How to Use A Beauty Razor to Clean Dirty Birkenstocks

Like most shoes, Birkenstocks are prone to becoming dirty and discolored fast, depending on how often you wear them.

These shoes are some of the most comfortable to wear and they’re easy to slip on (a feature we love), but their porous leather and cork materials lend them to showing their use faster than you’d like.

The good news is that cleaning Birkenstock sandals is not the hardest task on the planet, and one of our editors has a genius hack for getting rid of the dark and embedded footprints…and the secret may surprise you.

What You’ll Need

To clean your Birkenstocks with this hack, you’ll need a mix of cleaning products to make your own cleaner, and a few household tools plus Candace’s secret “controversial” weapon: a beauty razor!

Here is everything else you’ll need before you begin:

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon laundry detergent
• Glass bowl
• Old toothbrush
• Damp microfiber cloth
• Beauty razor

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How to Clean Your Birkenstocks With This Hack

Candace’s Birkenstock hack is pretty straightforward and easy to do, and the best part is that most of the required materials are stuff you likely already own.

Plus, according to Candace, these products seemed to really do the trick at removing built-up dirt from consistent use.

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to use this hack to clean your favorite shoes so they can look good as new the next time you wear them out.

1. Mix Together Cleaning Solution

   First, start by mixing the cleaning solution in an empty glass bowl. Combine the two cups of warm water, vinegar, and laundry detergent.

2. Gently Scrub the Sole & Footbed

   Dip your old toothbrush into the mixture and gently begin scrubbing all over the soles and footbeds. Once you’ve scrubbed the entire surface, dip your microfiber cloth in warm water only and wipe away the sudsy mixture.

3. Lightly Scrape Away Footprints

   Our favorite part of this method (Candace’s ultimate hack!) involves bringing out the beauty razor to scrub away the footprints on the footbeds.

   “I definitely thought that solution cleaned them and could see dirt coming off but nothing was working on the footprint patina.”

   According to Candace, any beauty razor will do the trick, but she recommends these from Amazon.

   “Honestly, nothing else would get the footprints off,” she says. “I remember thinking, ‘these footprints aren’t going to come off unless I scrape them off.’ That was my aha moment.”

   Remember to use the beauty razor lightly like Candace suggests in her video so you don’t damage the surface of the footbeds.

4. Wipe Down Leather Straps

   To finish off the cleaning, Candace says to gently wipe down the leather straps with a damp microfiber cloth before using an optional leather conditioner if your straps are worn out.

   If your leather straps have stains or have started to fade in color, applying a conditioner could be a great idea to restore them to their former glory.

   After this, you’re going to want to let them air dry for at least 24 hours.

How Often Should You Clean Birkenstocks?

To keep your Birks looking in good condition, you’ll want to clean your footbeds every few weeks, but the frequency also depends on how often you wear them.

Other parts, like the soles and leather straps, should be cleaned at least once a month so the material stays intact and the shoes don’t look as used or dingy.

For Birkenstocks with leather straps, you’ll want to apply leather conditioner once or twice a year. If your Birks have suede straps, using a suede brush to buff the material should do the trick.

Extra Tips for Cleaning & Maintaining Birkenstock Sandals

• Spot-treat stains with shoe polish before wiping them down with a damp microfiber cloth.
• Let them air dry completely before wearing them again.
• Never place them in direct sunlight.
• If the cork begins to look cracked or worn, apply a cork sealant.
• If you need to remove odors, make a homemade paste with baking soda and water. Apply it to the footbeds to let sit overnight before wiping it away with a damp cloth.