The sun is shining and you want to exchange your winter shoes for a light pair of sneakers as soon as possible. Especially now that the temperatures have been good for a few days, your feet long for pristine white sneakers. But oh dear, last year’s copies look drab and gray. With these guidelines, they’ll be as good as new in the blink of an eye.

Prevention is better than cure

The fabric of a sneaker contains tiny holes, in which dirt can easily accumulate. A regular dry scrub with a soft brush can easily postpone the first ‘sneaker bath’ by a year.

Spic and span laces and fresh soles

Remove the laces and put them in the machine separately. Are they intertwined in a special way? Do not panic. Take a photo first so that you can make a reconstruction afterwards. In the meantime, you can put the insoles in the freezer overnight to prevent unpleasant odors.

Put them with your regular laundry

Many people wash their shoes separately in the machine, but that is not a good idea. It is better to run them together with your other laundry. That protects the drum. It also makes much less noise. Put them in a net so they don’t damage your other laundry and also close all Velcro straps.

Cold water and mild detergent, no fabric softener

The fabric of your sneakers is very delicate, use a mild detergent and avoid fabric softener. Start a wool cycle and spin at 600 rpm to remove most of the water.

Smart drying

Stuff as much newspaper as possible in your wet shoes so that your beloved ones also keep their shape. Put them in a cardboard box to dry them even faster. Never dry them in direct sunlight and avoid heat sources. The hair dryer is enemy number one of your sneakers, even fabric ones. And never, ever put them in the dryer!

Still by hand?

Don’t want to take any risk? Old-fashioned black soap is ideal for removing dried-on stains. Make a solution of warm water and a tablespoon of black soap. Scrub the outside with it and rinse it under the tap. It’s so beeping and you play it safe because the inside remains as good as dry.

You can clean leather with saddle soap. The leather is nourished during the cleaning.

White, whiter, whitest

Bleach is bad for white sneakers. A paste of baking soda, vinegar and warm water in equal parts is a better alternative. Rub the fabric in circles with a soft brush and rinse thoroughly. It is best to tackle the rubber around it with moist cleaning cloths.