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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow
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Home and Garden
Housekeeping
Stain Removal
How to Remove Grass Stains from Shoes Download Article Co-authored by Carroll Kelly
Last Updated: February 24, 2025 References
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Pre-Treating with Vinegar
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Washing with Laundry Detergent
|
Expert Q&A
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Things You'll Need
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This article was co-authored by Carroll Kelly. Carroll Kelly is a Shoe Care Specialist and the Owner of Austin Shoe Hospital in Austin, Texas. With over 37 years of experience, Carroll specializes in sustainable shoes, boots, belts, handbags, and luggage repair. Carroll graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas. Austin Shoe Hospital is a family-run business that started over 105 years ago from a single horse-drawn carriage. Today they are the largest and most recognized shoe repair company in the world. This article has been viewed 74,566 times.
Summer is a great time to play around in nature: hiking through the woods, playing sports in a grassy field, hanging out in the back yard, and a million other fun activities! However, all that recreation is sure to get your shoes covered in grass stains. Luckily, all it takes is a simple, two-step treatment of vinegar and laundry detergent to have your kicks looking brand-new again!
Steps
Part 1 Part 1 of 2:
Pre-Treating with Vinegar
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1 Clear your kitchen sink. Thankfully, cleaning grass stains from your shoes isn't nearly as dirty a task as whatever activity got your shoes stained in the first place! Still, you will want to keep this process as mess-free as possible by performing each step over the sink.
2 Create a solution of vinegar mixed with water. Pour one-third of a cup of white vinegar into a small bowl. Then, add two-thirds of a cup of warm water from the faucet. Use a toothbrush to stir the solution.[1]XResearch source
Be sure to specifically use white vinegar, as it is the safest and most effective cleaning agent.
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3 Scrub out the grass stains with the vinegar solution. Submerge the toothbrush into the vinegar solution and use it to scrub the stained areas of your shoes. Focus on one specific area of each shoe before moving on to the next, making sure that you rinse off the toothbrush in the sink in between. Keep the bristles of the toothbrush saturated by frequently dipping it back into the solution.[2]XResearch source
Don't be afraid to use a little elbow grease with your scrubbing — again, as long as you are using white vinegar, it will not harm your shoes![3]XResearch source
4 Wipe off your shoes with the washcloth. Use the washcloth to wipe the scrubbed areas of your shoes. This step will remove the vinegar solution from the surface, leaving behind a pair of shoes that are already noticeably cleaner! Rinse off the washcloth in the sink.[4]XResearch source
5 Repeat the process. You don't need to go crazy with the vinegar solution because we're only half-way through the cleaning process! However, you do want to be thorough because the vinegar will make cleaning your shoes with detergent more effective.
Repeat once for normal stains; twice for deeper stains.
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Washing with Laundry Detergent
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1 Use the washcloth to apply laundry detergent to your shoes. After finishing the pre-treatment, pour a small amount of laundry detergent onto the washcloth. (If you are using powder detergent, you will need to mix it with a little water first.) Rub the washcloth over the entire surface of your shoes -- after all, since you're already getting rid of those grass stains, you might as well give your shoes an entire make-over![5]XResearch source
Any laundry detergent will work, but one that contains bleach is ideal.[6]XResearch source You can also use a cleaner designed specifically for shoes.[7]X Expert Source Carroll KellyShoe Care SpecialistExpert Interview
Allow the detergent to dry for 15 minutes.
2 Rinse your shoes in the sink. Turn on the faucet to a low-power, cold-water stream. Pass your shoes under the stream a few times, allowing the detergent to run off the surface -- make sure you rotate your shoes under the faucet so that you don't miss any spots. Then put your shoes in direct sunlight to dry.[8]XResearch source
3 Clean your workspace and finish your project. Luckily, most of the mess will have gone down the sink drain, but you can use the washcloth to clean up any surfaces that got dirty. When the sink area is clean, wash the bowl and ring out your washcloth. Lastly, return the materials.
Put away the vinegar and laundry detergent.
Store the toothbrush with the rest of your cleaning supplies -- you don't want to use it for your teeth!
