Revive your white shoelaces: the simple hack using baking soda

As temperatures rise, we all start to pull our spring shoes from the back of the wardrobe. During spring and summer, we often lean towards light sneakers or other varieties of sports footwear. No matter what colour the shoes are, we often prefer white laces, which although they look stylish, can become dirty quite speedily.

White shoelaces, even after laundering, can often turn grey, which is not as appealing. Nevertheless, one product that effectively eradicates grime and brightens shoelaces is baking soda. Baking soda works wonders on white fabrics, restoring their brightness. It's an affordable solution that is easily accessible, even from local shops.

To clean white shoelaces with baking soda, you'll need the aforementioned baking soda, an old toothbrush and some water. Create a thick paste from water and soda in a 1:1 ratio - that is one tablespoon of water for one tablespoon of baking soda. Apply the paste across the entire length of each lace and let it rest for roughly 30 minutes. Subsequently, simply rinse the laces in warm water and set them aside to dry completely. After following these steps, your laces should be flawlessly white.

If you don't have baking soda at home, fear not. Citric acid can also be used to make a paste in the same manner as with the baking soda. The citric acid paste should also be left on the laces for 30 minutes before being thoroughly rinsed.

The pastes made with either baking soda or citric acid effectively restore shoelaces and can also be used to clean white shoes. However, their usability depends on the kind of material used in the construction of the shoes. Leather shoes in particular, could be damaged by either soda or acid.

If you're looking to clean white shoes, dab a little baking soda on a soft cloth and lightly scrub the shoes with it. The paste should be left on the shoes for just two minutes. After this time, simply clean the shoes with a damp cloth and let them dry out.

Baking soda is a great odour neutralizer too. If your shoes have picked up some rather unpleasant scents over the course of the season, sprinkle their insoles with baking soda and leave it to work its magic overnight. Come morning, just give the insoles a good shake to discard the soda and your shoes should be odour-less and fresh.