Any good tricks or tips to get canvas tennies white?

Question

I'm talking white-white - Regular washing just leaves them looking dingy & bleach breaks down the fabric & also leaves yellowish stains.

Answer 1

Soak them in BIZ for several hours. That will do it.

You can also scrub them with dishwasher detergent (the kind you use in an automatic dishwasher).

Answer 2

I knew I wasn't the only one with that problem ;)

Anyway, I found a way to make them white, about a year ago, and I still have the same pair of tennis shoes. This method works on any white shoes, not only canvas tennis shoes. But it works great, "makes whites whiter and brights brighter" and it honestly takes a few minutes (or even seconds, if you're only trying to get rid of some stains.)

Okay, so all you really need is a toothbrush and any type of toothpaste (not gel type, the white kind only) I use Colgate Total (same thing I use on my teeth lol) but I'v also used different kinds, i was experimenting, and it was a boring rainy night... (but at least all the white shoes in the house were actually white again!)

okay, so wet the toothbrush, and put a pea size amount of toothpaste on it, and push the toothpaste down the toothbrush bristles, until it's no longer on top, but in between (this releases is slower, and works great). anyway, start scrubbing the shoes (fast strokes) and wipe them clean with a wet paper towel. You'll see how nice they look. As for the rubber parts (sole of the shoe, side), you will have to brush them a little longer then the canvas/fabric part.

Anyway, oxiclean is way over rated, It doesn't work for anything as far as i'm concerned and is a total waste of money, yeah i've tried it.

As for washing... I'll give you some real advice... NEVER wash shoes... yeah I know you can wash them if you want... but that wears them out, and they never feel the same after they're washed. Leave the Washing machine for clothes. I've washed a pair of shoes before, really expensive sneakers, and I swore to never do it again.

And bleach should be your last alternative to ANYTHING, even clothes, if the stains don't come out with regular detergent, then and ONLY then should you use bleach. And yes, bleach will turn the rubber yellow, and once bleach turns it yellow, it's almost impossible to make it white again. (unless you're going to scrub for hours, other then that it's chemically impossible)

Try this out first, the toothpaste toothbrush thing, and you'll see how nice it works.

Answer 3

White Canvas Tennis Shoes

Answer 4

Since I didn't read through all the posts regarding your problem, I looked it up in my cleaning book and it has a few suggestions in it. You can also find the book I have online, at www.queenofclean.com and look under canvas shoes. It will have some suggestions to try. In case you can't do that, it does tell you that you can keep then looking clean longer by setting them on paper & applying several coats of spray starch or fabric protector when you first buy them. The soil will wash out more easily. Applying a paste of automatic dishwashing detergent mixed with hot water to the shoes for 30 minutes, then scrubbing the surface with a nail brush or toothbrush, rinsing and drying well out in direct sunlight will do a good job at bringing out the white in them. Putting the shoes in the washer with several old white towels & washing as usual after soaking & brushing will help too. <*)))><

Answer 5

Take the old shoes and bang them together to loosen the soil. Wet them and spray Mean Green or your fav cleaner on and let them set an hr or so.Wash as usual and then use BLUING as directed. Bluing takes the yellows and grays out of whites and make them sparkling white.Also light fabrics that get that aged look too quick. I used this on my kids shoes,t-shirts, white dress shirts, and my son's karate suit. With new shoes you only wash as usual and do the bluing, no extra work! Ppl used this reg. back when! Don't add more than the directions say or you will have robin egg blue shoes! I speak from experience! You get bluing in the detergent aisle at most stores. You will have happy white feet! If you have washed them numerous times this may not work as well but you will have a solution for the next pair. You may want to use white polish or white acrylic paint watered down to cover any existing stains if the bluing doesn't work as well as you like on the shoes that have been priorly washed and dried numerous times. The drying sets the stain in. I have used the paint and polish on old sneakers before and it works for a few days and you wash them again. They do tend to make them hard and tends to crack or tear the fabric so only use it on old ones. Let them dry in the sun also because the sun can take out yellowed places, even a iron scorch!

Answer 6

YES! I have used "BIZ" and BLEACH.....Biz is so great at pulling out stains, that the people I have known who hunt, are actually able to get ALL of the blood from the hunt, OUT entirely...the directions must be followed, then after whatever required amount of soaking in cold water (I think) but it says on the box, use the bleach for a little more soaking...detergent, but not that much...at which point since they are shoes, I would add, and this mind you is just me, add a little fabric softener...when done washing on a short wash....as the soaking will have done its job......let them air dry.i have done this. I have gotten stains out of things others thought they had to throw away. All of my life I thought that a grease pen or blood hit a garment, it had to be tossed. Well here is my answer, I didn't look at the rest as I am rushing, but oh do I know just how you feel! I have now saved what I had thought impossible to keep!
I really hope that this helps.......please at least look in your market for it, perhaps running about $5.00 or $6.00...it goes far and REALLY does the job..also,....please use a GOOD bleach...nothing generic. There you go!

Answer 7

You've had so many answers already, but your question was the only one I noticed that I cared about answering.

When I washed white canvas shoes, I tried ammonia. Then I tried bleach with water. The bleach was a little better, but harsh. When the shoes dried, there was a yellow ring. I think this is inherent in drying the shoes. The air-drying creates a ring. That happens when you spot clean upholstery also.

One idea you could try is to dry them in the dryer. Put some clothes in there with it and run the dryer at a low temperature. This might eliminate the ring that I believe is caused by air drying.

Answer 8

Try spraying them with Mean Green cleaner. Allow to soak for 5-10 minutes then toss into a wash with hot water, regular detergent and bleach.
Family owns a laundry business and this cleaner works wonders on just about everything. We've used on everything but dry clean only fabrics and it's been a miracle. (has even taken out red sharpie marks on a white nurses uniform with no remaining stain)

Can find at walmart, kmart, target, dollar stores, etc.

Answer 9

There are no tricks to making 'canvas tennis shoes' white again with the exception of going out and buying another pair. (I mean, how much can they cost?) By the time you purchase all the products that have been recommended to help you, you could have a new pair. But for the sake of 'argument' - I used to wear "Keds" - remember them? My Mom would make us use soap and water to get the immediate dirt and grime off the shoes and then a regular old fashioned bottle of 'white shoe polish' . Carefully and completely, cover the entire shoe with the polish, easing the polish out in the right places. Let dry. And do again. Guaranteed - white canvas tennis shoes.....

Answer 10

It's a long shot because you do not say what sort of stains you have other than yellowing, but this has worked for me quite well. You will need automatic dishwasher liquid, like palmolive and a tooth brush. Pour a reasonable amount of dishwasher liquid onto a suacer and use the brush to massage it into the fabric and along the sides of the rubber soul. Now wash (in hot water) as you would normally but do not add any extra detergent . Automatic dishwasher liquid will remove many petroleum based stains as well, like road tar, most pasta sauces, gravies, coffee and tea stains and most juices.

Answer 11

Multiple low concetrate bleach washings will help. Followed by multiple low concentrate bleach soakings (go in and work it with your hands occasionally, this helps too)

Never use straight bleach, it's too destructive. You gotta repeat the low concentration, long exposure washings to get the best effect. Lots of hand scrubbing and scraping the fingernails over the worst spots.

I did this on many T-shirts that had caked on yellow science experiment quality stains under the arms, and the key is perseverence, i.e. your level of commitment to the raggedy old piece of trash (which can be very intense, i know....)

Good luck.

Or just buy a new 10 dollar pair. ;-)