From Keds to Converse, canvas shoes have been popular for ages, and while they are super cute, they can get dirty quick. No worries, I can show you how to clean canvas shoes in a snap!
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As a child, I can remember wearing either Keds or Converse shoes to school every day. They were all the rage then, and they are still super popular among children and adults alike. The only complaint I ever really had about these canvas shoes was that they got dirty really easily, and once they were dirty, they weren't exactly easy to clean. If you bleached them, they could turn yellow and the canvas could tear, and washing them in the washer could cause them to shrink a bit or tighten up. Now that my daughter is wearing them regularly, I needed to find an easy way to clean them without damaging them.
How to Clean Converse and Keds
What you will need:
- 1 cup hydrogen peroxide ( Purchase HERE )
- ¼ cup dish liquid ( Purchase HERE )
- Scrub brush . ( Purchase HERE )
- Magic Eraser sponge ( Purchase HERE )
- Water
Step 1: Make the canvas shoe cleaning solution by mixing 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide with ¼ cup of dish liquid.
Step 2: Dry brush any dirt off of shoes, then use a scrub brush to work the cleaning solution into the canvas shoes. Make sure to clean the tongue of the shoe and the shoe strings as well.
Step 3: Let the solution sit on the shoes for at least 10 minutes so it can do its magic!
Step 4: Rinse the shoes with cold water.
Step 5: Let the shoes air dry overnight.
Step 6: Use a Magic Eraser sponge to clean any rubber areas of the shoes.
This easy method will help clean your canvas shoes so you and your kiddos can wear them all year!
Check out all of my easy cleaning tips and trick HERE on my Home Tips Page!
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Jeni says
What a great idea. Sure wish I would of known about this when my kids were in school. Thank you for coming up with ideas to make life more simple for all of us plus saving us money! You are the greatest!
Jessica says
Thank you for the kind words, you are so welcome!
Phyllis says
The shoes look great, but the cost of cleaning solution is more than $4.50. That seems very pricey. I'm guessing that amount of solution is needed for one pair of shoes. There must be a less expensive way to clean the shoes..
Jessica says
Hi, Phyllis! I typically buy my products at the grocery store where Hydrogen Peroxide is only $1 and dish liquid is around $1.50 for a large container. When I make the solution, I usually make enough to clean a couple pairs of shoes, and the cost would be more around $1 since I use a small portion of each. I do link to the products on Amazon for readers that cannot find those items at the store or don't have stores close by, and those prices can fluctuate and are typically a bit higher. I hope this helps clear things up a bit. Have a beautiful weekend!
Cheryl says
I am thinking this is for the white canvas shoes. What would you recommend for the colored ones?
Jessica says
I would use the same mixture or just a mixture of dish liquid and warm water.
Pamela says
Good Morning, Jessica. Can this mixture be used for just a couple of spots? Or best used for the entire shoe? Thank you, Pamela
Jessica says
Hi, Pamela! You could try it and see, but I think cleaning the entire shoe would be better or those spots may be whiter than the rest of the shoe. Have a great day!
Jess
michelle says
Hi,
I have been using a lot of your ideas, they all work great.
What can I do to use up an abundance of unwanted shampoo?
Jessica says
You could use it as a body wash or a foot soak for a pedicure!
Bobbie Vaughan says
Hi, Michelle and Jessica,
I actually hand wash sweaters in shampoo. They turn out wonderful. Even use the cream rinse after washing. That works well , and so much softer and cheaper than store prepared sweater cleaner.
Alisha says
I second this! I washed my white wool coat with shampoo and it turned out better than when I had it dry cleaned.
Shelley says
The white sneakers cleaned up great, you did not mention whether you used the same solution to clean the inner part of the sneaker where foot odor happens.
Emily says
My white canvas converse stained yellow with this mixture of peroxide and dawn. How would you recommend I proceed from here? Thanks so much!
Rebecca Payne says
Great Tip. I have to try this.
Cheri says
Didn’t work at all : ( Not sure why. Followed instructions exactly.
Janae says
This worked awesome! The last snowstorm here in Utah brought my kids home from school with wet, muddy, and soggy shoes so I'm sure you can imagine the mess it was to clean them. They also jumped in my bed before I got home, so if you have any tips for a mattress cleaner that'd be great!