Spring cleaning? More like shoe cleaningThe above photo was taken after the Converse were washed. After they have dried in the sun, it would be best to take a wet paper towel to the yellowing rubber (rubbing alcohol may be necessary as well).The typical high school girl, me, has one big problem she just can not solve: how am I supposed to make my white Converse shoes look new again?

I do a lot in my white Converse: wear them to school, walk in the park, show them off at the mall and wear them whenever I feel necessary. But I’ve run into many issues including scuff marks on the rubber, mud on the fabric and laces, overall plain dirtiness.

Before experimenting I asked myself these questions:

Should I use a special spray on my Converse?

What settings on my washer should I use?

Where do I put my Converse to dry?

Is there something I need to use on my Converse before or after they dry?

After experimenting with an older pair, I found that these steps will get rid of that dingy look for your Converse shoes.

1. Before washing, use Resolve stain spray to soak any big stains or dingy areas.
2. Wash in the washing machine on cold. Use a normal, bleach-free detergent. Bleach can weaken the fabric.
3. Let shoes air dry. While other shoes may discolor in the sun, white Converse actually benefit from being dried in a sunny area. The sun bleaching will only brighten the color more.
4. If the laces are still grimy, use a wet paper towel with soap to run the laces through, you may have to take the laces out and re-lace them later.
5. To clean the rubber, take a wet paper towel and rub against scuff marks. If marks do not come off right away, use regular soap. If marks still are not coming off, try rubbing alcohol. This will definitely take away the scuffs or stains, but too much will harden the rubber. Only use this method if all other measures have failed.

Finally, a safe and effective way to clean white Converse. I never thought my mom and I could come up with this just through experimenting, but taking steps to clean my favorite shoes was worth it.