First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Scrape off excess polish with a spoon or blunt knife, or blot liquid polish with a white cloth, without spreading it.
- Pretest every cleaner on a hidden area first.
- Work from the edges toward the center, and blot instead of rubbing.
- Keep the room ventilated and away from flames when using solvent, and wear rubber gloves.
Clothes with shoe polish on them carry two stains in one, a greasy wax that needs a solvent and a colored dye that comes out afterward. That's why the wax has to lift first, before any detergent or vinegar work. Heat sets what's left, so a smear that has dried into the fabric is the hardest version to clear.
If you're trying to remove black shoe polish from white clothes, test the solvent on a seam first so you can see any color transfer. Brown shoe polish out of clothes often leaves a faint tint, so keep blotting with a clean white cloth until nothing transfers. If the color won't lift after a few rounds, a professional cleaner can deal with it better than you can at home.
Before you start
What clothes can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Soaking
- Enzyme cleaners
Use with care6
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Heat, once the stain is out
8 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Commercial stain remover with petroleum distillatesLifts the waxy part of the polish before any color step. (opens Amazon)
- White cloth or paper towelsBlotting lifts polish without pushing it deeper. (opens Amazon)
- Spoon or blunt knifeScrapes off dried polish without spreading it.
- White vinegarUsed in the color step for white polish only. (opens Amazon)
- Laundry detergentRubbed into the damp stain before the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Rubbing alcoholFor a faint stain left after washing, as a set-in option. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine bleachLast resort on colorfast whites whose care label allows it. (opens Amazon)
- Rubber glovesProtects your hands from the solvent. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Scrape off the excess polish
Start by taking off as much as you can without spreading it. On dried polish, lift the crust with a spoon or blunt knife. On liquid polish, blot with a white cloth or paper towels, pressing from the outside in.
Step 2 of 6
Test, then sponge with solvent
Dab the solvent on an inside seam first and check that the color does not transfer to the cloth. Then sponge the stain with the solvent on a white cloth, working from the edges toward the center and blotting instead of rubbing. Flush with more solvent and repeat until no more polish comes off.
Careful. Solvent fumes need ventilation; keep flames and sparks away and wear rubber gloves.
Step 3 of 6
Let it dry without heat
Let the spot air dry fully, then check it in good light. If polish still shows, repeat the solvent sponging once the spot has dried.
Tip. Hang the item somewhere airy so the spot dries evenly.
Careful. Heat sets polish; do not iron or machine-dry the item until the stain is gone.
Step 4 of 6
Lift the color with vinegar water
This step is for white polish. Sponge plain water onto the spot, add a few drops of white vinegar, tamp with a spoon, and flush with water. Repeat until no more color comes off the cloth.
Careful. Vinegar may weaken cotton, rayon, acetate or triacetate and may change color; test it first.
Step 5 of 6
Rinse, rub in detergent, and launder
Rinse the spot thoroughly with water. Rub laundry detergent into the damp stain with your fingers, then launder the item as its care label allows.
Tip. Check the spot before drying; if polish is left, go back to the solvent sponging.
Step 6 of 615 minutes
Use chlorine bleach as the last step
Only if polish still shows after everything is rinsed out, and only on colorfast whites whose care label allows bleach. Pass a bleachability test on a hidden spot, then bleach the whole garment rather than one spot, for no more than 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and launder as usual.
Careful. Never use chlorine bleach on wool, silk, mohair, leather or spandex.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for shoe polish on clothes
Look for a commercial stain remover that lists petroleum distillates or a hydrocarbon such as naphtha. For a stain left after washing, choose a rubbing alcohol with no added color or fragrance.
Puracy Laundry Stain Remover
Seventh Generation Laundry Stain Remover - Free & Clear
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on clothes, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
You will know it is working when the cloth picks up color and the spot looks lighter with each round. Stop when a clean patch of cloth comes away without color, and check the spot after drying before moving on.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your clothes
Liquid polish
Liquid polish is still wet, so the first job is to blot it up instead of scraping. Press a white cloth or paper towels onto the spot from the outside in, and lift as much as you can before any solvent touches it.
Skip the scraping step, since there is nothing to lift off. From there, the solvent, drying and wash steps stay the same.
Brown polish
Brown polish is still a combination stain, so the greasy part comes out first with the solvent, before any color step. Work the solvent from the edges toward the center, and switch to a clean part of the cloth often.
Pretest the vinegar water before using it on brown dye. If a brown shadow remains after washing, move on to the rubbing alcohol option on that spot.
Black polish
Black polish is a combination stain: the wax has to come out with the solvent before the black dye can lift. Work the solvent from the edges toward the center, and switch to a clean part of the cloth often so the dye does not move back in.
The vinegar water step is written for white polish, so leave it out on black dye unless a hidden-spot test is clear. Wash with detergent next, then check the spot before drying.
