How to Clean White Basketball Shoes

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If you would like to know how to clean your white basketball shoes, then you are in the right place. Are you having difficulties removing dirt and stains from your white basketball shoes or basketball shoes in general? This is a problem that almost every basketball player has at one point in time or another.

We understand how important it is to keep your basketball shoes clean. It is vital that your shoes remain clean, not only from a cleanliness perspective but also for the shoe’s life expectancy. Your shoes will last longer if you are able to keep them at least moderately clean.

There are so many life hacks to do so many different things, so surely there are a few hacks, that can help us keep our basketball shoes pristine.  In our article today, we will review detailed ways in which you can keep your basketball shoes clean, even the white ones.

How Do You Clean Your Basketball ShoesHow Do You Clean Your Basketball Shoes?

There are a variety of ways, and the times that you can clean your basketball shoes. The method chosen to clean your basketball shoes should be dependent on the type of shoe you have, meaning the shoe’s materials and the amount of dirt or stains that you are trying to remove from the shoe.

It would be best if you tried to clean your basketball shoe as often as you can so that it does not require one big wash after extended use. The more you wash your basketball shoe, the more susceptible it becomes to damage.

If you make an effort to clean your basketball shoe at least after every other session, then this will significantly reduce the need for you to wash it. Here are a few ways that you can do light cleanings regularly:

Wipe with Mild Detergent

After you have used your basketball shoe, use a brush, toothpick, or any object that can remove debris from the shoe’s sole. Constant maintenance of the sole of your shoe will prevent it from getting easily punctured and worn down.

You can also try to avoid walking in your basketball shoe outside of the basketball court, and this should reduce the number of things that get stuck underneath. If you just used your basketball shoe and are doing a light cleaning, you can mix a mild detergent solution and use the solution to wipe off the shoe. Gentle detergent solutions are useful for removing dust and light stains from the shoe.

Doing this regularly will prevent you from needing to wash the shoe, at least for a long time. After you have made the water detergent solution, use a cloth or sponge to apply to the shoe and wipe away the dust.

How Do You Clean Your Basketball Shoes

Soap + Brush

Another light way to regularly maintain your shoe is to brush it with a soap solution. If you have tough stains that can’t be removed with a cloth or a sponge, you can use a brush with soft bristles that won’t damage your shoe’s material.

First, make a solution from eco-friendly detergent and then use the soft bristle brush to apply it to the shoe and while doing this and brush any hard to remove stains. After you have done this, your shoe may be soapy, so use a damp cloth to remove the excess soap.

Dry Brush

If your basketball shoe has accumulated some dust that does not need to be washed or wiped, you may not need to use a detergent-based solution. In cases like these were the basketball shoe only has dust on it, you can use a dry soft bristle brush to remove the dust.

If you have a white basketball shoe, it may be best if you use a damp cloth instead of a dry brush to avoid the shoe getting discolored. If you try to remove the dust with a soft bristle brush and there is still dust residue on the shoe, you can try to use the vacuum to remove them.

Now that we have covered the light ways to clean your basketball shoe let’s look at the more extensive cleaning method. Sometimes you don’t have the opportunity to regularly clean your basketball shoe, and dirt accumulates over time. This method will help you to get rid of the unwanted dirt.

Wash

Washing of the shoe can take various forms. The extent of the dirt or stain on the shoe should determine what type of wash you go for. When washing your shoe, regardless of the color, try not to use bleach or strong non-eco-friendly detergents.

Using these products on your shoe, even once, can significantly reduce the lifespan of the shoe as they weaken the materials. To wash your shoe, create a solution of water and mild soap. Remember to remove the laces and insoles from the shoe before washing it. Doing this will allow you to reach all areas of the shoe easily.

The same solution that you created with the detergent should be used to wash the laces and the insoles. You can wash the laces and use a soft brush to brush the insoles with the solution. If your insoles are sweaty and smelly, you can soak them in the solution before you start washing your shoe and then after you finished washing the shoe, you can then wash the insoles.

To wash your basketball shoe, make sure you only apply just enough water to clean the shoe. If it is a case where the shoe is really messy or smelly, and you need to wash everywhere on the shoe, it is perfectly fine to soak the shoe in the water and wash it with the soft brush. Doing this repeatedly may weaken the shoe, so try to clean the shoe regularly, so you do not have to do this thorough wash numerous times.

use a dry cloth to blot away excess water
After you have finished washing your shoe, use a dry cloth to blot away excess water if you only washed the outside. If the inside of your shoe did not get wet, air-dry your shoe in a warm place. If you washed the entire shoe and the inside is also wet, you should put the shoe in sunlight until it is dry.