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Expert Q&A
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Question What gets stains out of leather? Carroll Kelly Shoe Care Specialist Carroll Kelly is a Shoe Care Specialist and the Owner of Austin Shoe Hospital in Austin, Texas. With over 37 years of experience, Carroll specializes in sustainable shoes, boots, belts, handbags, and luggage repair. Carroll graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas. Austin Shoe Hospital is a family-run business that started over 105 years ago from a single horse-drawn carriage. Today they are the largest and most recognized shoe repair company in the world. Carroll Kelly Shoe Care Specialist Expert Answer Windex can work well for leather shoes, since it gets all the black marks off the soles. Plus, it's a great way to clean the vinyl and shiny leather areas of your shoes. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 4 Helpful 3
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Things You'll Need
Toothbrush
Washcloth
Small bowl
White vinegar
Laundry detergent
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Co-authored by: Carroll Kelly Shoe Care Specialist This article was co-authored by Carroll Kelly. Carroll Kelly is a Shoe Care Specialist and the Owner of Austin Shoe Hospital in Austin, Texas. With over 37 years of experience, Carroll specializes in sustainable shoes, boots, belts, handbags, and luggage repair. Carroll graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas. Austin Shoe Hospital is a family-run business that started over 105 years ago from a single horse-drawn carriage. Today they are the largest and most recognized shoe repair company in the world. This article has been viewed 74,566 times. 4 votes - 100% Co-authors: 4Updated: February 24, 2025 Views: 74,566 Categories: Cleaning Shoes | Stain Removal In other languagesSpanish
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Carroll Kelly Shoe Care Specialist Co-authors: 4Updated: February 24, 2025 Views: 74,566100% of readers found this article helpful. 4 votes - 100% Click a star to add your vote
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Download Article Co-authored by Carroll Kelly 
How toClean Shoes with a Toothbrush 
How to Wash Mesh Shoes by Hand or in the Washing Machine 
How toClean White Leather Shoes 
6 Easy Ways to Clean Your Converses 
How toClean Shoes with Toothpaste 
How toClean White Flip Flops 
Advertisement 
Co-authored by: Carroll Kelly Shoe Care Specialist This article was co-authored by Carroll Kelly. Carroll Kelly is a Shoe Care Specialist and the Owner of Austin Shoe Hospital in Austin, Texas. With over 37 years of experience, Carroll specializes in sustainable shoes, boots, belts, handbags, and luggage repair. Carroll graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas. Austin Shoe Hospital is a family-run business that started over 105 years ago from a single horse-drawn carriage. Today they are the largest and most recognized shoe repair company in the world. This article has been viewed 74,566 times. 4 votes - 100% Co-authors: 4 Updated: February 24, 2025 Views: 74,566 Categories: Cleaning Shoes | Stain Removal In other languagesSpanish 
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489 
1 Clear your kitchen sink. Thankfully, cleaning grass stains from your shoes isn't nearly as dirty a task as whatever activity got your shoes stained in the first place! Still, you will want to keep this process as mess-free as possible by performing each step over the sink. 
2 Create a solution of vinegar mixed with water. Pour one-third of a cup of white vinegar into a small bowl. Then, add two-thirds of a cup of warm water from the faucet. Use a toothbrush to stir the solution.[1] 
3 Scrub out the grass stains with the vinegar solution. Submerge the toothbrush into the vinegar solution and use it to scrub the stained areas of your shoes. Focus on one specific area of each shoe before moving on to the next, making sure that you rinse off the toothbrush in the sink in between. Keep the bristles of the toothbrush saturated by frequently dipping it back into the solution.[2] 
4 Wipe off your shoes with the washcloth. Use the washcloth to wipe the scrubbed areas of your shoes. This step will remove the vinegar solution from the surface, leaving behind a pair of shoes that are already noticeably cleaner! Rinse off the washcloth in the sink.[4] 
5 Repeat the process. You don't need to go crazy with the vinegar solution because we're only half-way through the cleaning process! However, you do want to be thorough because the vinegar will make cleaning your shoes with detergent more effective. 
1 Use the washcloth to apply laundry detergent to your shoes. After finishing the pre-treatment, pour a small amount of laundry detergent onto the washcloth. (If you are using powder detergent, you will need to mix it with a little water first.) Rub the washcloth over the entire surface of your shoes -- after all, since you're already getting rid of those grass stains, you might as well give your shoes an entire make-over![5] 
2 Rinse your shoes in the sink. Turn on the faucet to a low-power, cold-water stream. Pass your shoes under the stream a few times, allowing the detergent to run off the surface -- make sure you rotate your shoes under the faucet so that you don't miss any spots. Then put your shoes in direct sunlight to dry.[8] 
3 Clean your workspace and finish your project. Luckily, most of the mess will have gone down the sink drain, but you can use the washcloth to clean up any surfaces that got dirty. When the sink area is clean, wash the bowl and ring out your washcloth. Lastly, return the materials. 
Carroll Kelly Shoe Care Specialist Carroll Kelly is a Shoe Care Specialist and the Owner of Austin Shoe Hospital in Austin, Texas. With over 37 years of experience, Carroll specializes in sustainable shoes, boots, belts, handbags, and luggage repair. Carroll graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas. Austin Shoe Hospital is a family-run business that started over 105 years ago from a single horse-drawn carriage. Today they are the largest and most recognized shoe repair company in the world. 
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