How to clean stains from the inside of wedding shoes
Sweat, dirt from bare feet, and even accidental paint can leave noticeable marks on the interior toe pads of wedding heels. Cleaning them requires gentle spot treatment depending on the type of stain so you do not damage the lining before the big day.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Scrubbing gently with a soft toothbrush and a mixture of warm water and Dawn dish soapDid this help you?
- 2Using a soft brush and powdered Tide with oxiDid this help you?
- 3Ignoring the stains since they won't be visible while wearing the shoesDid this help you?
- 4Embrace the stains and keep the shoes as dedicated housework or DIY shoes.Did this help you?
- 5Use rubbing alcohol on a rag to dab at standard interior latex paint, then wash the shoes on cold in a pillowcase.Did this help you?
- 6Trying to use bleachDid this help you?
- 7Painting the rest of the suedeDid this help you?
- 8Using suede dyeDid this help you?
- 9Using a Lysol wipeDid this help you?
- 10Removing safely removable parts like soles and cleaning with mild soapDid this help you?
- 11Using an enzymatic pet urine spray cleanerDid this help you?
- 12Throwing the shoes away entirelyDid this help you?
- 13Using soapDid this help you?
- 14Using rubbing alcoholDid this help you?
- 15Using a magic eraserDid this help you?
- 16Trying car polishing compoundDid this help you?
- 17Applying Dawn power wash or shout stain removerDid this help you?
- 18Using purell gel hand sanitizerDid this help you?
- 19Trying a pencil eraserDid this help you?
- 20Using acetone or nail polish remover without acetoneDid this help you?
- 21Throwing slippers directly into the washing machineDid this help you?
- 22Using spot cleaning with a damp towelDid this help you?
- 23Pre-soaking with spray treatments or OxiCleanDid this help you?
- 24Air drying in a sunny window or using no-heat dryer cyclesDid this help you?
- 25Scrubbing the yellow parts with laundry detergentDid this help you?
- 26Using hair bleach or 40 vol cream developer with activator to reverse the oxidationDid this help you?
- 27trying multiple applications of shoe cleanerDid this help you?
- 28using OxiCleanDid this help you?
- 29soaking the spot in white vinegar and rinsing with distilled waterDid this help you?
- 30Scrubbing the shoes manuallyDid this help you?
- 31Putting the shoes in the washing machineDid this help you?
- 32Using a retrobright treatmentDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Getting married soon and there must have been a few times I tried to break in my heels with dirty feet. Any suggestions on how to clean?”source ↗
“I either scrub them, or put them in the washing machine. Any tips to make the bottom side of the shoe complete white again? Thanks.”source ↗
“I last cleaned these shoes maybe half a year ago with laundry detergent but noticed that the midsole part started turning yellow. Scrubbing the yellow part does not seem to clean it, I think it oxidized?”source ↗
“one shoe got these strange orange rust like stains on the back and I can’t fathom what caused them. I have tried to remove them with a couple of applications of PM and even OxiClean, and I’ve had no luck.”source ↗
“Anyone have any idea what this is and how I could get rid of it? It is only on the nubuck/suede on the back of one shoe.”source ↗
“I need help with removing stain from my white shoes.”source ↗
“I accidentally got sone spots on it from using house paint (it included primer, and it was interior paint).”source ↗
“I’m so bummed about this because I spent a lot of money on these shoes.”source ↗
“Is there any hope left? I tried to even use bleach, it didn’t help.”source ↗
“I need these for a party I’m going to in 2 weeks and can’t afford new heels. Please help. I’ve tried soap, rubbing alcohol and magic eraser.”source ↗
“figured I would consult the experts before I threw them in the washer. they look much dirtier in real life”source ↗
“I have absolutely no idea whats on the inside, even after some internet research. it says "spot clean with a damp towel, avoid machine washing" do you think I could hand wash them, or is submerging a bad idea?”source ↗
“How do I get rid of this dark stain on the suede part of my shoe? I just bought these and I’m so sad.”source ↗
“I went to a concert a couple weeks ago and I’m 99.99% sure some girl pissed on the floor. Didn’t realize it was pee until after stepping in it and having people jump it in next to me, so it got all over my shoes.”source ↗
“I have borderline OCD and feel like they’re contaminated even after using a Lysol wipe and feel like the shoes either need an extreme deep clean or to be thrown away entirely.”source ↗
Where this came up
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