Every so often you will have to clean your stinky shoes. You put your shoes through a lot of garbage every day with wear and tear. Sometimes the odors get too strong and you have to do something, not to mention all the dirt and grime on the outside of your shoes. If you are wondering how to wash stinky shoes at home then here we provide the step by step guide to clean your smelly shoes.
How Do You Clean Stinky Shoes in the Washing Machine?
Before you throw your shoes in the washing machine, check the material from which they are made. Some materials, like leather, are not washing machine friendly and should not be washed.
In general, if your sneakers are made from cotton, nylon, polyester, or similar fabric, they probably can be washed.
Once you verified the material, prepare your shoes for washing. If the shoes have dried dirty or other yucky stuff, remove as much of it as possible before washing.
1) Remove the Laces from Shoes
First of all, you need to remove your laces to avoid them getting knotted. Let them soak in some detergent and water for the next 24 hours. The next step is to rinse them by hand under warm water.
Next, you wrap a cloth around the laces and fill the cloth with some detergent or soap and water; you can also place them in a small mesh laundry bag or pillowcase and wash them along with shoes. You can also hand wash them.
You need to set your washer for the spin cycle after they have washed and rinsed. That way you can remove all the excess water and detergent from your laces.
2) Add the Detergent in Washing Machine
The next thing you need to do is to put the detergent in the washing machine. It’s best to use liquid detergent because powdered detergents can get stuck to the shoes if they do not dissolve. You should not add bleach or fabric softener, both of which can damage shoes.
Select cold water and a slow or gentle cycle. Skip the spin cycle if possible. The spin cycle will toss around the shoes, possibly damaging them.
3) Place Your Shoes into the Washer
The next thing you do is place your shoes into the washer after you have taken a wet cloth and brushed out all the dirt. Set the washer for a wash, rinse, and spin, the same thing you did for the laces.
If you have a mesh wash bag or pillowcase, put the shoes in them. When the shoes are in a bag, they are protected, especially from the agitator. Even if your machine does not have an agitator, it is still a good idea.
4) Place Your Shoes in the Dryer
Now, the next thing you can do is place your shoes in the dryer. You could also place your shoes on your porch for the sun to dry. You do not place your shoes into the same washer and dryer cycles of your clothing. You need to wash and dry your shoes separately.
After the shoes have been washed, remove them from the machine and put them on a drying rack until dry. You can also put them in a dryer. If your machine has a drying rack accessory, place them on it, and select permanent press or similar cool setting. Remember that high heat can damage the shoes.
What Happens when there is Still an Odor?
That does happen. Sometimes the odor is just too powerful for the washer and dryer to take care of. So, how to remove odor from the shoes?
Do you know Baking soda is very helpful to clean the dirty smell from the smelly shoes instantly? So, what you can do is sprinkle a little baking soda or foot powder inside to help get rid of the smell. The other thing to remember is not to dry your shoes in the dryer for your clothes.
You need to either use a separate one or dry them separately. Doing it all together can change the size and shape of the shoes. One final thing you can do is to buy some odor-resistant shoe solution to help reduce the chances of the odor lingering and causing bacteria to develop.
If you follow all these tips mentioned above, then you will have great success in clearing shoes and you will be able to enjoy your shoes again. We have already shown you the way to clean the basketball shoes which many people also liked.
So in the end, we hope that you will also follow these tricks and take advantage of them, but do not use these tips on leather shoes, otherwise, you may have to face heavy damage to shoes.
