Stains
- Rub a small amount of petroleum jelly on the leather that borders the elastic straps.
- Wet a toothbrush by holding it under running water or dipping it in a cup of water.
- Squeeze a pea-sized ball of white toothpaste onto the toothbrush.
- Scrub the elastic straps with the toothbrush.
Using cold water to wash your stretch clothing and air-drying whenever possible will help maintain elasticity over time. Washing inside a mesh garment bag can also help prevent your pieces from twisting and overstretching.
Squeeze some toothpaste onto an old toothbrush and work in circular motions on the stains. Let the paste stand on the shoes for 10-15 minutes. Use a damp towel or clean sponge to wipe the paste off the shoe. Repeat as needed until the stain is gone.
In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda, one-half tablespoon water and one-half tablespoon hydrogen peroxide to create a smooth paste. Gently brush the mixture into the shoe's surface with an old toothbrush, just firm enough to work out any loose dirt and work the paste in. Brush on a second coat of paste.
How to remove a stain:
- Create a solution with equal parts vinegar, dish soap, and water.
- Soak the stain in the cleaning solution.
- Scrub vigorously with a brush or toothbrush.
- Rinse with lukewarm water and repeat the process until the stain is gone.
Using liquid detergent, run the washer on a cold delicate cycle. Depending on your washer, the wash time varies from 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the sneakers from the washer and allow them to air dry. NEVER put shoes in the dryer, as the heat may warp them or damage the glue that keeps them together.
You can keep your sneakers fresh with a few easy cleaning steps:
- Dry brush. Remove dirt from the outsole, midsole, and uppers using a dry, soft-bristled shoe brush.
- Make a mild cleaning solution. Mix warm water with a small amount of laundry detergent.
- Wash laces.
- Wash soles.
- Wash and blot.
- Air dry.
Sandals such as Tevas have rubbery soles, and many sandals have leather and hide-like soles. These materials do not absorb the sweat that normally exudes from the bottom of your feet. Thus, when you remove the sandals, that stagnant, built up for hours sweat evaporates into wonderful odors for you and others to enjoy.
11 Ways to Freshen Smelly Sandals
- Leave your shoes out in the sun.
- Dilute white vinegar with water to make a solution.
- At the end of the day, cover the footbed with baking soda.
- Coat shoes with baby powder or anti-fungal powder to absorb moisture throughout the day.
- Leave one or two orange peels in the shoes overnight, suggests the Huffington Post.
To keep your footwear fresh, spray the entire footbed with Birkenstock Cleaner & Refresher and wipe away excess moisture and dirt with a cloth. Brush suede and nubuck footbeds with a Nubuck/Suede brush to restore the nap.
Despite good hygiene and clean feet, rubber sandals tend to smell after several wearings. The cause is not necessarily sweat, as you might think, but a collection of bacteria on the sandal itself. Many products kill bacteria, and because rubber is washable, the problem of stinky sandals is easily fixed.
As shared on IDreamOfClean, the easiest way to clean rubber flip-flops, including the footbed, is simply tossing them "in the washing machine with your regular laundry detergent and warm water. After the washing machine cycle is finished, take them out and let them air dry."
Consider Baking Soda for the SmellIf your sandals are clean but suffer from a smelly odor, you can consider using baking soda to keep them smelling fresh and clean. You don't want to clean the sandals if they're not in need of a cleaning. Instead, place your sandals in a plastic bag and sprinkle them with baking soda.
Apply Nikwax Sandal Wash™ by hand
- Rinse item with clean water to remove loose dirt and to dampen surface.
- Shake well before use.
- Apply generously over the area to be cleaned.
- If very dirty scrub with a stiff nylon brush (e.g. nail brush).
- Rinse well with clean water.
- Dry away from direct heat.
Use products that will remove the odor rather than those that will simply cover it.
- Plug the sink and fill it with lukewarm water.
- Add 2 drops of liquid dishwashing detergent.
- Mix the water until it is sudsy.
- Put the Adidas Slides in the soapy water.
- Scrub the slides with a scrubbing brush.
Go ahead and wear them without fear, because Tevas are totally waterproof. According to the Tevas website, the shoes are waterproof rather than resistant, so not only are they comfortable, but they're also extremely durable.
Take a clean cloth and dip it in hydrogen peroxide. Moisten it well and rub it over the yellow stains in circular motions. If the stains are very stubborn and refuse to come off with hydrogen peroxide, then you might want to try leaving the hydrogen peroxide on to the stains for 30 minutes before removing it.
To clean the plastic parts of the shoes properly, keep a few inexpensive cleaning items on hand, and clean the shoes as needed.
- Dip a cleaning rag in white vinegar, and rub over the plastic areas of the shoes.
- Dip an old toothbrush into the vinegar, and scrub along crevices or in hard-to-reach areas.
