{"id":429430,"date":"2026-05-15T19:39:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T19:39:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/429430\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T19:39:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T19:39:20","slug":"how-to-clean-your-sneakers-in-a-washing-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/429430\/","title":{"rendered":"How to clean your sneakers in a washing machine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alexandra Sherlock has a favourite pair of sneakers that she doesn’t want to part with. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The lecturer at RMIT University’s School of Fashion and Textiles says washing and regular care means she’s still wearing them, five years on.<\/p>\n

“Every time I wash them, people compliment me on my new shoes,” Dr Sherlock says.<\/p>\n

“It’s a satisfying feeling knowing the amount of money that you’ve saved by doing that and also the positive impacts on the environment.”<\/p>\n

But not all sneakers and running shoes are made the same and while some can go in the washing machine, others require a different approach.<\/p>\n

Recently, we broke down the best wash cycle for your clothing<\/a>. But what about your shoes?<\/p>\n

Here’s what our experts recommend if you want your sneakers looking as fresh as the day you bought them.<\/p>\n

Can you put sneakers in the washing machine?<\/p>\n

Dr Sherlock, the founder of the Footwear Research Network based in Melbourne\/Naarm, says if shoes are synthetic or made from fabric, they can be cleaned in the washing machine.<\/p>\n

She recommends the following method:<\/p>\n

Use a basin, cold water and mild detergent to give the shoes a light scrub before they go into the machineRemove laces and insolesPut the shoes in a laundry bag and wash on a cold, delicate cycle, with a towel or two for added impact protection during spin cyclesGive them a long time to dry out, and don’t put them under direct heat because it can soften adhesives\"A<\/p>\n

Experts say most sneakers can be cleaned at home either by handwashing them or putting them in the washing machine. (Supplied: Dr Alexandra Sherlock)<\/p>\n

Choice’s director of reviews, Matthew Steen, says it’s best to check the washing instructions on the shoes first.<\/p>\n

“Shoes made of cotton, canvas, polyester or nylon are generally ok to go in the washing machine,” he says.<\/p>\n

He recommends using a liquid detergent because powder is likely to get stuck inside your shoes and not dissolve properly.<\/p>\n

Celine Ducher, the manager for fabric care in electronics at Electrolux, recommends always using a gentle wash cycle and low water temperature to prevent damaging the shoe.<\/p>\n

“30 degrees max or even cold temperature is best,” she says.<\/p>\n

“I would recommend you put the shoes in a laundry bag, so it helps protect your washing machine and your shoes during the spin cycle.”<\/p>\n

When should I handwash my shoes?<\/p>\n

More delicate materials such as leather, suede and satin require gentler cleaning methods, according to our experts.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Alexandra Sherlock is a lecturer at RMIT University’s School of Fashion and Textiles. (Supplied: Dr Alexandra Sherlock)<\/p>\n

“There are lots of things you can do before using the washing machine,” Dr Sherlock says.<\/p>\n

“A surface clean with mild detergents or [specific] cleaning products will certainly give them a visible refresh if odour isn’t a problem.”<\/p>\n

She says leather sneakers can be “tricky” to clean because they can also have synthetic materials on parts of the shoes.<\/p>\n

“You’d probably want to give it a leather treatment, which is more about renewing and refreshing the look of them,” she says.<\/p>\n

She says some leather shoes also have a polyurethane coating, which is a synthetic plastic layer to create water resistance and make them easier to clean.<\/p>\n

“You don’t want to be using anything that is solvent-based on that and again, the heat can be problematic.”<\/p>\n

How to wash shoelaces and insoles<\/p>\n

Ms Ducher says you can wash the laces in the same cycle as the shoes, but she recommends putting them in a laundry bag so they don’t tangle.<\/p>\n

What’s the best wash cycle to use for your clothes?<\/a><\/p>\n

Experts on the most cost-effective and efficient wash cycles for your home.<\/p>\n

“You can also wash them with regular whites if you just want to wash them separately,” she says.<\/p>\n

For the insoles, she recommends handwashing with bicarbonate soda, to get rid of any odours.<\/p>\n

“Then make sure they are really dry and you don’t put them back in the shoes when they are still moist because they can start to smell,” she says.<\/p>\n

“The best way is to check the interior by putting your hand inside and just making sure that the interior is dry.”<\/p>\n

What’s the best way to dry your shoes?<\/p>\n

Our experts say some shoe manufacturers suggest air drying them in the shade and avoiding direct heat sources, which can cause sneakers to warp or shrink.<\/p>\n

Regular tumble dryers should also be avoided as the heat and tumbling action can damage the shoe, according to Ms Ducher.<\/p>\n

But you can use a heat pump dryer if it has a drying rack attachment.<\/p>\n

“It has to be put at a low or ‘delicate’ setting,” she says.<\/p>\n

“The shoe rack makes sure the sneakers aren’t flying around in the machine and it’s protecting the shoe in the machine.”<\/p>\n

Cleaning can be more cost-effective than buying new<\/p>\n

Dr Sherlock says if your sneakers are sentimental or expensive, it might be best to seek professional help from a cobbler or professional shoe cleaner.<\/p>\n

She says it’s generally more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than replacing them.<\/p>\n

“Giving your sneakers a new lease of life so they look new is a really satisfying experience,” she says.<\/p>\n

“Unfortunately, we’ve got to a point in consumer culture where it has become the convention that we’ll just go and buy another pair.<\/p>\n

“Every pair of shoes and sneakers that you’ve ever owned probably still exists, if they haven’t been incinerated, then they’re probably likely still in landfill, which is quite alarming.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Alexandra Sherlock has a favourite pair of sneakers that she doesn’t want to part with. \u00a0 The lecturer…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":429431,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[52132,219994,55672,31580,219991,134,219997,219992,219993,219995,111,139,69,8810,44967,195650,219996,219990],"class_list":["post-429430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-cleaning","tag-detergent","tag-dirty","tag-drying","tag-hand-washing","tag-health","tag-home-tips","tag-insoles","tag-laces","tag-leather","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-runners","tag-sneakers","tag-synthetic","tag-wash-instructions","tag-washing-machine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/429430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=429430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/429430\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/429431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=429430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=429430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=429430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}