Black polish on white clothes
On white fabric, the vinegar water step is the right choice for leftover dye once the solvent has dried. Repeat it until no more color comes onto the cloth, then rinse with water.
If dye stays after washing, chlorine bleach can be the last step on colorfast white items whose care label allows it. Bleach the whole item rather than one spot, and keep it short.
White clothes
White clothes can take the full method, but only after a hidden-spot test on an inside seam. Rinse well between each product so one does not carry over into the next.
Check the care label first, since it decides whether any bleach is allowed at the end. If the label rules out bleach, stop after the color step and wash.
White polish
White shoe polish has its own color step, so the vinegar water matters more here than on dark polish. Use the vinegar water step with a tamp and flush, and repeat until nothing more comes off.
Still start with the solvent, because white polish also carries a wax part that has to come out first. Pretest the vinegar water on an inside seam before using it on the stain.
Shoe shine
Shoe shine behaves like polish, so the same order applies: the solvent comes first, then the wash. Blot with a white cloth first, then sponge with the solvent from the edges inward.
Dried polish is often waterproof, so water alone will not help. Go through the detergent and wash steps after the solvent, and check the spot before drying.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old polish is harder to remove than fresh polish, and it can take several rounds. Work through the same steps again, starting with the solvent, because the greasy part has to go first.
Dried polish is built to hold shine and is often waterproof, so it may only soften after a few solvent rounds. Let each round dry before you judge the result, and avoid scrubbing hard between rounds. After washing, rubbing alcohol can lift what is left, but only after a pretest.
If the dryer or iron has already been used, the heat has set the stain more firmly and it may stay faintly visible. If a dye shadow is still there after the full method, stop: bleach will not remove dye that stays after 15 minutes, and a professional cleaner is the next step.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on shoe polish on clothes?
Plenty of household remedies get passed around for shoe polish, but most do not belong here. A commercial solvent cleaner, tested on a hidden spot first, is the one that works on fabric.
Works1Helps2Skip3
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Chlorine bleach + Vinegar
Vinegar is an acid, and acid mixed with bleach gives off toxic chlorine gas.
Chlorine bleach + Oxygen bleach (OxiClean)
Both makers advise against combining them: OxiClean says not to mix it with chlorine bleach, and Clorox says the two bleaches cancel each other out.
Oxygen bleach (OxiClean) + Vinegar
OxiClean's maker says it should not be mixed with household chemicals other than detergent in the wash.
Chlorine bleach + Rubbing alcohol
Bleach and rubbing alcohol can form chloroform, which causes dizziness, nausea and loss of consciousness.
If they mix by accident: Stop and add nothing else; leave the area for fresh air, open windows and keep children and pets away; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if anyone has trouble breathing.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't rub the polish in
Rubbing pushes the polish deeper into the weave and spreads the stain. Blot and tamp with a clean part of the cloth instead, working from the edges toward the center.
Don't mix stain removers
Ammonia and chlorine bleach give off toxic fumes when mixed, so never combine them. If you need more than one product, rinse the item thoroughly between each one.
Don't reach for gasoline or acetone
Gasoline, lighter fluid and carbon tetrachloride are dangerous, and acetone or nail polish remover dissolves acetate, triacetate and modacrylic. The solvent and detergent steps do the same job more safely.
Don't leave products on too long
Liquid and aerosol pretreatments should only stay on for as long as the label suggests, and gels should come off bright fabrics within a few minutes. Longer contact can make unstable dyes change color or fade.
When to call a professional
Take dry-clean-only items to a professional cleaner quickly, and tell them the fabric and that it is shoe polish. Take washable items too if the stain covers a large area, the item is bulky, or the fabric is fragile. Suede, leather and fur trim should go to a specialist.
Questions
Will shoe polish come out of clothes?
Usually, yes, if you treat it while it is fresh and start with the solvent. Fresh polish comes out far more easily than polish that has dried on. Some faint color may stay on old stains even after several rounds.
How do you remove shoe polish from cotton clothing?
Cotton can take the full method, but test every cleaner on a hidden seam first. Start with the solvent, then use the vinegar water on white cotton, then detergent in the wash. Check the care label before you consider any bleach.
Can I use baking soda on shoe polish?
No, rely on the solvent and detergent; baking soda only makes sense after a test on a hidden seam. Keep it out of the process unless you test it on a hidden seam first and have a clear reason.
How long should I wait between solvent rounds?
Let the spot dry fully between rounds so you can judge the result in good light. Repeat until no more polish comes off the cloth, then move on to the wash.
Does the vinegar water step work on black polish?
The vinegar water step is written for white polish, so it is not the main tool for black. Work through the solvent and wash steps first, and check the spot after each round.
What if the polish dried on weeks ago?
Old polish usually needs several rounds of the solvent step, with drying time between them. Keep going until nothing more comes onto the cloth, and expect a faint shadow in some cases.
Shoe Polish on other materials
Other stains on clothes
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.