How to Get Yellow Stains Out of White Shoes

Using bleach can be a great way to clean grime and dirt off your white shoes. If you leave the bleach on too long or don’t dilute it correctly, it can leave yellow stains behind. While yellow bleach stains may require a bit of elbow grease, you can remove or greatly diminish the appearance of the stains by mixing baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, using salt and hot water scrub, soaking your shoes in a cream of tartar solution, or by washing your shoes with laundry detergent and white vinegar.

Getting Rid of Yellow Stains on White Shoes

Combine baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and warm water to make a paste.
Apply the paste onto the stain using a circular motion with a toothbrush.
Allow the paste to sit for 30 minutes before rinsing or wiping with water.
Air-dry the shoes for 24 hours away from direct sunlight.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Using Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide

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Combine baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and warm water. Grab a small bowl, and add 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of baking soda, ¹⁄₂ US tbsp (7.4 mL) of hydrogen peroxide, and ¹⁄₂ US tbsp (7.4 mL) of warm water. Combine with a whisk or a fork until a thin paste forms.^{[1]
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- Alternatively, you can use two parts baking soda with one part hydrogen peroxide.^{[2]
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Dip an old, clean toothbrush into the mixture and scrub the stain using circular motions. Work from the outer edge of the stain towards the middle to prevent spreading it. Continue this process until the stain disappears.^{[3]
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Allow the mixture to sit on the shoes for at least 30 minutes before rinsing them.^{[4]
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Research source} To avoid soaking your shoes, dip a clean cloth in water and squeeze the excess. Wipe the stain until it comes up clean.^{[5]
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Place the shoes near a window or a similar area with indirect sunlight. Putting the shoes under direct sunlight can cause further discoloration. Let them air-dry for a few hours or overnight before wearing them again.^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Using a Salt and Hot Water Scrub

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Fill a small bowl with 1 cup (240 mL) of very hot water. First, select a small, heat-safe bowl. Then, turn the sink on as hot as it will go and let it run for a few seconds to heat up. Fill the bowl with about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot water.^{[7]
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- The water should be very hot but not boiling.
Using a measuring spoon, measure out 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of salt and pour it into the bowl with hot water. Stir the water and salt with a clean toothbrush until the salt is completely dissolved.^{[8]
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Scrub the salt solution into the bleach stain with a toothbrush. Place a towel to protect your working area and brush off any lingering debris. Then, dip the toothbrush into the salt solution, ensuring it’s fully saturated. Use the bristles to scrub the salt solution vigorously into the stain on your white shoes.^{[9]
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- You can re-dip the toothbrush head into the solution every minute to re-saturate the bristles and apply more salt to the stain.^{[10]
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- You’ll likely need to scrub for several minutes before the stain will start to fade.
Once the stain has faded, leave the shoes on the towel to air dry for about 20 minutes or until they are dry to the touch.^{[11]
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Research source} Then, re-saturate the toothbrush and scrub the stain with the bristles for several more minutes.^{[12]
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Once the stain has faded considerably and has not gotten any lighter for several minutes, stop scrubbing and leave the shoes to dry. The stain may not ever fade completely, but it will have faded considerably and, hopefully, enough that you can continue to wear your white shoes.^{[13]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Soaking Your Shoes in a Cream of Tartar Solution

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Fill a large container with 4 cups (950 mL) of hot water. Select a bowl, bucket, or other heat-safe container large enough to hold the water and your shoes. Then, turn the sink on as hot as it will go and let it run for a few seconds to heat up. Use a measuring cup to fill the container with 4 cups (950 mL) hot water.^{[14]
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- The water should be very hot but not boiling.
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Mix 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of cream of tartar into the water. Use a measuring spoon to add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of cream of tartar. Sprinkle it into the hot water, using a large spoon to combine the powder and water.^{[15]
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- Cream of tartar is available in small containers at most grocery stores.
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Soak your shoes in the solution for 30 to 90 minutes. Place clean, bleach-stained shoes into the solution, making sure they are completely submerged. Leave them to soak, checking on them after 30 minutes to see if they are clean. If not, return the shoes to soak in the solution for another 30 minutes to an hour.^{[16]
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- The yellow may quickly fade if the bleach stains are new or light. If the yellow stains are darker or have had longer to set in, you’ll likely need to soak your shoes for up to an hour and a half.
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Remove your shoes from the solution and rinse them with cold water. Once the yellow stain has been removed or faded as much as possible, remove your shoes from the cream of tartar solution. Rinse the shoes thoroughly with cool water to remove any remaining solution.
- Cream of tartar is acidic and can be a bit harsh on shoe materials. Rinse the shoes thoroughly to remove any residual acidic solution.^{[17]
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Let your shoes dry completely before wearing them. Lay a towel on a flat surface, then place your now-clean white shoes on top. Leave them out to dry for several hours or overnight. Make sure that the soles are completely dry before wearing them again.
- You can also dry your shoes on low heat in the dryer for 30 minutes. If they aren’t quite dry after 30 minutes, put them through the dryer on low heat again for another 30 minutes. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions first.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Washing Your Shoes with Detergent and Vinegar

