How to Remove Grass Stains From Tennis Shoes

Remove grass stains from tennis shoes with ammonia.

The pigment in grass leaves green slashes across the soles and upper parts of tennis shoes. The green pigment shows most noticeably on white tennis shoes, turning the soles and uppers an olive color. Tennis shoes, made from different materials such as canvas, nylon or leather, require a range of cleaning solutions to ensure you match the right cleaners with the fabric on the shoe.

Things You'll Need

• Ammonia
• Liquid dish-washing detergent
• Nylon scrubbing pad
• Rags
• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Old toothbrush
• Cloth

Instructions

Ammonia and Liquid Dish Soap For Canvas and Nylon Tennis Shoes

1. Fill a sink with cool water and add 1 tbsp. ammonia and 1 tsp. of liquid dish-washing detergent. Swirl the mixture with your hand to distribute it evenly.

2. Wet a nylon scrubbing pad with the cleaning mixture. Hold one tennis shoe by reaching inside it with one hand.

3. Scrub the grass stains on the soles and the uppers with the nylon scrubber. Re-wet the scrubber with the cleaning solution as needed. Continue removing the grass stains from each shoe.

4. Wet a rag with cool water. Rinse the cleaning solution from each shoe with the wet rag. If portions of green remain on the soles, wet a rag with chlorine bleach and wipe over the green areas. Allow the bleach to remain on the shoes for one minute, then wipe with a wet clean rag.

5. Dry the shoes with a clean rag.

Baking Soda and White Vinegar for Nylon and Canvas Tennis Shoes

1. Mix 3 tbsp. of baking soda with enough white vinegar to form a thin paste. If the paste becomes runny from too much white vinegar, add a little more baking soda.

2. Scoop up a portion of the paste with an old, clean toothbrush. Scrub the grass stains on the tennis shoes with the paste.

3. Wipe the paste from the shoes with a damp rag. If the stains remain, continue scrubbing with the paste until they disappear.

4. Rinse the shoes by wiping with a damp rag. Dry the shoes with a clean cloth.

Liquid Dish-Washing Detergent For Leather Upper Tennis Shoes

1. Fill a bowl with 2/3 cup of water and 1/4 tsp of liquid dish-washing detergent. Dip the edge of clean cloth into the mixture.

2. Rub the cleaning solution into the grass stains on the leather tennis shoes . Apply heavy pressure to remove the grass stains from the soles and the upper area of the leather tennis shoes. Avoid allowing the leather to become soaking wet.

3. Dry the shoes after removing the grass stains.

4. Spray a leather conditioner or leather protector over the leather on the shoes. Wipe the conditioner or protector from the shoes with a clean cloth.

Tips & Warnings

• Remove grass stains as soon as possible from tennis shoes to keep the stain from setting permanently.

• Use the chlorine bleach on white soles only.

References

• Shoe Fashion: How to Remove Grass Stains From White Shoes
• Stain Expert: How to Remove Stains on Shoes