Can you wash shoelaces and shoes in the washing machine?

Summer fun can be rough on your shoes. Mud runs, morning soccer practices, Sunday football with your friends, hikes through muddy trails, there’s plenty of fun (and plenty of dirt) to be had. This causes us to wonder, can i wash my sneakers and laces in the washing machine? Washing MachineWell asked and answered! We’ve researched for you and have compiled a best practices, step by step of how to wash your favorite kicks.

Things to keep in mind:

Time: Your shoes will need to air dry. This may take up to a couple of days to completely dry. Plan ahead and be sure you wont be needing this pair of shoes for a couple of days

Material: Always check the care label inside your shoes to see the recommended washing treatment. Textile shoes, made of cotton, nylon, polyester can easily be put into the washer for an easy clean. Dirty shoesHowever, suede, leather, dress shoes, or rubber boots should NOT be put into the washing machine as this can cause damage to the material. Rather, try professionals, special cleaning products, or spot cleaning are recommended for these materials, but use at your own discretion.

Smell: If your shoes could use a deodorizing treatment, and easy and effective way is to place some baking soda inside your shoes and insert the shoes into a bag to be left overnight, the night before you wash your shoes.

If after reading the care label on your shoes you are not quite comfortable placing them in the washing machine, all hope is not lost. Try spot cleaning with a toothbrush, rag, or Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. We personally have found the magic erasers to be quite effective and use them to quickly clean us shoes before photo shoots or a night out.

How To Wash Your Shoes in the Washing Machine:

  1. Your shoe’s laces may easily get tangled inside your mashing machine. You can prevent this by removing your shoelaces and placing them inside a mesh washing bag or an old pillow cases. Futhermore, if your laces appear to be too far gone, consider buying another pair. You can go for fun colors or ones that will improve the fit and performance of your shoes, like Xtenex Xlaces. Additionally, if you’re already using Xtenex laces, you do not need to be removed because the “knots” found throughout the lace lock in at each eyelet, and a proper sized pair of Xlaces means there is no excess length to get tangled. Check them out here.
  2. With laces removed from your shoe, use an old toothbrush or rag wipe down your shoes, knocking away loose dirt and scrubbing away dense, caked on patches of mud. The effort made here will drastically improve the effectiveness the machine wash.
  3. Place your shoes into a mesh washing bag or an old pillow case. This prevents the shoes from banging loudly inside the washing machine. Washing your shoes with a load of towels will also help with this.
  4. Wash your shoes with cold water, on a delicate setting, with a mild LIQUID detergent. Hot water can warp your shoes and cause the colors to run or fade. A delicate setting is preferred to a high spin setting as it may damage your washing machine. A liquid detergent will also prevent clumping of powdered detergent inside the shoe.
  5. After your sneakers have been through the wash, take them out and air dry them. The heat of the dryer can damage the adhesive holding your shoes together. Place your shoes in a warm area, and stuff with newspaper to absorb even more moisture. Avoid placing shoes in direct sunlight to prevent fading.
  6. Once your shoes have completely dried, lace them up and conquer the world anew with your like new kicks.

Clean shoes

Order Xtenex Laces