Sneaker cleaning hacks and pro tips (and the hacks to skip)
Plenty of sneaker cleaning hacks work. Plenty of others quietly yellow soles, crack leather, or melt glue. These are the ones our store team actually uses, plus a homemade cleaning solution for everyday dirt.
Updated · Sneakky Klean
A homemade sneaker cleaning solution
For everyday dirt on canvas, mesh, rubber, and smooth leather, this simple mix does most of what a bottled cleaner does:
- About 2 cups of cool to lukewarm water
- A few drops (roughly half a teaspoon) of gentle dish soap
- Optional for soles only: a spoonful of baking soda mixed into a paste
Brush it on, lift it off with a microfiber cloth, and wipe away the residue with a clean damp cloth. Keep this solution off suede and nubuck, which should be cleaned dry. See our material guide for the details.
Sneaker cleaning hacks that actually work
- Dry brush first, every time. Most dirt comes off dry. Adding water first turns dust into mud.
- Put the solution on the brush, not the shoe. You control how wet the shoe gets, which protects the glue and the lining.
- Use a melamine sponge on smooth rubber midsoles. It works well on scuffs. Go gently on painted midsoles.
- Wash laces separately. Soak them in your leftover solution. Clean laces make a pair look cleaner than anything else you do.
- Dry with paper, not heat. Stuffing the shoes with paper draws out moisture and holds the shape. Swap it out after a few hours.
- Use baking soda for odor. Sprinkle it into dry shoes overnight and tip it out in the morning.
- Wipe little and often. A quick wipe after a wear stops stains from setting. Keeping a pack of sneaker wipes nearby is the easiest habit to keep.
- Protect before the damage. A water-repellent spray on clean, dry suede and canvas makes the next clean much easier.
Popular hacks to skip
- Bleach. It strips color and turns white rubber yellow over time.
- The dryer, hair dryer, or a radiator. Heat can loosen sole glue and shrink foam midsoles.
- Toothpaste on everything. Whitening toothpaste is mildly abrasive. It can dull leather finishes and leave a film in mesh.
- Machine-washing leather or suede. It can stiffen, crack, or permanently mark them.
- Strong solvents like acetone or nail polish remover. They can dissolve finishes, paint, and glue.
Pro tips from the store
Work top-down. Clean the uppers before the soles so dirty water does not run onto panels you have already finished.
Know when to stop. If a stain is not lifting after two gentle passes, more scrubbing usually damages the material faster than it removes the stain. That is the point to take them to a professional.
Rotate your pairs. Shoes that get a day off dry out fully between wears, which keeps them fresher and helps them hold their shape for longer.
Questions?
Quick answers to what people ask most about this topic.
What is a good homemade sneaker cleaning solution?
Mix a few drops of gentle dish soap into about two cups of cool to lukewarm water. For soles, add a little baking soda to make a paste. Use it on canvas, mesh, rubber, and smooth leather, but not on suede or nubuck.
Can I use Dawn dish soap to clean my sneakers?
Yes. A small amount of mild dish soap diluted in water is safe for most canvas, mesh, rubber, and smooth leather sneakers. Wipe the residue away afterwards. Avoid it on suede and nubuck.
Can I take my sneakers to the cleaners?
Some dry cleaners accept shoes, but many do not specialize in them. A dedicated sneaker cleaning service uses material-specific products and methods. Sneakky Klean takes drop-offs at its stores and mail-in orders from anywhere in North America.
How do I clean shoes with a shoe cleaner?
Dilute the cleaner as the label says, apply it to a wet brush rather than directly onto the shoe, work it into a light foam, and lift the foam off with a microfiber cloth. Let the shoes air dry at room temperature.
How do you clean worn shoes?
Use several gentle cleaning passes instead of one aggressive scrub, clean and deodorize the insoles and lining, and let the pair dry fully between passes. Separated soles, peeling paint, and deep yellowing need a professional repair or restoration.
Keep reading
Hacks only go so far.
For deep stains, yellowing, and the pairs you can't risk, book a Signature Klean ($34.99) or Premium Klean ($49.99) for designer and delicate materials.