How to clean white trainers: leather, canvas and mesh

What you need

• a soft brush, such as an old toothbrush or a soft shoe brush
• washing-up liquid or a mild trainer cleaner
• a bowl of warm water
• clean cloths
• a melamine cleaning sponge, for the soles
• newspaper or paper towels

Before you start

• Check the maker's care instructions on the box, the tongue label or the brand's website. Some trainers can go in the washing machine and many cannot.
• Test anything new on a small, hidden area first.
• Use one product at a time, and never mix cleaning products.
• Avoid chlorine bleach. It can turn white materials yellow and damage leather, glue and mesh.

Step 1: laces and insoles out

Take the laces out and set them aside. Remove the insoles if they come out easily. Cleaning them separately lets you reach the tongue and the eyelets.

Step 2: brush off dry dirt

Knock the soles together outside to shake off loose dirt, then brush the uppers and soles with a dry brush. Getting the dry dirt off first stops you turning it into mud.

Step 3: clean the uppers

Leather

Mix a few drops of washing-up liquid into warm water. Dip a cloth or soft brush in, squeeze out the excess and wipe the leather in small circles. Wipe again with a clean damp cloth, then dry with a towel. Do not soak leather. Once it is dry, a little leather conditioner keeps it supple.

Canvas

Canvas can take a little more scrubbing. Use the soft brush and soapy water, working into the weave, then wipe with a clean damp cloth. For grubby areas, a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, brushed in and left for half an hour before rinsing, can help.

Mesh and knit

Mesh is delicate. Dab rather than scrub, using a soft brush and very little water, so you do not push dirt deeper or stretch the knit.

Suede panels

Many white trainers have suede or nubuck trims. Keep water off them where you can and clean them with a suede brush and eraser instead. Our guide to cleaning suede shoes and boots explains how.

Step 4: the soles

Midsoles and outsoles get the dirtiest. Scrub them with the brush and soapy water, or rub them with a damp melamine sponge, which lifts scuffs well. Keep the melamine sponge off the uppers, especially leather, as it is slightly abrasive.

For grime in the tread, an old toothbrush or a cocktail stick works well.

Step 5: laces and insoles

• Laces: soak them in warm soapy water, rub them between your hands and rinse. You can also put them in a small mesh bag in the washing machine with a normal load.
• Insoles: wipe them with a damp cloth and a little washing-up liquid, then leave them to air dry. Sprinkling a little bicarbonate of soda inside the dry trainers overnight, then shaking it out, can help freshen them.

Step 6: dry them properly

Stuff the trainers with newspaper or paper towels to soak up moisture and hold their shape. Leave them at room temperature, out of direct sun. Change the paper after a few hours if it is wet.

Do not put them on a radiator, in front of a fire or in the tumble dryer. Heat can warp them, weaken the glue and turn white materials yellow.

What about the washing machine?

Some canvas trainers can be machine washed if the maker says so. If yours can, remove the laces and insoles, put the trainers in a pillowcase or mesh bag, use a cool, gentle cycle with a little detergent, and dry them as above. Never machine wash leather, suede or trainers with a lot of glue, unless the care instructions allow it.

Keeping them white

• Wipe them down after each wear, especially the soles.
• Use a protector spray suitable for the material.
• Store them out of direct sunlight, which can yellow white materials.

Buying second-hand trainers

Dirty trainers often clean up well, but some things do not. Check:

• Creasing across the toe box, which cleaning will not remove
• Yellowed soles, which are hard to reverse
• Worn heels and outsoles
• The inside, including the heel lining and insoles
• The insole length in cm, which matters more than the size on the label. Our shoe size conversion guide explains why.

If the photos do not show these, tap Message the seller and ask.

Selling trainers

Clean them first, using the steps above, and fit fresh laces if the old ones are grey. Then photograph them in daylight from both sides, the front, the back and the soles. Our guide to photographing clothes to sell covers the basics.

The short version

Laces and insoles out, brush off dry dirt, then clean gently with warm soapy water and a soft brush. Use a melamine sponge on the soles only, dry everything slowly at room temperature, and keep bleach and heat away.