How To Get Grass Stains Out Of Shoes

We’ve all been there: having the time of our lives at an outdoor event like a festival, enjoying spending time with friends and family. Then, when you get home you realize your white shoes have turned green from grass stains!

It doesn’t just happen to white shoes though, nobody is safe from these pesky green marks that can ruin the aesthetic of your footwear.

However, that doesn’t mean you’ll just have to stay inside or wear plastic bags over your feet! Instead, a little aftercare for your shoes is all that’s needed.

In this guide, we’ll explain some of the best methods for getting rid of grass stains from any kind of shoes. None of these methods take too long so you’ll be back out in action in a matter of minutes!

Method 1: Vinegar

Believe it or not, vinegar is actually a pretty effective cleaning substance. It’s made from something called acetic acid which is powerful enough to dissolve dirt, grease and even grass residue left on your shoes.

The first step is to create a vinegar and water solution in a bowl. You want a vinegar to water ratio of around 1:2. This means that if you’re using half a cup of vinegar, you should mix it with one cup of water. The water should be warm, but not scalding hot so you won’t be scared to get any on your skin.

Then, simply use a toothbrush to scrub the vinegar solution onto the affected areas of your shoes. Obviously, you’ll want to use a different toothbrush to the one you use every day! Make sure you keep the toothbrush wet and keep dipping it back into the solution as frequently as needed.

Finally, use a dry washcloth to wipe away the solution from the affected part of your shoes. This removes all the bubbles and loosened dirt off of the shoe and allows you to see how much cleaner it is afterwards.

You should repeat the whole process as many times as you think is necessary until your shoes are looking as good as they used to!

Things To Remember

• Use white vinegar, as other types of vinegar might leave unwanted stains on your shoes.
• Scrub hard with the toothbrush – it’ll take a little elbow grease to get rid of really tough stains.
• Repeat the whole process as many times as you need until your shoes are clean again.

Method 2: Laundry Detergent

Naturally, laundry detergent is great at removing stains from all types of clothing, including shoes. It’s also something pretty much everyone will already have in their cupboards at home so shouldn’t require you buying any extra equipment.

This method works in a couple of different ways. You can use the exact same process as the vinegar method, just replacing the vinegar with detergent. You’ll probably find that both of these methods are equally as effective.

However, a better way to do it is to combine the two substances. After going through the vinegar method, put some laundry detergent onto a separate washcloth and scrub it all over your shoes- even the parts that weren’t covered in grass stains.

Once the whole shoe is covered in the detergent, leave it for around 15 minutes to dry and let the chemicals work their magic!

Finally, run the shoe under a cold tap to wash away all of the bubbles and loosened dirt and grime. You should find that all the grass stains have been removed by now and the whole shoe is looking cleaner and fresher than it did before.

Things To Remember

• Try to use detergents that contain bleach, as these will be much better at removing tough stains like grass.
• If you’re using a powder detergent, mix it with some water before applying it to your washcloth.
• Clean your sink or cleaning area thoroughly after you’ve carried out this method.

Method 3: Dish Soap

Just like detergent, dish soap is designed with cleaning tough stains in mind. Again, this method works in a very similar way to the previous two.

First, combine the dish soap with warm water in a bowl. You should use slightly less soap in this solution than you would with vinegar or detergent.

Then, use a toothbrush to scrub the affected areas with the solution and repeat as many times as is necessary.

Finally, wipe off the solution with a washcloth or rinse it off with cold water from a tap. Once the shoes are looking clean and the stain has been removed, leave it to air dry.

Things To Remember

• Use a smaller proportion of dish soap in the solution than you would with vinegar or detergent.
• You might need to scrub a little harder when using this method and it might take a few more repetitions to completely remove the stain.
• Leave the shoes to air dry once you’ve finished- never put them in a tumble dryer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Does Vinegar Remove Grass Stains From Shoes?

Vinegar is made with a chemical called acetic acid. This icaid is so powerful that it can dissolve through really tough stains caused by dirt, grease and mineral deposits. That’s what makes it such a good substance for dissolving and removing grass stains from shoes.

Does Toothpaste Remove Grass Stains?

Toothpaste is pretty useful when it comes to removing grass stains and you can use it in a similar way to how you might use other cleaning substances. Simply scrub the toothpaste on the affected area and rinse off with water.

However, this method of cleaning is a little more dangerous than others, particularly when cleaning white shoes. Some toothpastes can run the risk of leaving different colored stains on your white shoes, so be careful.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully you’re now a little less stressed about your favorite shoes being irreversibly stained by some pesky green grass. All of the methods we’ve talked about in this article will remove grass stains if you provide enough elbow grease and repeat the processes enough times.

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Of course, these aren’t the only methods, just the ones we think are the easiest and most effective. There are other ways to do it and some shoe care companies even produce specialist grass stain cleaning solutions so there are plenty of options out there for you.

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