If there’s one footwear everyone has to own, it’s a pair of white sneakers. The beauty and simplicity of white shoes are unmatched, and they never fail to complete almost any outfit – from casual to dressy outfits, and everything in between. All of these reasons make white shoes a staple in the shoe rack of every fashion-forward person.
Unfortunately, these white beauties accumulate dirt easily and can quickly look ragged if not taken care of. While many white-shoes fanatics take good care of their favorite pair of white sneakers, it’s easy to forget to clean the laces, which may affect the overall beauty of your shoes.
It’s important to give shoelaces more attention when trying to clean your white shoes, as dirty laces can make them look dirty, no matter how many times you obsessively clean them.
And don’t worry, cleaning these little white laces is much easier than cleaning the shoes. All you have to do is to keep reading as we show you a foolproof method to clean your white laces to perfection. So, without further ado, let’s get right into it!
How To Clean White Laces
You’d be surprised how easy it is to clean white shoelaces. This process consists of only seven simple steps and doesn’t take much time or effort. Here’s what you have to do to clean your white shoelaces to perfection:
- First things first, start by removing the shoelaces from the shoes. This way, you’ll be able to clean them separately, which gives you better results.
- Use a scrub brush or your hands to remove grime or loose dirt from the laces. Removing mud or dried dirt shouldn’t be difficult at all.
- Mix three teaspoons of bleach in a basin or sink with 1 gallon of water. Adding a little laundry detergent or soap can also help you clean the laces. Don’t forget to wear gloves and keep your hands off bleach-containing water to prevent skin irritation.
- Put the shoelaces in a mesh laundry bag and let them soak in the cleaning solution for a while. The laces should be stirred with a spatula or spoon for better results. If the laces keep floating on the surface, you can weigh them down with a dishwasher-safe plate.
- Next, use your washing machine to clean the lace. Put the laces in the washing machine while still in the laundry bag, and wash them in hot water with 1/2 cup of bleach and detergent.
- Now let the clean laces air dry by hanging them over a towel or sink. Depending on the temperature, your laces may need several hours to dry completely. You don’t want to dry them in a dryer as it may cause the laces to shrink or even damage the aglets. The elastic fibers that help the shoe stay laced may also be damaged.
- Re-lace the shoes. The ends of the laces could be wrapped with scotch tape to make them easier to fit through the eyelets if the aglets were damaged.
What About Colored Laces?
While white sneakers are staples, colored sneakers never fail to add this aesthetically-pleasing touch to our outfits. Like white shoelaces, colored ones can get dirty and lose their appeal. No problem, though. Cleaning colored laces is just as easy as cleaning white ones. All you have to do is to follow these simple steps:
- Remove the shoelaces from the shoes to make them easier to clean.
- Use a scrub brush or your hands to remove grime or loose dirt from the laces. Removing mud or caked and dried dirt should be pretty easy.
- Add a little laundry detergent or soap in a basin or sink. The shoelaces will be saturated with water. Soapy water helps in loosening dirt particles from the laces’ fabric.
- Give the laces a few minutes to thoroughly soak in soapy water and ensure the laces are completely submerged. For better results, the laces in the water should be stirred using a spatula or spoon. If the laces keep floating on the surface, you can weigh them down with a dishwasher-safe plate.
- To clean the laces, use a toothbrush or a little scrub brush. You want to be extremely careful handling the aglet since they can peel off or crack if you’re too rough.
- Rinse the laces by refilling the basin or sink with clean water. Repeat steps 2 through 6 if any dirt is still present to get the laces completely clean.
- Let the laces dry by hanging them over a towel or sink. Depending on the temperature, your laces may need several hours to dry. You don’t want to dry them in a dryer as it may cause the laces to shrink or even damage the aglets. Furthermore, the elastic fibers that help the shoe stay laced may be damaged.
- Re-lace the shoes. The ends of the laces could be wrapped with scotch tape to make them easier to fit through the eyelets if the aglets were damaged.
FAQs
How Often Should You Wash White Laces?
Unlike colored shoelaces, white shoelaces can look dirty quickly. All it takes is one wearing to start looking dirty. As a result, it’s recommended to bleach your white shoelaces and shoes after each wearing. On the other hand, you can get away with not cleaning colorful laces very often.
Consider purchasing colored laces for your white pair of shoes if you don’t want to constantly wash your shoelaces. You can wear them longer without appearing dirty too quickly.
How To Get Rid of Oil Stains on Laces?
Opt for a pumice-free orange hand cleaner to remove stubborn oil stains from your shoelaces – this cleaner works wonders on greasy clothes!
How To Store Shoelaces?
The shoelaces should be removed first if you intend to store your favorite pair of sneakers. The cleaned laces should be coiled and kept with the sneakers in a storage container like a stackable plastic box.
