How to properly wash sneakers in a washing machine and by hand?
The weekend, spent happily outdoors, is over. Afterward, we're left with not only dirty clothes but also sneakers. It's hard to tell the color of this pile of dirty sneakers; only sizes 36 to 43 are visible! It's no surprise—the family had a good time, but Mom will have to do the laundry. How do you wash sneakers properly? That's the question that immediately pops into your head.
Sneakers are very easy to wash with a damp cloth. After all, they're made of fabric. Simply throw them in the washing machine and go about your day.
Before washing, inspect your shoes carefully. If they're made of high-quality material, you can safely throw them in the washing machine.
But if they're cheap sneakers, there's a chance they won't survive the washing machine. So, if you want to be on the safe side, hand wash them. Unfortunately, cheap shoes may use low-quality glue or poor-quality materials. And if you skimped on the purchase, you could lose your shoes in the wash.
Of course, you can wash high-quality shoes by hand, especially if you don't have a washing machine. But hand washing often doesn't perform as well as machine washing. After all, modern machines are great!
How to wash sneakers correctly, step by step
So, let's move on to washing sneakers. We'll break it down into just three steps.
- Preparing shoes for washing;
- Wash shoes by hand or in a washing machine;
- Drying.
Let's start with the first preparatory stage. First, you need to remove the insoles and laces., because they are washed separately from the shoes. The insoles may also be made of poor quality material. In this case, they should be washed by hand. Otherwise, simply toss them in the washing machine with the shoes. The sneakers should be cleaned of any dirt or dust deposits. You can do this by wiping them with a damp cloth.
To clean dirt from the soles, use a brush. This is especially important if the soles have complex, deep patterns. If you don't have a special brush at home, you can use an old, discarded toothbrush.
Dried dirt can be rinsed with running water to make it easier to remove. It's best to do this beforehand. This will make washing much easier.
The more thoroughly you prepare your shoes, the easier and more effective it will be to clean them!
Without proper prep, heavily soiled shoes may not come out clean. In such cases, it's best to take a few minutes to ensure your sneakers look their best after washing.
The next step is hand washing. Let's start small. You need to wash the insoles and laces separately. It's best to do this with laundry soap, as it cleans better. If the insoles are very dirty, use a brush.
Hand wash
To wash shoes by hand, first thoroughly mix the powder. The water should be just large enough to hold your hand. The hotter, the better. But don't let it get too hot. It could be dangerous!You can wash your sneakers with a special brush. If you don't have one, you can use a regular cloth.
It's important to clean all surfaces, both inside and out. Once everything is thoroughly cleaned, proceed to rinsing. If you're washing white sneakers, you can add bleach. For colored shoes, you can add Vanish, which will help remove stains more effectively.
When washing by hand, powder can be replaced with liquid detergents to avoid leaving white streaks.
We wash sneakers in the washing machine!
The next step for high-quality shoes is machine washing. Just like hand washing, clean the shoes to remove any dirt and sand. Use a brush. Then remove the insoles and laces.
Place your sneakers in a shoe bag. If you don't have one, you can stuff them into the legs of your jeans. Just make sure the jeans aren't new, as they might fade, and your shoes will lose their color. If you don't have suitable pants, you can put your shoes in with a towel.
Set the water temperature to 30-40 degrees Celsius and use a gentle cycle. Use a small amount of detergent to avoid leaving white streaks. If you were washing heavy shoes, it would be best not to use the spin cycle. But with sneakers, you don't have to worry about that.
Drying
The last step worth mentioning in our article is drying. First, it's best to choose a location that's best suited for drying shoes. It should be well-ventilated. A balcony, terrace, hallway, or a safe spot in the yard, outdoors, is suitable. However, this is only possible if the weather permits.
In winter, it's best not to dry your shoes on a radiator, as they may lose their shape or discolor, especially if your radiator is too hot. There are special shoe drying devices that provide moderate heat and speed up drying.
So, we've figured out how to wash sneakers. Now we can look forward to next weekend!
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If I wash sneakers in a washing machine, will it break?
I washed sneakers and trainers on short cycles with low spin speeds in two washing machines. Nothing broke.
What if the sneakers have rhinestones or embellishments like 3D triangles? I'm afraid they might come off...
It all depends on the quality. I think it's better to hand wash.
I did everything right, but the sneakers didn't come out clean. There was dust left on them.
Ugh, how do you even wash your underwear in that washing machine? It's so disgusting.
How can you wash your clothes in the washing machine? Isn't it a shame? Especially expensive ones.