How To Remove Stains From Fabric Shoes?

We're an affiliate

We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Thank you if you use our links, we really appreciate it!

Our favorite fabric shoes often gets dirty when we keep on using them for a long time or for a while, by this regular use our fabric shoes seems to lose their glory. There are many things around us which can easily stain our fabric shoes, lot of precaution must be taken in order to protect our fabric shoes from stains but somehow we fail and the stains make a mark on our favorite fabric shoes, now the more challenging thing is that removing these stains is not an easy task, it takes time and work effort to retrieve our shoes to their best.

Fabric shoes can be strappy sandals, sneakers, pumps or flats. But no matter the style, the fabric will eventually get dirty. From a splash of tea to a stubborn grass stain, knowing how to remove stains from your shoes will help you maintain your favorite footwear for longer. There are many methods that you will find on the net, like throwing your fabric shoes into washing machine, but to be honest these kind of hacks do not work for fabric shoes, beside it might cause damage to the shoes.

And the question remains the same how to remove stains from fabric shoes, there are a few common type of stains which and in this article we will discuss on how to treat those stains properly, these stains are:

Mud and dirt
Oil
Grass
Salt
Coffee

1)Mud and dirt Stains!

Table of Contents

Mud and dirt are very common staining agents which can be found in every corner. These are very sticky ad hence when they come in contact with the shoes they tend to stick on them by hiding the glorious style behind them. They can take a lot of scrubbing to get removed, but removal should not be done by pushing the pair of fabric shoes inside a washing machine. As it would damage the material of the shoe and will also erase off other qualities of the shoes as well.

Perhaps one of the best way to remove dirt is with the help of laundry detergent, here are a few steps which can be helpful:

Must use a soft haired brush to remove the clusters of dry mud and dirt.
Mix laundry detergent with water, such that making it a dilute solution.
Use a clean cloth to absorb the solution and then apply that cloth on the areas wherever required on the shoes.
If the stains fail to come off, then repeat process using bicarbonate of soda.

how to remove stains from fabric shoes — Credit: JACOB FOX

2)How to remove Oil stains from fabric shoes

Oil stains are some of the tough stains to remove, they are very stubborn and requires some extra attention, as soon as you get an oil stain on your fabric shoes you need to act quickly, after noticing the stain quickly soak it up with talcum powder or salt. Here are the steps:

Apply talcum powder or salt on the stain.
Remove the applied talcum powder with a soft brush.
You need to repeat this step multiple times in order to see a desiring result.

3)Remove Grass strains from fabric Shoes

Everybody loves to walk on grass, but walking on grass wearing your fabric shoes might not turn out to be a good experience, as grass leave behind many stains on the shoes and these satins are very hard to remove. In order to remove the stain we can either apply alcohol or baking soda on our shoes, here are the steps:

Using baking soda is the most effective method on fabric shoes which are particularly susceptible to grass stains. Applying baking soda mixed with water ad using a toothbrush to scrub deeper stains out.
Application of alcohol on the stained portion of the shoe can remove the stain off, though you might not see result on the very first attempt but repeating the process will help in removing the stain.

Bestseller No. 1

8,634 Reviews

Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda, 8 Ounce (Pack of 3)

For Baking, Cleaning, and Deodorizing
Free of harsh chemicals and gentle enough to use on many surfaces
America's no 1 trusted baking soda brand

Bestseller No. 2

782 Reviews

Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, 16 oz (3 Pack)

Arm & Hammer Baking Soda The most effective, natural cleaner...

Last update on 2023-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Check out!
How to clean Timberland Boots [Home Remedies] [2021]

4)Snow or Salt Stains!

Winters are the best time to wear your fabric shoes, different styles have different impact on snow which enhances the personality of the wearer, but along with all the comfort snow leave behind salt stains, the worst part is that you cannot avoid the salt stains while walking on snow and slush every day.

However vinegar is one of the best way to remove salt stains from our fabric shoes, here are the steps:

Fill in the shoes with paper so that they can stay in their original shape.
Make a solution consisting of one part vinegar and two parts water.
Use a clean cloth and dip it into the solution and rub it gently on the stain.
Use a dampened clean cloth to remove excess vinegar.
At last dab the stain using a clean dry cloth.

5) Coffee stains

Coffee stains are very bad looking on our fabric shoes, these stains takes away the beauty of our shoes and it gets a little trickier to get coffee stains off the fabric shoes. But it can be done using a clean cloth, vinegar, and warm water solution. Although it is the ideal way but a few repetitions might be required to remove to stain completely, here are the steps:

Apply water wherever required on the shoes.
Make a solution of water and dish wash powder/ soap.
Use cloth to rub the stain off the shoe gently.
After removal leave the shoe untouched till it dries.

A tip from our end

Apart from the above mentioned methods here is a simple and easy method which is applicable for all stains on fabric shoes, you can clean fabric shoe surfaces by hand with just some dishwashing detergent, warm water, an old toothbrush, and paper towels.

Wipe down the fabric with a dry paper towel to remove any loose surface soil or dirt.
In a small bowl, mix one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in two cups of warm water.
Working on a small section at a time, dip the toothbrush in the soapy solution and lightly scrub the fabric. Make sure the application is on the correct portion of the shoes. Do not over-wet that section of the shoe. Work with the grain of the fabric, moving all around the shoe to keep the color consistent and prevent spotting. The circular motion is often considered as the best way to clean up stains while scrubbing them.
To remove any soapy residue, wipe the entire shoe with a paper towel moistened with clear water. You may need several towels to “rinse” the entire shoe. Do not rub the paper towel on the shoe.
Blot with a dry paper towel and allow the shoes to air dry from direct heat and sunlight. To help some shoes hold their shape, stuff dry paper towels into the toes or heels until the shoe is completely dry.

Do not use the wet cleaning method on velvet shoes. Instead, brush with a soft-bristled brush to lift the pile and spot clean stains with a dry cleaning solvent.

Check out!
How to wash allbirds [2022]

Frequently asked questions

Q1. What happens when extra scrubbing is done on shoe?

Ans. Extra scrubbing will harm the material of the shoe and hence it will affect the look of shoe as well. Scrubbing often removes the top-most surface and this is not good for our fabric shoes.

Q2. How many times should a method be done?

Ans. There are no such hard and fast rule that tells that a process should be done this number of times and then effect can be seen. Instead a process should be done again and again until the desired outcome is obtained.