How to Clean School Shoes: Our Top Tips

How to Clean School Shoes: Our Top Tips

Keeping your children’s school shoes clean is a necessity when it comes to keeping them looking smart, especially for those school photos. During their adventures at school, their shoes will become dirty and may be in need of some attention and thorough cleaning.


Here are our top tips to make sure you dont ruin the fabric of the school shoes and keep them long-lasting, just like they should be.



How do you clean dirty school shoes?


Keeping school shoes clean is important as you don’t want your child going to school treading mud everywhere; you want them looking very smart and prepared for the day ahead.


The way you clean school shoes depends on which material the shoe is made out of, whether that's leather, suede or canvas.


Cleaning school shoes incorrectly can lead to them ageing a lot quicker and also, the shoe could become unwearable. With our top tips, you won’t go wrong.



How do you clean white school shoes at home?


White canvas school shoes are washing machine safe, making life a little easier. However, with them being white, they may still dull in colour with stains over time that won’t come out when just washing.


The best thing to do in this situation is to use a combination of baking soda and water.


    1. Using a toothbrush, work the baking soda and water mixture into the shoe all over.

    1. Once the shoe has been covered, leave for a few minutes to fully soak in.

    1. Put them in the washing machine (you can use a pillowcase to keep them from damaging the drum).

  1. When the shoes come out of the washing machine, the baking soda will have lifted the old stains out of the fabric, making them look almost brand-new!

Lelli Kelly’s white canvas pumps are the perfect P.E pumps which can be easily thrown in the wash to clean!



How to clean suede school shoes


Suede shoes must never, ever be put into the washing machine. If this is done, the material will be ruined and you’ll need a new pair of suede school shoes.


Instead, use a damp, lint-free cloth covered in alcohol or vinegar.


Once the shoe has dried completely, the fabric can be fluffed up using a soft brush - this will leave the suede looking fresh and brand new.



How to clean leather school shoes


The first step to making your leather shoes look impeccable is to remove the excess dirt with a cloth dampened with warm water - the more stubborn stains can be removed by using a toothbrush.


After the shoes have been air-dried, you can then cover them in a leather balm to ensure the school shoes stay healthier for longer, preventing future ageing or cracking.


The Kickers unisex Kick Hi school shoes are a great choice when it comes to easy care, as with them being robust and comfortable, their smooth leather fabric makes them easy to clean.



How to clean velcro


Velcro is a great invention for shortening the time it takes to put on children's shoes every single morning, but it attaches itself with all sorts of different debris. There are a few ways to clean velcro straps and make sure they actually still hook together.


One way is to use a lint roller over the velcro - simply roll it over the velcro and watch the debris be pulled away.


Another method of cleaning is to use duct tape. In a similar way to the lint roller, the duct tape is used to pull away the debris by being repeatedly stuck onto the velcro and pulled off.



How to polish school shoes


Polishing shoes in general can make them look brand new and very smart.


    1. By using a soft brush, for example a toothbrush, or a damp cloth, you can remove the excess dirt on the surface of the shoes.

    1. Once the shoe has been allowed to fully dry, the polish can be generously applied.

    1. When the shoe polish has been worked into the shoe, the shoes can be left to dry for around 15 minutes until the polish is completely dry.

  1. Once the shoe has dried, using a brush vigorously removes the excess polish to allow a thin layer to be left.


Can school shoes go in the washing machine?


Whether a school shoe can go into the washing machine depends on what material it is made of. As stated above, suede shoes cannot go into the washing machine as it will ruin the suede fabric, but other than that, most school shoes are machine washable.


It is often better however, for most shoes to be hand washed. Over time, with using the washing machine to clean the shoes, the adhesive holding the school shoes together will become weaker.

Only machine-wash school shoes if they really need it.



How do you look after school shoes once cleaned?


Once cleaned, school shoes look very smart, however, looking after them once they are can be a bit of a test, especially if your child loves to explore.


Most shoe damages come from children playing in the outdoors - using a waterproof spray or applicant will allow for extra protection outside. If the shoes do get wet, make sure they are dried properly by being left to air dry.


Polishing your school shoes consistently will also further the life expectancy of your child’s shoes.

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