Whether you’re stepping in grass on purpose or accidentally, your shoes can end up with unsightly stains. They’re often harder to get out than you might think, and sometimes you don’t even realize they’re there until it’s too late. Check out these four methods to remove grass stains from shoes quickly and easily so you can get back to enjoying the weather without worrying about what’s on your shoes!
Grass stains are some of the most difficult types of stains to remove from clothing, and they’re the bane of many a homeowner who doesn’t want to wear shoes in the house. However, you can save your favorite pair of shoes by following these four steps and removing grass stains from shoes forever. With these methods, you don’t have to sacrifice style or comfort just because there’s grass on your lawn or at the park!
1) What You Will Need
- A sink filled with water
- Detergent and soft scrub or a paste made from baking soda and water – Fabric cleaner or cologne and water mix
- Clean rag (paper towel) – Clothes iron on the lowest setting **Please be careful when ironing as you could potentially burn fabric**
- Teflon type spray designed for stain removal – Clear tape
- Cotton ball soaked in alcohol
- Plastic bag – Paintbrush
- Soft bristled brush First, lay your shoe in the sink of soapy water. Soak it for about 10 minutes then use the back of your hand to push down on any clumps of dirt and grass that are stuck to the shoe. Rinse off your hands, then get some clean dish soap and rub it all over the surface of the shoe where you see stains. The less detergent you use, the more effective it will be at removing grass stains. Continue rubbing until no new dirt comes up onto your fingers.
2) Toothpaste and Water (Baking Soda and Vinegar)
Toothpaste is a handy all-purpose item that can help you clean up after a messy day. It also happens to have properties that make it great for removing stains. Try pouring a generous amount of toothpaste onto the grass stained area and rubbing it in with your finger or an old, clean toothbrush until the stain is gone. Rinse the area with cold water and let it dry completely before wearing again. If you want to get more natural about it, mix baking soda and vinegar together until the liquid starts to fizz. Dab some of this on the grass stain, work it in like you would any other cleaner, then rinse with cold water and allow it to dry before putting on your shoes again. You can also try dabbing a little dish soap on the spot and scrubbing it with your fingers before rinsing off both the soap and the stain. If you don’t mind making a bigger mess, try using hot water as well as cold water when you’re trying to remove the stain. Hot water loosens dirt and makes it easier to wash away than cold does. Be sure not to use boiling hot water though, because if you burn yourself (or anyone else), nobody will be happy about it!
3) Rubbing Alcohol and Baking Soda
Mix together equal parts baking soda and rubbing alcohol in a sealable bag, then sprinkle liberally over the stained area. Pour water on top of the baking soda-alcohol mixture. Seal the bag tightly shut and shake vigorously for one minute or until it forms a slurry. Let it sit for up to an hour. Rinse with cold water and let dry before wearing again. This will remove the stain without any scrubbing required! If you don’t have rubbing alcohol, use hydrogen peroxide instead.
Lighting/Bleaching: In order to lighten the stain as well as remove it, you can use bleach. Fill a bowl with cool water and add about half a cup of bleach. Place the shoes in the bowl so that they are completely submerged (or if you have a smaller shoe you may need less). After about 20 minutes, take them out and rinse them off thoroughly before letting them air dry completely before wearing again. Be sure not to do this while they’re still wet because the bleach will start to break down the material more quickly.
4) Rubbing Alcohol, Dawn Dish Soap, Water, and Toothpaste
Grass stains can be difficult to remove. There are many ways you can use, and which one you’ll choose depends on the kind of stain, what kind of fabric your shoes are made of, and how severe the stain is.
1) First, treat with rubbing alcohol on the whole shoe, rub in circles over the entire surface until thoroughly soaked in. Allow to air dry or wipe with a wet rag (dry sparingly if wet). Don’t worry about any small areas not completely saturated; rubbing alcohol has a drying effect that should evaporate quickly without leaving any residue behind.
2) Next try toothpaste and water: squeeze a good amount of toothpaste onto your fingers then add some water gradually. Put your fingers together and mix it up before scrubbing into the stain. Scrub until all traces of the grass are gone, rinse off with cold water and let dry naturally or place near a fan.
Conclusion
A lot of times people do not know what they can do when they have these stains on their clothes or other fabrics. To know that there are some great ways that you can get rid of these stains is a relief. The first way, is by doing it yourself with products like Shout Sport and Woolite. The second way, is by taking the item(s) over to the cleaners and having them take care of it for you. The third way, is using home-remedies like baking soda, salt and white vinegar, vinegar and water or tea. Finally the fourth way would be using OxiClean stain remover pads which work wonders at removing many types of stains even grass! With this last option, the product gets more expensive but it does come in different sizes so you might want to look into buying just one of them if your budget does not allow for buying all three options. Read more for these type of blogs.
