How to clean canvas shoes

Why the yellow marks happen

When canvas dries, any detergent or dirt left in the fabric wicks up to the surface and dries there as a yellowish line. Sun makes it worse. So the whole trick with canvas, whether it is a pair of Converse or a kid's white PT shoes, is getting the dirt out without leaving soap behind, and then drying slowly in the shade.

How we go about it

We start dry, with a soft brush over the weave, because canvas holds a surprising amount of dust and water just turns that into mud. Then we use foam rather than water (mild detergent whisked up in a bowl), working a panel at a time and wiping as we go, so the canvas stays damp instead of soaked. Soaking is what makes the glue let go at the toe.

The rubber and the stubborn stains

The toe cap and sidewalls are where these shoes look old first, and a firm brush or a melamine sponge brings them back faster than anything else we do to the shoe. Grass and food stains usually lift with a baking soda paste left on for ten minutes; ink tends to fade rather than vanish, and we tell people that before we start.

Drying, which is where most go wrong

Rinse more than you think you need to, blot with a towel, stuff the shoes with plain white paper (newsprint can transfer onto light canvas) and leave them in front of a fan, out of the sun. It feels slow. It is also the difference between white shoes and yellow-streaked ones.