Caring for Shoes

Clean white baby shoes by rubbing them with a raw potato, liquid nonabrasive cleaner, or alcohol before polishing. Or apply toothpaste with an old toothbrush, scrub gently, and wipe off. Let shoes dry before polishing.

Spray newly polished white baby shoes with hair spray to pre-vent polish from coming off.

Use baby wipes to remove black marks from white shoes.

Remove gum from the bottom of shoes by putting them in the freezer. Scrape the gum off when it's frozen.

Make white canvas shoes white again by washing them and polishing them with white shoe polish. Let them air-dry.

To keep the soles of shoes from being stained with polish, paint the edges with clear nail polish.

Use hair spray on stains on tennis shoes. Spray, leave for a few seconds, and wipe with a soft cloth. Or try toothpaste and a toothbrush or a soapy scouring pad. Use bleach or lemon juice in the rinse water if the shoes are white. Even foam bathroom cleaner can be effective on leather sneakers.

Spray new sneakers with Scotchguard fabric protector to keep dirt from becoming embedded. Grass stains and mud will come out easier. Spray after every wash.

Clean the bottoms of children’s tennis shoes by using an old toothbrush or potato scrubber. Rinse under warm water.

Dry out wet tennis shoes overnight by placing them on their sides in front of the refrigerator. The fan should produce constant warm air to dry them.