There is nothing wrong with drying the shoe in the sun, just as long as you don’t do it too often. If you do not dry the shoe in the sunlight, and it dries slowly, it could end up smelling even worse than before.

Remember to always wear clean socks in your basketball shoes. You can also add shoe deodorant from time to time to minimize the odor coming from the shoe. If you get sweaty feet when you play basketball, try to wear thicker socks or double your socks, so that sweat cannot seep into your basketball shoes. This will significantly reduce the need for you to wash the shoe regularly.

3 Ways to Clean White Basketball Shoes3 Ways to Clean White Basketball Shoes

If you have white basketball shoes, they may be a little more difficult to clean than other colors because White is easily soiled and chose the darts I lost more. There are a few ways that you can maintain your white basketball shoes.

Wipe with toothpaste

Similarly to all other basketball shoes, we highly recommend that you clean the white ones as often as you can to prevent the need for washing. After you have worn your white basketball shoes, you can create a solution with toothpaste, detergent and water to wipe down the shoe.

Wipe the shoe with a piece of cloth or sponge so that it can maintain the white color. If you have a shoe that this primarily made of cloth or has hard to remove stains, you can apply the detergent toothpaste mixture we mentioned using a soft bristle brush. If the stains are difficult to remove, try to increase the ratio of detergent and toothpaste to water so that the solution will be stronger.

Cleaning White Shoes with OxiClean

Another hack to cleaning a white shoe is cleaning white shoes with the OxiClean, a detergent solution. OxiClean is a detergent that uses oxygen to fight hard to remove stains. Add some OxiClean to water and soak your shoe in the mixture.

After you have removed the shoe, use the soft bristle brush to wash it and this should remove almost any stain on your white basketball shoe. This method is not recommended to be used regularly because soaking your shoe a lot will weaken it.

Clean shoes with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide
Clean shoes with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide

Here’s how to clean shoes with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to remove stains and restore the white color. You would need to make a solution of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and water. The amount of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda you use should depend on the size of the shoe or the area you want to clean.

Usually, you can use anywhere from 1 to 2 tablespoons of each ingredient. The ratio of the mixture should be 1part water to 1part hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts baking soda. The more of the mixture you make, you may have to increase the baking soda to effectively form a paste.

After you’ve combined these ingredients into a paste, use a soft bristle brush to apply the paste to your shoe or the area that you want to clean. Allow the paste to dry and then you can wash it off with a wet sponge. Drying time is usually between 2 to 3 hours.

Remember to air-dry your shoe if the inside isn’t wet and sun dry if the inside is wet. For a faster drying time, use a dry cloth or sponge to blot away the excess water.

Can You Machine Wash White Basketball ShoesCan You Machine Wash White Basketball Shoes?

Technically you can put your shoes in the washing machine to be washed; however, you should not. If you put your shoes in the washing machine, the machine could wash them, but at the same time, it will damage them.

When you put your shoe in the washing machine it may not necessarily get out all the stains. Our advice would be not to use a washing machine to wash your basketball shoes regardless of the color.

Do's and Dont's of Cleaning White Basketball Shoes

Dos and Dont’s of Cleaning White Basketball Shoes

Do not practice washing them with bleach.
Do not practice washing them with a strong detergent.
Do not use the washing machine to wash them.
Do not use a stiff bristle brush.
Do not practice soaking them in water solutions very often.

Do use a mild detergent.
Do light cleans as often as possible.
Do use leather or suede friendly cleaners for suede and leather shoes.
Do use a cloth and soft bristles when possible.
Do air dry for mild cleans but sun dry when intensely washed.

Wrapping Things Up: How to Clean White Basketball Shoes

To clean your white basketball shoes, you should clean them at least every other time you use them with like detergents. If you have tough stains to remove, you can add toothpaste to your detergent solution.

You can use OxiClean or a solution of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda as homemade cleaning agents to remove stains from your white basketball shoes.

Did you find this helpful? Then also check out other basketball FAQ articles here.

> How to Clean a Basketball

> How to Wash a Swingman Basketball Jersey

> How to Wash a Basketball Jersey

> How to Add Grip to Basketball Shoes

Hoops Addict
Hoops Addict

Hoops Addict was created to help basketball fans of all ages learn more about the sport and find the best basketball gear to improve their ability to hoop. He has been a huge basketball fan for decades, watching thousands of basketball games through the years to learn the ins and outs of the game.

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