Sneakers are a comfortable and practical type of footwear. They are suitable not only for sports, but also for everyday walking. In order for them to be worn for a long time and maintain their appearance, they should be cleaned regularly. But what to do when the shoes are heavily soiled and dry cleaning no longer helps? Can sneakers be washed? Let’s deal with the question of how to wash sneakers in a washing machine or by hand in more detail. It is also necessary to note the features of proper drying.
To begin with, let’s answer that you can wash sneakers, but … But you need to follow certain washing rules so as not to damage the shoes. It is important not only how to wash, but also preparation before washing and drying after. A mistake at any of the stages can lead to partial or complete damage to your favorite sports shoes.
Preparation
Before washing sneakers, you need to prepare them for this responsible task. Water procedures for these shoes are fraught with damage, so you need to reduce all risks to a minimum in advance.
First, remove the insoles from the sneakers. It is not necessary to soak them, it is enough to take a brush of medium hardness, soap it and walk on the insole. If they have absorbed the unpleasant smell of sweaty feet, then treatment with vinegar or citric acid will help remove it. Rinse the washed insoles and put them to dry at room temperature. In no case, do not dry them on a battery or heating devices, due to the influence of high temperatures, the insoles shrink, lose their shape, and crack.
Now unlace your sneakers. Laces are washed by hand with household soap. If the white laces have turned yellow or blackened, ordinary bleach or laundry will help whiten them. If it is not available, hydrogen peroxide and ammonia will help from folk methods. Take a tablespoon of each product, soak in a liter of hot water (but not boiling water) and lower the laces there for half an hour.
The next preparatory stage will be cleaning the sneakers. Use a dry brush to walk over the surface of the shoes and remove dried dirt. Wash the sole under running water from dirt, stones and earth stuck in the protector.
If the sneakers have a water-repellent coating, then after washing it will need to be restored by treating the shoes with a special spray.
How to wash?
Are you done with the preparation? Now you can decide which way to wash sneakers is right for you: by hand or in a washing machine.
The crux of the problem is how you sew your shoes. You absolutely cannot wash leather sneakers, so you will have to do with dry cleaning. The presence of metal parts can cause them to rust under the influence of water, and it is much more difficult to remove rust stains. In addition, the shoes may not be completely stitched, some elements, for example, reflectors, are often glued. They will simply come off during washing. Also, keep in mind that if the shoes have a heavy sole, it can damage the internal parts of the machine during vibration in the washing machine.
So, if you wash the sneakers carelessly and incorrectly, they can be deformed or unglued. Therefore, hand washing is better. But is it possible to wash sneakers in a washing machine? It is possible, but only fabric and on the condition that they are stitched qualitatively and there are no glued areas.
Washing by hand
- Heat (or cool) the water to 40 degrees. Dilute washing powder or shavings of household soap in it. Make sure that there is no undissolved soap or powder left, otherwise they can get stuck under the seams of the sneakers and it will be difficult to wash them.
- Soak the sneakers for half an hour.
- Collect water again and dilute the soap / powder in it.
- Wet a soft brush or sponge in a soapy solution and gently wipe the sneakers, washing away the dirt.
This is the easiest option, when fabric sneakers, made of leatherette, are cleaned regularly, and there are no dirt or stains on them.
And now let’s deal with some important nuances:
- If the shoes are white and there are yellowed areas, you can whiten them with lemon juice or using household soap with a whitening effect.
- Hydrogen peroxide will help wash off stubborn dirt from white sneakers. Wet the area with the stain, soak a cotton pad in peroxide and wipe the dirt. Repeat until the stain is gone.
- A yellowed white sole can be whitened with an ordinary eraser. Just rub the dry sole, then rinse. If it did not help, then dilute the bleach and put the sneaker in it so that only the sole gets wet, and leave it for 1-2 hours.
- If you wash leather sneakers, then only in case of heavy contamination and in cold water using special detergents.
- Suede sneakers cannot be washed, but you can use wet cleaning. Clean the shoes from dirt with a stiff brush. Prepare a solution of soap and 1 tbsp. ammonia, wet a cloth in it and wipe the suede surface, not allowing the material to get wet. Then wipe with a dry cloth.
Washing in a washing machine
No one likes to wash by hand, so the question of how to wash sneakers in a washing machine is always relevant.
Before you start, inspect the sneakers. Are there any parts that can come off, that the foam is not knocked out or anywhere? Otherwise, if any of it falls off during washing, it can get into the pump or filter of the washing machine, causing it to break.
Only wash one pair of sneakers at a time. Their soles are heavy, so during the rotation of the drum, shoes can unbalance the washing machine, or a sneaker will fly into the door glass and break it.
Have you considered everything? Have you removed the insoles and laces? Then let’s start:
- Place the sneakers in a laundry bag or an old pillowcase. This is important to protect the shoes from damage.
- Carefully study the settings of your washing machine to understand which mode to wash sneakers. Some models have a special mode for shoes. If it is not available, then delicate or hand washing is suitable. The temperature is up to 40 degrees. Spinning, drying – turn it off, otherwise you will spoil the machine by spinning, and drying – sneakers.
- Detergent – liquid gel or shavings of household soap. Powder will not work, as it will leave dilutions. Rinse aid, conditioner – do not add.
- Start the wash.
How to dry
Now wet sneakers need to be dried after washing. In no case do it in the washing machine or on the battery. Otherwise, you will irreversibly ruin your shoes.
Sneakers are dried naturally. To keep them in shape and dry out faster, put crumpled newspapers, paper, toilet paper, paper towels inside. Tuck them in pretty tight, and put the shoes to dry. Check the paper, when it gets wet, change to dry.