Prevent Shoes Yellowing and Handy Cleaning Tips

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Shoe Yellowing and yellow marks on your shoes and sneakers can be frustrating for anybody. Nobody wants what was a fresh pair of white shoes to look faded with yellow marks.

In this helpful post I’ll share my tips for making your shoes white again and also some tips on preventing new shoes turning yellow.

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Why Do Shoes Turn Yellow?

There are various reasons why shoes can turn yellow and why yellowing can occur. Understanding why shoes turn yellow can help going forward with maintaining your white shoes.

1. The Sunlight Can Cause Yellowing

Sunlight can cause yellowing on many types of materials including leather and rubber soles. If you have worn your white shoes a lot then during that time the natural exposure to the sun and daylight can cause fading and chemical reactions that can make shoes turn yellow.

2. Detergent and Washing

You might with good intentions have been regularly cleaning your shoes. However, if you haven’t been thoroughly cleaning your footwear then dirt and sweat can still remain and mixed with any left over residue and moisture this can also cause yellowed shoes.

3. Dirt and Sweat

As I mentioned above dirty and sweaty shoes can cause yellowed shoes. This is especially the case if white shoes are poorly kept, not cleaned a lot and used a lot. Dirt and sweat isn’t going to do any good to the surface and soles of your shoes.

4. Oxidation

Footwear can become yellow because of oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical change that happens during the combination of a substance with oxygen. Like when water meets with water it can rust a similar effect can occur where your shoes surface meets oxygen and other substances and can make them yellow over time.

Can You Make Your Yellowed Shoes White Again?

The good news is you can get rid of yellowed stains and yellowing in general. It is highly possible that you can save your shoes and get them looking great again.

Tips On How To Remove Yellowing From Shoes

Below you will find some easy methods to your white shoes back to life. Take a look below at my top 3 methods below.

Tip 1 – Shoe Whitener

Shoe whitener can be a great way to bring yellow sneakers back to life with a fresh white look. I have used shoe whitener many times on yellow Adidas and Nike sneakers and it really does give you a shiny white finish.

The dab on bottles of shoe whitener are what I tend to use and have a sponge end to dab the whitener on to your shoes. This is an easy method that you will need to keep using to maintain a clean white finish to your sneakers.

The whitener covers up the yellow so you will need to reapply from time to time.

Tip 2 – Clean Yellow Soles with Bleach

A small amount of bleach mixed with warm water is a simple but effect method of hand cleaning your yellow shoes soles. This combined with a very small brush (a toothbrush is a good option) and gently scrubbing your shoes can bring them back to life.

You can also consider using a small amount of toothpaste with a small drop of water instead of bleach and water. Other proven methods include mixing baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.

If you don’t have a spare toothbrush you can use a cloth or small brush.

Tip 3 – 40 Creme Developer and Sunlight (TOP TIP)

You can fix yellowed shoes with 40 volume crème. Note that this method must be applied in clean and dry shoes. Your shoes cannot be wet!

Use a toothbrush to apply the 40 volume crème to the shoes and make sure that you cover every part with a good layer but without leaving any empty space.

You will now need a plastic wrap that’s a little longer than your shoes. Wrap the shoes in the plastic wrap with the sole down. Start at the toe of the shoe and then wrap it using plastic wrap. The plastic wrap is being used to trap the 40 volume crème in place, and make it hold in the heat.

The next step is to leave your shoes in the sun (ideally direct sunlight). This should bake the 40 volume crème which will whiten the shoes. We recommend rotating the shoes regularly to achieve the best results and make that yellow disappear.

You Can start with the shoes facing down with soles up and then place them with the sole down after 20 minutes or so. Placing the shoes in different positions is to ensure every part covered in 40 volume crème gets the sun light it needs to whiten.

Leave Your shoes exposed in direct sunlight for at least 45 minutes.

The last step is to remove the plastic wrap and use warm water and a scrubbing brush to carefully rinse the shoes off with the gently scrubbing of the brush.

Do not to soak the shoes with water. You only need enough water hit the shoes to help scrub off the 40 volume crème.

Depending on how yellow your shoes were to begin with, you might need to repeat the process a few times until you are happy with how white they are. Stick with the process and repeat as needed and the yellow will eventually be gone.

A bottle of 40 Volume crème is affordable and can be found at your local beauty store for as low as $5.

Tips on Preventing New White Shoes from Yellowing

Here are some tips on how to prevent new shoes or sneakers from yellowing. By undertaking these methods you will be putting off having to use our cleaning tips previously mentioned.

Tip 1 – Store Your Shoes in a Cool Dark Place

Store your new shoes in a cool dark place where they are away from the sun and higher temperatures that can cause yellowing. These are the ideal conditions to do less harm to your footwear in the long run.

Tip 2 – Vacuum Seal Your Shoes

If you are not wearing your shoes for some time then consider storing them in a vacuum sealed bag where there will be no oxygen present. This will prevent oxidation and if you can combine this with cool and dark conditions your shoes will be in great shape for when they are needed again.

Tip 3 – Buy a Dehumidifier – Expensive Option

By having a Dehumidifier in your closet or wherever you store your footwear you are preventing your shoes from becoming too dry and in some extreme cases preventing mold. This is quite an expensive solution though.

Conclusion

Yellowed shoes are not what anybody wants on their feet when they are out in public. Hopefully this post has helped with some ideas to bring some of your shoes back to life in all their white beauty and get rid of those yellow stains.

Remember properly storing your new shoes will also help a lot too.