care tips
Washing shoes: How to properly clean your kicks in the machine
Sneakers, linen and fabric shoes can be washed in the washing machine
© Iryna Imago / Getty Images
The more frequently shoes are used, the more clearly road dirt, dust and sweat become noticeable. If the commercially available care products fail, only the washing machine remains. But not every shoe is suitable for this.
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Classic sports or street shoes, which are used in everyday life as well as for sporting (outdoor) activities, become more and more dirty over time and start to stink – shoe deodorant will no longer help. Here it would make sense to simply clean the treads in the washing machine, but are they even suitable for this? In fact, all shoes made of synthetic materials can be washed, such as vegan sneakers, ballerinas, sneakers, canvas and canvas shoes. This article explains what you need to consider and how you can wash your shoes by hand.
Instructions for washing shoes: step by step
Before you put the shoes in the washing machine, you should remove coarse dirt with a firm shoe brush Remove – alternatively, a damp cloth is also possible.
Remove the laces and any insoles from the shoes so that they are not washed.
So that the shoes do not accidentally damage the laundry drum, you should only wash them with other robust textiles such as towels or bed sheets.
It is even safer for the shoes in the machine if you have a special one laundry net or a padded one laundry bag use for protection.
Wash the shoes at 30 degrees, preferably on a gentle cycle (easy-care or wool) – and avoid the spin cycle to protect the materials.
Put only a little (full) detergent in the machine and no fabric softener. If you only wash the shoes, there are also special ones laundry detergent for sneakers.
- After washing, the shoes should be stuffed with newspaper so that they return to their original shape when drying in a warm place.
- In the last step, the dry shoes are sealed with a waterproofing spray treated to seal the surface and protect against new signs of wear.
Care tips: Wash shoes without a washing machine
Whether boots, high heels or sandals: if the shoes are made of leather, they must never be put in the washing machine. But what if the fine shoes are so dirty that you no longer want to show them in public? Quite simply, there are a variety of suitable care products that you can use to clean leather – the same also applies to shoes made of synthetic materials, which you also use because of glued or sewn-on applications (e.g. metal, rhinestones or sequins). cannot be machine washed.
- A liquid detergent is suitable for cloth and canvas shoes, which you have to rub in and wash out by hand.
- There are also special ones for sneakers made of imitation leather shoe cleanerwhich are intended for cleaning and care, or one care foam.
- For genuine leather shoes horsehair– or crepe brushes to recommend. They not only remove coarse dirt, but also stains.
And even with sensitive shoes, it makes sense to treat the material with an impregnation spray after manual cleaning and care.
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