My Disaster With Cloudy Sandals
So this happened last week. I dug out my favorite clear strap sandals for summer, pumped to wear ’em. Pulled ’em outta the closet and… yuck. Totally cloudy! Like someone smeared glue all over ’em. Plus, weird sticky patches near the buckles. Felt gross just touching ’em. Figured they were probably just dusty from storage, right?
The Bad Ideas Phase
First dumb move? Grabbed dish soap and warm water, dunked the whole sandal in. Scrub-scrub-scrub with an old toothbrush. Rinsed ’em off… now they looked worse. Hazier than before! And those sticky patches? Still there, laughing at me. Why you ask? Apparently dish soap leaves a film on clear plastic. Dumb idea? Yeah.
Desperate times. Saw some vinegar sitting there. “Natural cleaner!” my brain yelled. Dampened a paper towel with white vinegar, rubbed circles on the cloudiest spot. Did absolutely nothing. Like, zero. Zip. Nada. Just made my sandals smell like salad dressing. Double fail.
Actually Figuring Stuff Out (Finally!)
Got serious. Went full detective mode online & talked to my friend who wears clear shoes non-stop. Learned cloudiness is often just grime buildup + weird chemical reactions to other cleaners (lookin’ at you, dish soap!). Sticky stuff? Usually oils from skin or weird plastics breaking down over time. Here’s what actually worked:
1. Simple Soapy Toothbrush (The Right Way):
- Used a teeny drop of mild bar soap (NOT liquid dish soap!) directly on a damp toothbrush.
- Lightly scrubbed just the dirty areas & sticky spots. Like, gentle circles, no deep scrubbing.
- Wiped it off INSTANTLY with a barely damp cloth, then dried immediately with a different dry cloth. This avoids soap residue = avoids haze!
2. Baking Soda Paste Power:
- Made a paste: Tiny bit of water + baking soda. Thick like glue.
- Applied it ONLY to those stubborn sticky patches near buckles.
- Left it on for like… 3 minutes? Didn’t even scrub hard! Just rubbed gently, then rinsed completely. Stickiness? Gone.
3. Skip the Soak, Rinse Smart:
Tried rinsing them under the tap? Not good. Why? Water gets trapped inside the straps & layers. Instead, wiped them down with a damp cloth (barely wet!), then followed up IMMEDIATELY with a super dry towel. Every drop chased away. Keeps ’em clear, prevents fog.
4. Cornstarch Dry Rub Magic:
After cleaning, felt like some invisible sticky film might try to come back. Friend’s trick: Dab a little cornstarch on a soft cloth. Buff the straps & buckles gently after they’re bone dry. Feels smoother after!
5. Drying Matters Way More Than I Thought:
- NO sun drying! Sun kills clear plastic, makes it brittle.
- NO heater vent!
- Just… air. Inside my room. Away from any heat source.
- Took longer? Yep. But they stayed clear & flexible!
The Real Results
After doing this little routine? My sandals look way better. Not perfectly brand new – some tiny scuffs are forever – but the major cloudiness and all the gross sticky bits? Totally vanished. Feels amazing to wear them again without that weird gunk touching my feet. Biggest lessons? Don’t soak them, don’t use harsh soap, and drying flat in the shade is the secret sauce!