If you’ve ever wondered how to clean the white sides of shoes, look no further! I knew you could throw many types of trainers into the washing machine, (which these haven’t been…yet), but that never seems to touch the sides on the grotty white rubber bits.
Our 9 year old was trying to clean up her bashed up Converses with some wet wipes, without really getting anywhere. Then she asked me if I thought nail polish remover would work on the white bits. She’s seen me bring it out for all sorts of things, including trying to save the white board when someone used permanent marker on it.
For the record, nail varnish remover got the permanent marker off the white board, but it also changed the surface such that board rubbers never seem to really work so well on the wipe dry markers after that. Oops.
I thought it might do similar to her trainers, but as she’s almost grown out of them it wouldn’t matter if in the name of science, they dissolved into a fizzy mess.
So, we tackled one shoe with cotton balls, nail varnish remover and a bit of good old fashioned elbow grease, and VOILA!
Having had a quick google about how to clean the white sides of shoes, I realise I’m the last to hear about anything as usual, and that my daughter was very forward thinking. Apparently you can also use baking soda mixed with a little water and a toothbrush to scrub instead of nail polish remover.
The insides…
The outsides…
and one last time…
…and then swap the old worn laces out for some satin ribbon!
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Fascinating! I think you answered a long standing question I have always had. I often see mums – and only mums – with pristine white Converse trainers. It is one of those arease where there is simply no equality: only women pull off this look. I’ve long wondered how they do it. Now I know!!! #BrilliantBlogPosts
Oh isn’t that funny – round here it’s the male ‘youths’ with pristine white trainers! Do you think you’ll start whitening up now you know how? Personally I’m happy with the comfy’ look 🙂