Introduction
Tennis a great way to get a little exercise while looking stylish in your white tennis apparel, including shoes. However, tennis is also a tough workout that results in unwanted sweat and grass stains on your clothing and shoes. Instead of throwing your clothing and shoes into the washing machine and hoping for the best, use the correct products and ingredients to restore your tennis clothing to their former glory. Here is how to clean your tennis apparel correctly.
Step 1
Pretreat your white tennis apparel before laundering to remove the unwanted grass and sweat stains. To pretreat grass stains, create a mixture of one tablespoon white vinegar, one tablespoon liquid dish soap and one-quarter cup water. Stir the ingredients and work them into the grass stains with an unwanted toothbrush or plastic scrub brush. Allow the pretreatment to penetrate the tennis apparel for at least 10 to 15 minutes before laundering.
Step 2
Launder your pretreated tennis apparel with cool water using color-safe bleach. You can use bleach to remove any other touch stains, but use this product sparingly. The excessive use of bleach will remove the unwanted stains from white tennis clothing, but it also degrades the fabric. Over time and with excessive use, the bleach will eventually cause weak areas or holes in the fabric. Launder the tennis apparel according to the label’s directions and air dry or place the tennis apparel into the dryer. Use fabric softener sheets, if desired, to freshen the tennis apparel.
Step 3
Remove unwanted sweat stains from the tennis apparel by creating a paste with two tablespoons baking soda and one tablespoon white vinegar. Mix the ingredients and continue to add more baking soda until the paste consistency is achieved. Work the paste into the sweat stains on your tennis apparel with a scrub brush and don’t rinse before placing the items into the washing machine.
Step 4
Use the correct procedure to clean your canvas tennis shoes as well. Read the shoe’s label before laundering, if applicable. Several brands of athletic shoes don’t recommend placing their items into the washing machine to prevent damage. If this is the case, you’ll have to wash the shoes by hand. Before cleaning the shoes, remove the laces and launder them in your next load. Remove any loose dirt or debris from the shoes with a plastic scrub brush or unwanted toothbrush. Create a mixture of one tablespoon white vinegar, which is a natural bleaching agent, one teaspoon liquid dish soap and three cups warm water. Dampen a rag with the mixture and work it into any stains on the shoes, including dirt and grass stains. Allow the mixture to penetrate the shoes for at least five minutes before rinsing the soapy mixture away with cool water. Set the shoes in a warm spot that receives full sunlight and allow them to dry completely. The sunlight also bleaches any remaining stains from the shoes naturally.
Step 5
Use caution when cleaning your leather tennis shoes. Once again, the use of white vinegar and a small amount of water is all you’ll need to remove unwanted stains from the white leather shoes. Use the white vinegar and water mixture sparingly to avoid discoloring or damaging the leather. Never place your leather tennis shoes in the washing machine.
