How to keep ballet shoes and stuff clean and pink?

Question:The shoes get so stinky and the tights get sort of dark colored. I soak them and use laundry soap but still it looks kind of dirty. Is there an awesome cleaner for the tights that keeps them pink without damaging them? Also, what is good to remove odor from pointe shoes? This stuff is so EXPENSIVE, please don't advise just buying new stuff for every performance.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: The shoes get so stinky and the tights get sort of dark colored. I soak them and use laundry soap but still it looks kind of dirty. Is there an awesome cleaner for the tights that keeps them pink without damaging them? Also, what is good to remove odor from pointe shoes? This stuff is so EXPENSIVE, please don't advise just buying new stuff for every performance.

Be sure to take your pointe shoes and toe pads out of your dance bag every day so they can dry out and air out. You can try a bit of baby powder on your toe pads too; it helps with smell as well as getting blisters. Johnson's just came out with a Cucumber Melon one that smells great (not like that baby smell).

As far as the tights go, I wash my daughters tights in the washing machine. They each wear a clean pair every day, so by the end of the week I've got 12 pairs (6 for each of my daughters). I wash them in warm (to kill germs) water in a load by themselves. They stay pink for a long time but do eventually fade after washing a lot. Don't put them in the dryer though, this thins the fabric.

oh my god you just ruined my perception that ballet dancers were all squeaky clean porcelain dolls.

Sorry, you can't. And you can dance better in the stuff the more worn they are.

well you cant really do much. if you dont want them to smell then put deoderent on your feet. but i you are dancing in them then they are gettin dirty...

what i do is have different shoes for class/rehearsal, and then broken in but still shiny ones for the performance. I do that with all my stuff: tights, shoes, leotards, etc.

Deodorant on the feet helps, and also try putting deodorizers specially made for pointe shoes in there. you can get them at discount dance.

You can buy shoe odor remover that keeps them smelling fresh for longer and i find talcum powder on your feet helps.

Just wash ur thights, they all get like that! pointe shoes, smell bad....they all do! sorry! u can put air freshners in ur bag (the kind u hang up in cars) that can keep ur bag smelling fresh! if your ballet SLIPPERS get dirter, clean them with some saddle soap! have fun! ;)

All of the above answers are really good. You can keep ballet shoes clean by wearing socks over them, as long as you don't slip. When you're storing pointe shoes, make sure that the ribbons and all the other parts of the shoes aren't touching the bottom of either shoe, because that's ususally the dirtiest part.

if you have canvas ballet shoes you can just wash them in a washing macheine. is they are leather try useing a shoe polish. if they are black, it works well, and if they are pink or white, try a spot on the bottom first to make sure it repels the cleaner instead of soaking it in. and to rid of the odeor in pointe shoes, you can't really get rid of it, but using gel toe pads and putting babypowder in them helps.

The truth is, if you are in professional pointe performance team(s), it is an unwritten and wise rule to buy new pointe shoes for every performance. When I did pointe stints, I was working six days a week, with two performances a day, and I used a brand-new pair for EVERY PERFORMANCE, not just every day. A tip, however, for your old shoes: either keep them around for regular practice or pass them on to another dancer for their practice.
On keeping practice shoes and tights clean, I highly reccomend using Mr.Clean Magic Erasers. They work well on most materials, and they can be bought in four-packs at the drugstore or supermarket for only a few dollars. They work wonders on all of my shoes, including tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, and even lyrical shoes. Also, a quick cheat is to shift your tights around in a way that conceals any tough stains, this is good for practice and dress rehearsal, but it's a safe bet to buy cheap tights for any one-time performances. Tights go as cheap as $5.00(US) in some stores, so look around for a good place to get these and stock up just in case.
Pointe shoe odor is an obvious problem. Besides regular foot odor, pointe shoes endure sweat, blood, and certainly many odor-causing bacteria to come with it. Febreze is a quick solution, if you don't mind your shoes smelling like a fresh meadow(make sure not to overdose on the freshener, though.) Make sure blood stains are washed out thoroughly as soon as possible, if they are allowed to sit they will settle into canvas, bringing germs and impossible stains as well as a gag-inducing odor. For things like sweat and similar stains, airing out works wonders, but not if the shoes are directly in the sun. A good thing to do once in a while is to take a few scented antibacterial wipes and wipe down the inside and outside of your shoes. Not only do they cancel out some odor, they remove germs from the shoes and momentarily cool them off. Another good tip is to possibly put thin peices of tissue or moleskin(which can be bought at a drugstore in the section with band-aids and joint braces) between your toes before putting on your shoes: when your toes are separate, they sweat less, and thus prevent some sweat stains and odor without bulking up your feet.
Good luck!
-India

air out your shoes after every practice, scrub them with soft scrub when they get dirty.

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