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Remove the laces from your white shoes. Shoelaces tend to get tangled and knotted when washed in the washing machine on the shoes. Therefore, to keep them tangle-free, remove the shoelaces from the shoes and set them aside to wash them separately.^{[18]
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- If you’re afraid you might lose track of the shoelaces in the wash, you can put them in a zip pillowcase or lingerie bag to keep them together.^{[19]
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Use a cleaning wipe to wipe down the sink and rinse with water. Turn on the hot and cold water faucets to let the water run, adjusting as needed until the water is lukewarm. Place a drain stopper to prevent the sink from draining, and turn the faucet on once the sink fills ¾ of the way up.^{[20]
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Stir in ¹⁄₂ tablespoon (7.4 mL) of color-safe laundry detergent. Measure out ¹⁄₂ tablespoon (7.4 mL) color-safe laundry detergent and pour it into the lukewarm water. Stir the water and detergent mixture well with your hands or a spoon until the water is sudsy.^{[21]
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- Mix the detergent in by pouring it under the running water while the sink fills up.
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Put your shoes in the sink and scrub the stains with a toothbrush. Place your shoes in the sudsy water to soak while you work. Submerge a clean toothbrush into the detergent water to wet the bristles. Use the toothbrush to scrub the bleach stains on each shoe for several minutes until the yellow begins to fade.^{[22]
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- While you work on scrubbing one shoe, leave the other shoe submerged in the detergent solution to soak.
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Use a gentle cycle to wash your shoes afterward. If your shoes can be machine washed and the stain has begun to fade, remove them from the detergent solution and place them into the washing machine. Set the machine to a delicate cycle, using cold or warm water. Turn it on and let the machine fill up with water.^{[23]
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- Avoid using hot water since the heat can cause the glue on the shoes to degrade.^{[24]
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- You don’t need to rinse out the detergent before transferring the shoes into the washing machine.
- Protect your washing machine from shoes banging around by placing them in a lingerie bag.
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Add ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of white vinegar to the wash cycle. Once the washing machine is on and filled up with water, open the lid and pour in ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of white vinegar. Close the lid and let the washing machine run the rest of the wash cycle.^{[25]
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- Adding white vinegar to the agitating water will help break down the stain even more and make your shoes whiter and brighter.
- Vinegar will also help remove any odors from your shoes.
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Remove the shoes from the washing machine and dry them thoroughly. Once the wash cycle is complete, remove the shoes from the washing machine. Lay them out on a towel or drying rack to air dry, or put them in the dryer on low heat for 30 minutes.^{[26]
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- If the shoes aren’t dry after 30 minutes, put them through the dryer on low heat again for another 30 minutes.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Alternative Cleaning Methods for Yellow Stains

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Apply white toothpaste to the affected area. Since you’re already using a toothbrush, you might as well break out the toothpaste to clean your white sneakers. Opt for fully white toothpaste, and avoid ones that have coloring in them, as that can discolor your shoes even more. Apply a bead to your toothbrush and rub it in using gentle circular motions. Repeat until the stain is lifted.^{[27]
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- This method is good for canvas, leather, patent leather, and vinyl shoes.
- Alternatively, you can use other common household items like rubbing alcohol or shampoo.
Take your white sneakers and wet the stain with water. Squeeze lemon juice directly onto the stain and sprinkle on some salt. The salt creates friction against the stain as you rub it with a toothbrush. Rinse with water and add more lemon juice. Leave it to hang in the sun, checking periodically to avoid sun-bleaching the shoes.^{[28]
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If DIY remedies aren’t strong enough for stubborn stains, Reddit users have expressed success with cleaning products like oxiclean. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and apply the product to the affected area. Alternatively, you can also other purchase commercial shoe cleaners.

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Tips

If you cannot remove the yellow bleach stains from your shoes using a salt scrub, cream of tartar soak, or detergent and vinegar wash, you might want to try taking them to the dry cleaner. The dry cleaner could have a product available only for professional use that may be able to diminish the appearance of the stain.^{[29]
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If you choose to wash your white shoes with bleach, diluting the bleach with water will prevent the bleach from staining your shoes yellow. To dilute bleach, mix ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of bleach for every 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water.

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