Shoe washing bag

Quite a few people have adopted the habit of washing dirty shoes in the washing machine. This trend is so strong that casual shoe manufacturers (primarily athletic ones) have even begun issuing recommendations regarding the machine-washability of their products. One such recommendation is to use a shoe wash bag. Is this a shoe wash bag—a marketing ploy for the manufacturer, or a necessity? We need to find out.

Varieties

Not all shoes are machine washable, so the Russian market offers few laundry bags for them. Specifically, there are four main types of these bags. Let's take a quick look at their characteristics.

• Wrowas. A fairly expensive shoe bag made in Europe, but very good. If anyone can be trusted with your sneakers, it's this one. The bag protects shoes from mechanical wear and tear during washing and does not allow poorly dissolved powder particles to pass through, which could damage the shoe fabric. Also, with this bag, washing shoes in the machine will be no different from washing any soft laundry - no extraneous noise!
• Metalex. A simpler mesh bag designed for washing shoes in the washing machine. While the bag may look simple at first glance, it's actually made of a material similar to rubber. This absorbs shock and vibration, effectively protecting shoes from wear and tear during the wash cycle.
• Rayen. A high-quality mesh for washing shoes in a washing machine, made in Spain. The innovative material allows soapy water to pass through easily, while preventing undissolved detergent particles from passing through. With this mesh, shoes are reliably protected from impacts with the washing machine drum, as they are framed by fairly thick rubber strips.
• Eva. A Russian mesh bag designed for washing shoes in a washing machine. Judging by customer reviews, it offers significantly less protection against damage to shoes. However, this bag does a good job of protecting the shoe fabric from undissolved powder granules, and it's also three times cheaper than its foreign counterparts.

Please note! A domestically produced mesh bag will cost approximately $5.30, while a European-made shoe bag will cost at least $14.

Instructions for use

Without exception, all shoe bag manufacturers include instructions for use with their products, strongly recommending that users follow them. How to properly use a shoe laundry bag?

First, you need to carefully examine the dirty shoes. If they have tags that allow you to judge Whether the shoes are machine washable or not is great. If there are no labels, look online. You can often find washing instructions on the shoe manufacturer's website. Once you've verified that the shoes are machine washable, thoroughly clean them of any stuck leaves, needles, resin, and general street dirt. To speed up the process, you can use a cloth or brush.

Remove the insoles and laces from the shoes. They shouldn't be washed with the shoes. Next, open the laundry bag, place the shoes inside, close the bag, and place it in the washing machine drum. Be careful when washing special shoes, such as sneakers, as they may require a special bag. Read more about this in the article. Choosing and using a sneaker washing bag.

Important! Don't cram multiple pairs of shoes into the drum or into the bag. For best results, wash one pair at a time, even if the machine has a 12-15 kg capacity.

Now pour some liquid shoe detergent into the detergent dispenser. If you don't have any, you can use regular laundry detergent gel at your own risk. You shouldn't use dry washing powder, as its granules dissolve more slowly, which means they can ruin your shoes. Close the drawer, select the "Shoes" or "Gentle Wash" program, or something similar, turn off the spin cycle, and press start. Wait for the program to finish, then remove the shoes and dry them in a well-ventilated area.

Buy or make?

Experts agree that it's better to buy a dedicated bag than to scrounge around trying to find a replacement. But sometimes you need to wash your shoes, but you don't have a bag and don't have the time to go shopping. In such an exceptional situation, you can do the following:

1. take an old pillowcase;
2. we put several small clean rags in it;
3. prepare shoes for washing as described above;
4. we put it in a pillowcase between rags;
5. we sew the pillowcase with several sweeping stitches, or fasten it with buttons, if there are any;

After this, you can put the shoes in the pillowcase into the washing machine drum and start the wash cycle as described above.Let's be honest, the results of washing shoes in such a makeshift bag will differ from those of shoes washed in a professional bag, but it will do for lack of anything better. At least you won't ruin your shoes.

If not used?

One final question remains, which logically follows from the above narrative: what happens if you wash shoes in an automatic washing machine without a special bag? Let's be clear – nothing good. After the first wash, shoes in 80% of cases lose their appearance: they wrinkle, become scuffed, and retain detergent residue.

In short, if you want to ruin your shoes, throw them in the washing machine without a bag and wash them at 60 degrees Celsius with a spin cycle. After that, they'll likely end up in the trash. If the shoes aren't too dirty, it's best not to machine wash them at all; hand wash them the traditional way. Don't be lazy, and your shoes will last much longer and retain their appearance.

   

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