How to Get Jean Dye Off of White Shoelaces

Dark wash denim jeans often bleed color in the wash after the first few times they're worn. As the denim rubs on shoes and laces, it can also transfer blue fabric dye to these surfaces. Blue-colored fabric dye on white shoelaces causes them to look discolored and dingy. If color transfer is detracting from the stark-white appearance of your favorite shoes' laces, you can get the jean dye off the shoes with simple stain-removing techniques.

Heavy-duty laundry detergent
Toothbrush
Bucket
1/4 cup bleach
Towel
Drying rack

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the white shoelaces from your shoes.
- 2
  
  The small head of a toothbrush makes an effective scrubber for shoelaces.
  
  Pour heavy-duty laundry detergent onto a damp toothbrush. Brush the detergent on to the jean dye stains on the white shoelaces. Be sure to apply the detergent to both sides. Allow the detergent to remain on the surface of the shoelaces for five minutes.
- 3
  Rinse your shoelaces off with water. Fill a bucket with 1 gallon of water and 1/4 cup of bleach. Place the white shoelaces in the diluted bleach solution. Soak the shoelaces for 30 minutes.
- 4
  Remove the shoelaces from the bleach solution. Rinse the laces off with water.
- 5
  Empty the bucket of the bleach solution and rinse it out. Place the shoelaces in the bottom of the bucket. Add enough warm water to cover the laces. Drizzle four or five drops of heavy-duty laundry detergent into the water. Swirl the water around to make a soapy solution.
- 6
  Dunk the shoelaces in and out of the detergent solution for one to two minutes to wash them. Rinse the laces well with warm water.
- 7
  Roll up the laces inside an absorbent towel. Press against the towel to absorb moisture from the shoelaces. Drape the shoelaces over a drying rack. Allow them to air-dry before placing them back in your shoes.

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