So long scuffs – how to keep your sneakers spotless
So long scuffs – how to keep your sneakers spotless
Kathleen Lee Joe
14:47, Jun 21 2015
Shoe trends come and go, but sneakers are forever.
They can be dressed up and down and are so comfy and cushiony, they feel like walking on clouds. Wearing them daily, however, means they can go from sparkly new to downright grotty fairly quickly.
Gone are the days when we’d deliberately rough up our Chucks, subjecting them to dirt and beer stains for added punk-rock cred. These days, we like our New Balance 574s clean and our Nike ticks pristine.
Though everything from denture tablets to kitty litter has been thrown up as a suggestion on Reddit, these tips are tried and tested by yours truly…
Midsole
One avid sneakerhead I know meticulously nurses his collection with a soft-bristled baby’s toothbrush (to avoid pilling) and Napisan every evening before bed. This sort of obsessive compulsive cleaning probably doesn’t sit well with sane people, but the toothbrush does work wonders on scuffed-up midsoles.
If you don’t have Napisan on hand, bicarb soda and toothpaste works just as well on white rubber.
READ MORE: * Why you should wear trainers with evening dresses * eBay bidders go crazy for Kanye West Yeezy sneakers * How to wear sneakers with a suit
Outsole
The sneaker connoisseurs at
Complex
recommend a solution of 70 per cent eco-friendly dish soap and 30 per cent water.
Wet the bottom and brush with the lines of the sole, using a stiffer hog bristle brush to scrub until clean. For hard-to-reach crevices, an iPhone toolkit comes in handy to get rid of the gunk.
Insole
Got something funky going on in there? Try a sprinkling of powder to absorb the odour and moisture.
Though Redditors recommend everything from activated charcoal, kitty litter and denture tablets, we swear by Lush’s T For Toes, which is a mix of bicarbonate, kaolin clay and tea tree oil. Simply place a dryer sheet or two in your sneakers, as well as some T For Toes, and let them sit overnight before dusting out the next day.
If it’s nuclear-level stink, you may want to consider changing the insoles.
Gone are the days of deliberately roughing up our Chucks. PHOTO: MIKE HEYDON/FAIRFAX NZ
Deep Clean
That pair of canvas tennis shoes you wore to the multi-day music festival in the rain? Amazingly, still salvageable.
Try tossing them in the washing machine with colour-fast detergent for a deep clean. (Avoid bleach as this can cause whites to yellow.) Choose a gentle wash – I used the delicate cotton setting – in cold water.
Others swear by running their kicks through the dishwasher with usual dish detergent, though I am yet to try it. Just ensure you remove them before the dry cycle, as this can damage the rubber.
Laces
When using the washing machine, avoid tangling the laces by placing your sneakers in a pillowcase tied up with a hair tie or a bra wash bag and add a few towels for extra padding.
Drying
Allow your sneakers to air dry in the sun. This may take a few days. Don’t rush it, as the fibres will stretch and fray if pressure is applied when wet.
Of course, the washing machine and dishwasher method don’t work for suede or nubuck. Sorry, New Balance 996s. Try a suede eraser brush, which allows you to rub out stains and spots without ruining the material.
dailylife.com.au
most popular
Man shot dead by police, six injured, after terror attack at Auckland’s LynnMall Countdown
Covid-19 live: 28 new Covid cases; record Auckland vaccination day
Cyber-attack on customer and an error took down NZ’s third-largest ISP
Recap: Auckland supermarket stabbings a terror attack, Prime Minister says
Wellington’s waterfront slide to be dismantled after three children under 5 break legs
Man shot dead after stabbing at mall had been sentenced for possessing Isis propaganda
Urgent bid made to lift suppressions around ‘lone-wolf’ supermarket terrorist
Covid-19: 28 new cases in Delta community outbreak, but officials warn of ‘long tail’
Police backtrack on dramatic crash rescue story after dashcam disputes events
Quiz: Afternoon trivia challenge: September 3, 2021