How correctly and can leather sneakers be washed in the washing machine and by hand?

Running shoes require regular cleaning with heavy use. The leather upper of such shoes is practical and visually attractive.

To keep it in good condition, you must follow the rules of care, and know the features of hand and machine washing, as well as drying such shoes.

Can and how to wash leather sneakers in the washing machine? Look for answers to questions in the article.

Preparation for the process

Before washing your favorite pair of sports shoes, you need to analyze exactly how to clean so that it does not deform or suffer.

Some manufacturers give recommendations for the care of their goods, even indicating the rules for washing.

There is no guarantee that cheap sneakers from an unknown manufacturer will survive the wash. Even if the manufacturer denies the possibility of washing their products, the owners of sneakers wash them by hand and in a washing machine. The result of such processing will be unpredictable.

High-quality stitched genuine leather shoes will most likely survive washing well if you follow all the rules.

Before washing your shoes, you should prepare them:

• pull out the laces;
• take out the insoles;
• rinse shoe soles with water;
• remove complex stains from the surface (for example, from lubricants).

In a washing machine

The automatic washing machine makes washing leather sports shoes easy. So that the shoes in the drum do not dangle and do not hit the walls, use a special net or additionally put a couple of old terry towels in the load.

If your automatic washing machine has a special Sport Shoes mode, you should use it.

In the absence of a special program, sneakers are washed on delicate mode without spinning.

The optimum temperature for washing leather sports shoes is from + 30 ° C to + 40 ° C.

Hotter water can cause shoes to come unstuck and require repair, and cold washing will be ineffective. The sneaker detergent must be suitable for a machine. For a white pair of shoes, it is possible to use a powder or gel with a whitening effect, but not containing chlorine.

It is advisable not to select the "spin" mode. Even the minimum speed creates an increased load on the elements of the washing machine, shortening the service life of the equipment, and provoking breakdowns. After the end of the wash cycle, the wet shoes are taken out to dry.

Handwash

You can even clean the top of your sneaker well enough by hand. To do this, you need a rag or sponge and a detergent (from baby soap to laundry detergent).

Hand wash process not heavily soiled shoes:

1. Prepare your sneakers.
2. Pour warm water into the container.
3. Wet and lather a cloth, clean the outside of the shoe.
4. Wash off the soap composition with water.
5. Dry.

In cases where the shoe is very dirty, more serious handling is necessary. To do this, you need a basin that allows you to completely dip the steam into it.

Procedure:

1. Warm water is poured into the prepared basin.
2. Dilute washing powder in water. It is advisable to give preference to a liquid detergent.
3. Lower the shoe completely into the water.
4. Wash the outside with a rag and brush.
5. Using a small brush on a long handle, clean the inside.
6. Wash off the soap solution.

When washing heavily soiled shoes, change the water in the basin several times.

How to wash sneakers by hand, video instruction:

Cleaning natural suede

Natural suede more demanding in processing than leather.

For manual cleaning you will need:

• vinegar;
• ammonia;
• suede brush;
• water;
• container for preparing a cleaning solution;
• rags.

Cleaning procedure:

1. Particularly dirty areas should be treated with vinegar.
2. Mix alcohol and water in half.
3. Wipe the dirty areas with an alcohol solution with a brush.
4. Wash steam in water in water using a cloth.
5. Dry.

If the pile is damaged after washing, you can steam it or use a special suede brush.

When the shoe is dry, a moisture-proof coating can be applied to the surfaceusing the drug in a spray.

To clean the outer part of suede and nubuck sneakers, you can use special products designed to care for this material.

Watch a video on how to machine wash suede sneakers:

Artificial leather

The artificial material of the upper of the sneaker has significant differences from the natural one. It is lighter in weight, less demanding to maintain, and inexpensive. The disadvantages include less elasticity, poor air permeability, and rapid wear.

When washing by hand, you must not:

• use hot water;
• use brushes with abrasive surfaces;
• make efforts - pressure, intense friction, etc.

Artificial leather sports shoes should be hand washed only if excessively dirty, as the material is not intended for wet processing.

We erase insoles and laces

Washing the insoles does not have to be done only with the cleaning of the sneakers. Due to the specifics of using sneakers, insoles are not only possible but also need to be washed more often.

