How to Clean Shoes with Toothpaste

Co-authored by Moe Draper

Last Updated: November 13, 2021

You can make your dirty shoes look clean again by removing the dirt and debris with toothpaste. Use either a toothbrush or a cleaning pad to scrub the dirt from the shoes. Let the toothpaste dry into the shoes before removing it with a damp cloth and a water and soap solution. When you're finished, your shoes should look a lot cleaner than they were before you started. You should only clean canvas shoes and sneakers with toothpaste as other shoes could be damaged.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Getting Ready to Clean

1
Buy white non-gel toothpaste. Gel toothpaste won't clean your shoes properly and there's a big chance that it will stain them. Gel toothpaste is especially bad for white shoes. You can use colored toothpaste if you have that lying around your home, but it won't clean the shoes as well as white toothpaste.^{[1]
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- Get an old toothbrush or a cheap, new toothbrush. There's no point using an expensive, brand new toothbrush to clean your dirty shoes. You won't be able to use it to clean shoes again and you definitely can't use it to brush your teeth. An old toothbrush is perfect for the job.^{[2]
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2
Test the toothpaste on a small spot on one of your shoes. Different types of toothpaste have different ingredients, some of which can damage your shoes. Most toothpaste will be okay to use, but you're better off testing them first. Apply a small amount of toothpaste to a small spot on one of your shoes.
- Check the spot after 20 minutes and wipe it with a damp cloth. If the toothpaste didn't stain the shoe, you can use it to clean both of your shoes.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Scrubbing with a Toothbrush

1
Apply a little bit of toothpaste to the brush. There's no need to use a big dollop of toothpaste on the brush. You're better off using a small dab on the brush to clean your shoes. Too much toothpaste might damage your shoes.^{[3]
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- Use about half the amount of toothpaste that you'd use when brushing your teeth.
- You can also use a cleaning pad to scrub your shoes. Use a cleaning sponge to quickly clean your shoes or a wire brush to rigorously clean very dirty canvas shoes or sneakers.
2
Scrub your shoes with the toothbrush. How hard you scrub with the toothbrush depends on the color, material, and condition of your shoes. If you have dark colored shoes or shoes that are very dirty, you can use a lot of pressure to remove the dirt. If you have white shoes that you don't want to scratch, gently massage the toothpaste into your shoes with the brush.^{[4]
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- Identify any especially dirty spots and scrub back and forth over them with the brush to remove the dirt.
3
Leave the toothpaste on the shoes for 10 minutes or so. During this time, the toothpaste will soak into the material of the shoes. It will make some of the dirt easier to remove with a towel.^{[5]
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4
Wipe the shoes with a damp towel. Once the 10 minutes have passed, hold your towel under the sink for a couple of seconds and wipe the shoes. You can use as much pressure as you like on the shoes when wiping them with the towel. Make sure you clean as much toothpaste from the shoes as possible.^{[6]
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- Repeat the process if some of the dirt is still difficult to remove.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Wiping the Shoes with a Soap and Water Solution

1
Get a clean spray bottle or rinse one you already have. You should use a clean spray bottle as other substances could harm your shoes. You can get a new, empty spray bottle at the local supermarket or household products store.
- If you need to clean out an old spray bottle, pour the contents down the drain. Add dish soap to the spray bottle and rinse it out until suds stop forming in the water.
2
Mix 5 parts water and 1 part dish soap in the spray bottle. You can use measuring cups to measure the exact amount of water and soap you put in the spray bottle. If you don't have measuring cups, it's better to use less dish soap rather than more.
- When you've added both the water and the soap to the spray bottle, put the cap on and shake the bottle to mix them.
3
Spray the solution on a clean cloth and wipe the shoes. Squirt the cloth a couple of times with the solution. Wipe the toothpaste from the shoes with the cloth in circular motions. Pay special attention to the parts of the shoes that were especially dirty before you cleaned them.^{[7]
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- Make sure you wipe all of the solution from the shoes with the cloth.
4
Dry the shoes with a clean, dry cloth. After wiping the shoes with the spray solution, you need to dry them.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Moe Draper
Shoe Care & Repair Specialist
Expert Interview. 5 April 2021.} Use plenty of pressure to completely dry the shoes with the cloth.^{[9]
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- If you need to, you can leave the shoes in a cool, dry place to let them air dry.

Expert Q&A

Question

What is the best way to clean shoe soles?

Moe Draper
Shoe Care & Repair Specialist
Moe Draper is a Shoe Care and Repair Specialist and the Owner of Detroit Shoe Shine and Shoe Repair. With over 20 years of personal experience, Moe specializes in shoe shining, cosmetic restorations for quality leather goods, and minor/major shoe repair services. Moe and his staff at Detroit Shoe Shine and Repair have over 30 years of combined experience and knowledge.

Moe Draper

Shoe Care & Repair Specialist

Expert Answer

To clean the soles of shoes, you can take a scrub brush, warm water and a detergent and scrub the bottoms of the sole. If these options do not work, you can take them to your local shoe repair or local shoe cobbler to have the service professionally done.