How to Clean White Nike Socks?
The proper way to wash white socks is to turn them inside out and wash them in cold water. You should use a laundry detergent that’s made for colors and make sure you do not use bleach. Bleach can make your socks yellow or even destroy the fabric.
If there are stains on your white Nike socks, try to remove them with a stain remover. It’s best to apply the stain remover before washing them.
To keep your white Nike socks looking their best, it’s a good idea to dry them using low heat and always avoid using high heat settings when drying your socks. Also, avoid wearing shoes that rub on the toes or heels of your socks because this can cause snags in the fabric and ruin their appearance.
Let’s look at 12 different methods you can use for cleaning your white Nike socks…
12 Ways to Clean White Nike Socks
White socks are a wardrobe staple for many people, but it’s easy for them to become dingy or discolored. Cleaning your white socks regularly will keep them looking brighter longer, and especially if you’re wearing white socks to play sports, it’s important to get rid of any sweat or dirt before it sets.
Luckily, you can use several different methods to clean your white socks depending on the materials they’re made from and the time you have available…
1. Wash your socks with a mild detergent and warm water in the washing machine
Choose an ordinary detergent you would use for other colored clothing, such as Tide, or a bleach alternative product like OxiClean.
2. Stain remover is another option for tough stains on white Nikes
Try a product like Shout Advanced Gel or Spray ‘N Wash, which are available at grocery stores and department stores.
3. Laundry detergent is also an effective way to get rid of dirt on Nike shoes
Use a soft-bristled brush to scrub the soles and sides of the shoe with the detergent before rinsing it off with warm water.
4. Baking soda can be used as a natural cleaning agent
For particularly fragrant socks, add baking soda to the wash cycle along with the vinegar and detergent. Baking soda is an excellent deodorizer, and it can help eliminate difficult odors from your socks without leaving any chemical residues behind.
Mix 1 cup of baking soda with 2 cups of warm water to create a paste that can be applied directly onto stains or dirt spots on your shoes before rinsing them off in the sink.
Pre-soak your socks in baking soda
Baking soda has similar properties to white vinegar and is another all-natural way to remove odors from clothing. This will help stop your white Nike socks from going yellow and smelling bad as quickly. Dissolve 1/4 cup of baking soda into a bucket of warm water, then soak your socks for an hour before washing as usual.
5. Vinegar can be used on white Nike shoes as well
Just add one part vinegar to three parts water and apply it with a cloth or sponge until the stain is gone from your shoe’s surface area (this may take some time).
6. Put your socks in a mesh garment bag
This will keep them from getting tangled up with other clothes, or wrapping around the agitator (central post) of the washer.
7. Add white vinegar to the wash cycle
White vinegar is a natural fabric softener. It also has antibacterial properties and helps dissolve any residue on your clothing that might be causing the odor. Add half a cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle. If you have particularly bad odors to deal with, add a full cup instead.
Pre-soak your socks in white vinegar
White vinegar is a natural fabric softener and whitener. It also has antibacterial properties, which can help prevent the build-up of bacteria that causes odor. Add half a cup of white vinegar to a bucket full of water, and soak your socks for an hour before washing them as normal.
8. Wash Your Socks With Bath Towels or T-shirts
Put your socks in the washer along with two clean bath towels or T-shirts and wash according to the instructions on your detergent container. The towels or T-shirts will help remove dirt from your socks, which will help maintain their bright color.
9. Wash with bleach
While it’s usually not recommended to clean your clothing with bleach, it’s fine for white clothes like socks, since they won’t be damaged by the chemical. Bleach works especially well for removing sweat stains on white clothing and should be used in conjunction with detergent for best results.
Bleach is a powerful disinfectant that removes stains and brightens whites as well. Add 1/2 cup of bleach to the wash cycle along with your detergent. If you have particularly bad odors to deal with, add a full cup instead.
10. Add lemon juice to the wash cycle
Lemon juice brightens white clothing and acts as an effective natural stain remover as well. Just add 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the wash cycle along with your detergent and run it through on warm water.
11. Run an extra rinse cycle
A second rinse cycle helps rid your clothing of any excess soap or residue that might be causing unwanted odors. It also helps remove any loose debris that may have gotten stuck in the fabric during normal washing and rinsing cycles. Adding an extra rinse cycle is easy, just select the option on your washer and allow it to complete before moving on to drying your clothes.
12. Always wash immediately
This is the most important step in keeping your white Nike socks clean and smelling fresh. If you leave them too long after wearing them, the sweat will dry on them and make it more difficult to remove stains. If you are constantly busy and don’t have time to do a load of laundry after each workout, at least soak your socks in cold water so they aren’t sitting around being gross.
In summary, washing your white socks in the washing machine is the easiest way to clean them. Empty your pockets, then turn the socks inside out. This will protect the outside of your socks and make sure that dirt doesn’t rub off on other clothes in the wash cycle.
Choose an ordinary detergent you would use for other colored clothing, such as Tide, or a bleach alternative product like OxiClean. Make sure to set your washer to a gentle cycle and use warm water, which is best for cotton fabric.
You may also be interested in… Is Nike A Good Brand? and 11 Ways to Dry Wet Shoes Without Them Smelling
Allan Wilson who in the offline world has an extensive background working in research, analyzing statistics, improving work processes, team leading, and implementing training to improve results and now thanks to more than 3 years dedicated to this site is now also a highly regarded researcher of brands.
Allan has a long history of developing brands online way back before blogging existed creating websites using HTML code in Notepad. Allan established brands in the Info Product Marketing arena such as infoproductmarketing, ebookresellerkit, reprintrightsmarketing, along with many other successful websites (and a few failures along the way). Allan has also authored numerous ebooks, owned and operated membership sites, created eLearning courses, and more.