For this you will need:

• warm water;
• brush;
• soap solution.

For off-season and summer shoes, remove the insole and wash it in warm water using a brush. In winter sneakers, printed wool, felt or other insulation is used as the material for the insoles.Such insoles should also be washed more often, but it is better to use not warm, but cool water.

Discontinued before washing sneakers laces also need cleaning... As with insoles, they can be washed more often than the shoes themselves. The easiest way is to wash them by hand, using soap and water.

Laundry bag: why do you need one?

Laundry bag sports shoes are significantly different from the usual ones designed for clothing. The main difference is the presence of seals that prevent the shoe from hitting the drum ribs. Each such bag is designed for one pair, its parameters are indicated on the package.

Externally, bags for washing shoes may have design differences. Sealers in bags play 2 roles:

1. Protect the drum from mechanical stress.
2. Prevents fraying of the shoe itself.

The shoe bag is large enough to fit both children's and adult sneakers.

If a special bag is not available, then when washing, old terry towels must be brought into the drum... The sneakers themselves should be placed in a canvas bag, for example, in an old pillowcase. From above it is tied tightly or sewn together so that the shoes are fixed.

It is important to check beforehand that the towels do not shed.

Competent drying

After manual or automatic washing of leather sneakers, they must be dried. It is convenient in summer dry athletic shoes on open air. When it's cold, it's warm, indoors.

For these purposes, you should not use:

• newspaper (printing ink can stain the inside of sneakers);
• glossy paper (it does not absorb moisture well).

As the paper is soaked in moisture, it is changed to dry.

What not to do during the drying process:

• place shoes near an open source of fire and in bright sunlight;
• put leather shoes on the battery;
• leave wet sneakers in a damp, cold room;
• use the drying mode in the washing machine.

Dry cleaning

For expensive sneakers equipped with decorative elements, as well as for winter ones, hand and machine wash are replaced by dry cleaning.

If the item cannot be cleaned with home cleaning products, you should contact a professional... This option is also suitable in the absence of a washing machine or doubts about their abilities. wash sneakers correctly.

Recently, a niche in the service sector has begun to fill, providing sneaker cleaning at the highest level. On the Internet, you can find such establishments by requesting "dry cleaning sneaker" or "shoe dry cleaning" in the search engine.

But even in large cities this service is not widely represented, and in small settlements it may be completely absent. On the territory of the Russian Federation, sneaker dry cleaners have existed since 2015.

Services provided by dry cleaners for sneakers:

• complex cleaning;
• easy restoration;
• washing or replacing laces;
• aromatization;
• giving the top coat a shine;
• disinfection, etc.

Duration of professional cleaning is from several hours to several days.

Additional services, including restoration work, are paid separately. If the problem is complex, such as a restoration required, it may take longer to get the shoes in order - up to two weeks or more.

Dry cleaning of sneakers is cool or a waste of money, the video will tell you:

Recommendations

In order to avoid unpleasant surprises and not ruin your sneakers, We recommend using the following tips:

1. Avoid prolonged contact of leather and suede with water. For this, the washing process must take place without prolonged soaking.
2. You can use an old toothbrush to manually clean the inside of your sneaker.
3. Exposure, even short-term, to hot water should be avoided.
4. Sneakers should not be washed with clothes, as all the dirt from the shoes will transfer to the rest of the clothes.
5. The presence of a special net for washing shoes in machines is a condition that will protect the drum from possible breakdowns.
6. Damaged sneakers with protruding foam should not be washed. During the operation of the washing machine, the tears will become even larger, and the foam rubber can get stuck in the filter.
7. Do not put more than two pairs of shoes in the washing machine.
8. The drying function of the washing machine cannot be used.
9. We recommend using a liquid detergent to wash your sneakers, not a powder.
10. Do not use fabric softener when washing leather sneakers - it can stain.
11. After drying, the outside can be treated with shoe polish (appropriate color or colorless) to soften the material.
12. Yellowed white elements can be bleachedrubbing them with a lemon wedge.
13. Do not machine wash the illuminated leather sneakers.

Conclusion

The frequency of washing leather sneakers depends on their condition. Insoles should be washed most often. The shoes themselves should be washed only as they become dirty, with frequent wear - once a season.