stains and discolorations on suede, canvas, and leather shoes.

Combating Stains with Toothpaste

What you will need:

White (non-gel) toothpaste
Towel or microfiber cloth
Old toothbrush
A fan or a properly ventilated room

Steps

Get a towel or a microfiber cloth and wet its end. Next, gently wipe the towel or cloth across your shoes. Simply take care not to get the shoes soaked but slightly damp to enable the toothpaste foam up. This procedure can be used on sneakers, mesh, or fabric shoes.
Apply a blob of toothpaste (pea-sized) directly onto your white nursing shoes using a toothbrush. Spread out the toothpaste ensuring it covers the areas with heavy discolorations or stains. Using a circular motion, carefully drive the toothpaste into the fabric of your shoes and allow it to set for ten minutes. Remember to use white non-gel toothpaste for this procedure as other colors might end up staining your shoes.
Clean off the toothpaste and dirt using a wet cloth. Be careful to wipe off all the toothpaste from your shoes so there are no blemishes.
Take your shoes outside to dry under the sun for two to three hours. You can also use a fan to dry the shoes or dry them in a properly ventilated room. Do not store or wear the cleaned shoes until they are completely dry. When the drying process is over, your shoes should be a bit lighter in shade.

Using Bleach to Clean White Shoes

What you will need:

A container
Water
Toothbrush
Bleach
A properly ventilated room or a fan

Steps

Before using bleach to clean your white nursing shoes, you need to carefully dilute it first. Pour a small quantity of bleach and water into a container and mix thoroughly. The ratio of bleach to water should be 1:5. When working with bleach you should wear nitrile gloves to avoid any skin irritation. Also, be sure to do the mixing in a properly ventilated space.
Dip the toothbrush into the diluted bleach mixture and gently scrub your shoes using small, circular motions. Focus on areas with deep stains applying a bit of pressure on the shoe’s fabric.
When you are finished, rinse using warm water after which you leave the shoes to air dry for several hours. If possible, leave them overnight to air dry before you wear them.

See also: Best White Nursing Shoes

Deodorize Your Shoes Using Baking Soda

One other issue you may encounter with your white nursing shoes is an obnoxious odor. You are probably aware of that stinky shoe smell that can leave you ashamed and embarrassed or even lose your confidence at the workplace. Happily, good old baking soda is here to the rescue. You can use it for both the inside and outside of your beloved white kicks. Baking soda soaks up odors. You may already be aware of this from placing a box in your freezer or fridge. Your smelly shoes are no match for baking soda.

Measure out some baking soda into a container. You need about one to two tablespoons for each shoe depending on the size of your shoes. Bear in mind that you need enough baking soda that will cover the whole insole.
Make sure the heel of your shoes are dirt free and pour in the baking soda
Tip the shoe backward and forward and shake back and forth to evenly spread out the baking soda within the shoe. Do not worry if there are clumps and lumps, just be sure to use sufficient quantity so the entire shoe is covered.
Leave it to work for a few hours, if possible overnight. Odors and odor-causing bacteria will be eliminated by the baking soda.
Pat your shoes over a sink or garbage can to remove the residual baking soda from within the shoes. Give it a little shaking to ensure everything comes off. However, if you are not able to get everything off, the little that remains will not harm your shoes or legs.

Additional Tips to Protect your White Nursing Shoes

Once you take your shoes out of the box, it is a good idea to treat them using spray-on water and stain repellent. To ensure your shoes stay protected, this spray-on process should be repeated every few weeks.
Practice Regular spot cleaning. Do this by wiping off any scuffs or stains once you see them. Use a mild cleaning agent for this purpose. If you let stains remain too long after seeing them, they might infuse into the fabric making them a lot more difficult to remove.
Never clean your white shoes using a washing machine. This is because you may end up damaging them. Also, do not put your shoes in a dryer because they might shrink.
Now you can freely walk around on the hospital grounds. Move from one ward to the other with confidence. Take a leisurely walk through your neighborhood. Be proud of your newly cleansed pair of white nursing shoes.