The Best Way To Properly Clean Dirty Shoelaces

Shoelaces are tiny-but-mighty accessories, as these bad boys can make or break your footwear. Swapping out those white threads for a vibrant pair turns regular old sneakers into an entirely new shoe. However, cleaning these strings is not always the easiest thing to do. They can get tangled in the washing machine, or they can even go missing amidst the hustle and bustle of laundry day. Fortunately, there is an easy DIY solution that turns dirty shoelaces into spotless ties.

You can use dish soap to clean your laces. The cookware cleaner tackles dirt, grime, grease on your shoes as well as your dishes! This method is a two-ingredient clean up that requires little attention while the active components do all the hard work. Regardless if the sneaker accessory is stained from dirty streets or muddy puddles, your shoelaces will be back to their former bright shades in no time.

Though there are a few things you should never clean with dish soap, your dirty shoelaces are not one of them. To clean them with this method, first remove the laces from your shoes and brush them with a dry toothbrush to remove any debris. Next, fill a container with water. You want enough water to submerge all your laces and enough soap to fill the surface with suds — two cups of warm water with one teaspoon of dish soap will do.

Let the dirty shoelaces soak for 20 minutes. Occasionally stir them to make sure all sides get exposed to the suds. When the time is up, drain the solution and scrub any lingering spots with a toothbrush, then rinse thoroughly with water and let the laces air dry. To eliminate tough stains, you can pretreat the cords with vinegar before washing them in dish soap — simply mix one part vinegar with one part water and rub it directly into the soiled area. Then follow that same method of soaking in dish soap. Now you don't have to worry about these handy ties getting tangled or lost in the wash.