For cleaning white shoes, or to clean tennis shoes or other white athletic shoes, often the only things you need are a rag, some warm water, detergent, an old soft toothbrush, and some whitening toothpaste. Start by removing the laces and soaking them in some warm water and laundry detergent. Next, grab a soft rag, dip it in some warm warm water mixed with detergent, squeeze out the excess, and start wiping. Re-dip often to rinse the dirt out of the rag. After that's done, put a little whitening toothpaste on your old soft toothbrush and gently brush all of the white spots on your shoes in a circular motion. Do this for the soles as well as the uppers. When done, use a clean rag dipped in fresh water to wipe the toothpaste off with. Finally, remove your laces from the water/detergent mix, rinse them in the sink, allow them and the shoes to dry, re-lace, and enjoy.
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Cleaning leather shoes that are smooth is really quite easy. If the shoes have laces, remove those first. Second, grab a soft shoe brush and use it to go over the entire surface of the shoe. This will help remove dust and dried-on dirt. After that, put about two cups of room temperature water into a bowl and add one good squirt of gentle pH-neutral hand soap like Method or Ecover. Gently stir in the soap. Grab a rag, dip it in the mixture, and squeeze out the excess so that it is only slightly damp. Next, re-dipping frequently and always using a clean section of rag, go over the entire outer surface of the shoe. Once it's been completely wiped down, go over it again with a new rag dipped in straight fresh water to remove the soap. Using one more soft rag, wipe the shoes dry. Once dry, be certain to recondition the leather and, if desired, give it a good polishing.
How to clean suede shoes
People, for no good reason, get nervous when it comes to cleaning suede shoes. It's actually pretty easy. For general dirtiness or muddiness, let the shoes dry first and start with a clean towel or a suede brush, and go over the entire shoe with it. Make sure to run the towel or brush in one direction only. This will not only raise the nap, it will also help remove dirt. After brushing, go over any bad spots with a suede eraser. This will transfer most spots from the shoe to the eraser. For scuffs, rub back and forth over the scuff with your suede brush. If you're trying to remove water marks, wet the entire shoe down with a damp rag, wipe any excess water off with a sponge, stuff the insides of the shoes with a shoehorn, white tissue, or blank newsprint so they retain their shape, allow the shoes to dry slowly in an area without sunlight or direct heat, and finally, once dry, brush them in one direction with a suede brush to restore the nap. Always apply suede protector to
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