Cleaning cycling shoes

nasz

I've got a well loved pair of Sidi Ergo 2 in not so sparkling white! What with the recent summer, they have got grubbier and grubbier and despite wiping them with degreaser wet wipes, they are grey!

What's a good way to get back those whites!

Blonde

Probably wont get them any whiter - they may just be faded/yellowed or discoloured as happens with some white shoes, particularly if they have a high gloss or pearlised finish. I had some Scott ones which stayed pretty much bright white until I binned them, but were in a very matt finish which is probably why they didn't fade or go yellow. I wore them every day for commuting (inc in winter) and just wiped them once a week with a face wipe or a baby wipe. If shoes are just stained rather than faded or discoloured you could try a biological stain remover such as bio laundry liquid/power, or Vanish/Oxy stain remover wiped on and off with damp cloth. Some stain removers are made for removing oily stains - best to read label and choose depending on what you think the stain is! Tar remover for car body work will remove tar - follow instructions on label (wipe on and off with cloth).

hockinsk

Put each shoe in a pillow case and tie a knot to keep the shoes from coming out.
Pop into washing machine with a couple of bath towels and use normal colour washing powder on low temp 30-40 degrees. Bath Towels stop the shoes banging around the washing machine.
I normally just air dry mine in the conservatory.

Been doing this for years with Maressi's, Carnac's and several pairs of Sidi's without any problems whatsoever. They really will come out spotless. As suggested, a quick dab of liquid Vanish before popping in the machine works a treat too.

k-dog

David Millar swears by hotel shampoo sachets - but you probably have to do that from when they are new - yours are probably past that by now.

You don't want to use something too abrasive but there are lots of good products out there.

If it's for leather you can get good trainer cleaner in supermarkets and some sports shops - don't get the whitener just the gel cleaner. One of my favourites is the Kiwi 3-in-1 cleaner - it's a good gel cleaner with a built in applicator. Don't use the brush as it's a little harsh - although great for soles. I tend to apply it with the sponge and then use a cloth or soft toothbrush to do the cleaning. Then wipe off with a damp cloth and they come up pretty well. That's a good price on ebay too - I sometimes get it in Tesco but they don't always have it - and I think it's about £4 anyway.



If they have a mesh portion which gets kind of yellow after time one of the best products is Bar Keepers Friend. You can get it in Asda usually and it's only about 99p for a big tub of granules.



Just make it up as a paste and rub it into the mesh, leave for a few minutes then rinse out with a wet cloth and it makes a great difference.

Unfortunately the key with white shoes is to clean them regularly - a weekly rub with a damp cloth is usually enough to keep them clean for a lot longer - it's just the last thing you want to do after a ride.

nasz

cool - thanks all - will have a bash at them