How We Remove Jean Stains from Shoes [SOLVED]

That lovely indigo color of raw denim and jeans can rub off then leave stains on surfaces it comes into contact with, particularly when it is wet because of sweat and water. This is why knowing how to remove jean stains from shoes is important for you to continue wearing your favorite jeans and shoes together with no worries.

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Why jeans stained my clothes

Jeans may contain clothing dye that is unstable and will transfer or bleed onto your clothes. This can be noticed if you have a new pair of blue jeans then wash them together with your shirt for the first time. If your shirt turns blue, this is what you call dye transfer.

Do jean stains come off

Yes, jean stains come off most of the time. In a strange way, the mere fact that the indigo dye in jeans can behave so notoriously when it comes to its tendency of transferring to everything that it touches can make for good news as far as removing it is concerned. This is because the indigo dye in jeans doesn’t really like staying put. This makes jean stains easier to remove compared to other types of stains.

What can remove jeans stain from shoes

Some of the things that you may use to remove jeans stains from shoes include dish soap, baking soda paste, natural stain remover, and alcohol-based products.

How to get jean stains out of shoes

Most casual shoes are made of synthetic or fabric materials that are easier to clean compared to other materials such as leather and suede. Since there are lots of various combinations and materials used in shoes, it may require some trial and error to get jean stains out of shoes.

You can try removing the stain using a small amount of rubbing alcohol applied on soft cloth.
Apply a drop of dish soap to a damp cloth and rub this over the stained area.
Follow it up with a damp clean cloth to eliminate the soap residue.
For shoes that can be safely washed in the machine, submerge them in a bucket filled with a little oxygen bleach and warm water.
Even if your shoes are dryer-safe, avoid putting them if there are lingering stains since the dryer’s heat will only set the stain in, making it almost impossible to eliminate.

How to remove jeans stains from suede shoes

Suede shoes are best treated using dry methods prior to moving to wet methods.

The first step to remove jeans stains from suede shoes is to use a firm but not a hard brush that has fine bristles. This can be very effective when it comes to scrubbing the blue pigment off.
Use a specific suede eraser to eliminate mild stains.
Check if the material is colorfast by using a hidden spot before you go in with a deeper rub.
If the jean stains linger or if you are dealing with too dark stains, you may use any sneaker-cleaning solution available in the market.
A common mistake when cleaning sued is applying excessive liquid that will only spread the stain. The brush should only be moist without being saturated.
Air dry and brush your suede shoes to maintain the hairy texture.

How to remove jeans stains from leather shoes

That indigo hue from jeans has the tendency of rubbing off onto leather shoes even after you washed the pair several times. Although there are people who swear by the use of alcohol for removing jean stains, this might end up damaging your leather shoes. Since leather material is luxurious, soft, and sometimes expensive, you should only use some mild cleaning items when removing stains.

Mix two tablespoons clear dish soap and 2 cups warm water in a small clean bowl.
Use the soapy water to dampen a soft piece of cloth. Wring this out to eliminate any excess water.
Rub a damp cloth over the jean stain. Pressure can be applied to eliminate the stain. However, avoid rubbing too hard as it may damage your leather shoes. The dye can get transferred to the piece of cloth from the leather.
Rinse the piece of cloth with fresh water from time to time and dampen it again with soapy mixture.
Use a damp clean cloth to give your leather shoes one last rinse after you remove the stain.

How to remove jeans stains from white shoes

The following 7 simple steps will help you to get jean stains out of white shoes.

Use paper towels to blot the jean stains. Try absorbing most of the dye from the shoe fabric as fast as you can.
Remove the shoelaces and other accessories.
Cover the entire shoe with heavy duty liquid detergent. Let the detergent sit on the stain for up to 10 minutes for the pre-treatment.
Run cold water over the shoes to rinse off the detergent. Continue rinsing until you remove all traces of detergent.
Mix 4 parts cold water and 1 part color-safe powdered bleach in the sink. Put the shoes in the sink and ensure that they are completely submerged. Soak the shoes in the solution overnight.
Remove the shoes from the solution then rinse thoroughly.
Let the shoes air dry and put back the shoelaces and other accessories you removed in the second step.

Jean stains FAQs

Here are a few more things to know about jean stains:

Do black jeans stain white shoes

Yes, some black jean can stain white shoes since these are super-saturated with the color that can easily transfer to other materials.

Do Levi Jeans bleed on shoes

Yes, Levi Jeans may bleed on shoes. Levi jeans are raw unwashed denim so when you wash them for the first time, their reverse face or the inside part of the jeans will turn darker since the water will spread the indigo dye to the back part of the denim with the woven un-dyed cotton yarns.

The indigo from the raw denim is going to bleed when washed for the first time. While it may dye less on cold water, you should wash this only with black materials and don’t allow them to sit on other light colored fabrics when they are still wet to avoid dye transfer on other garments.

Do Nudie jeans bleed

Yes, dry jeans like Nudie jeans can bleed either through dry crocking or dry bleeding before you washed them twice or so. Dry crocking occurs when excess dye has rubbed off to a different dry fabric. If your Nudie jeans get wet when you used them for the first time because of rain or such, its color may bleed to other textile materials like underwear.

How to remove jeans stains from leather car seats

Please follow the below 6 steps to clean jean stains off leather car seats.

Get a warm damp cloth then gently remove any surface stains and dust from the leather car seats. Avoid rubbing the leather surface since it will only make it difficult to remove the stain.
Apply leather cleaner to a clean piece of cloth.
Wipe away the stain with it in circular motions until you completely remove it.
Use another new cloth soaked with water to wipe clean the surface.
Apply leather protectant on the cleaned surface.
Apply the leather protectant again every 2 months to prevent stains in the future and ensure that your leather car seats will remain protected and clean.

Curious to learn how to get super glue off leather shoes or what gets grass stains out of shoes too?