How to wash tennis shoes in the washing machine (without wrecking them)

Step by step: how to wash tennis shoes in the washing machine

1. 1

   Check the label and the material

   Look inside the tongue for a care label or check the maker’s website. Canvas, cotton, polyester, nylon and many knit runners usually handle a gentle machine wash; leather, suede, nubuck, and shoes with glued-on decorations or light-up soles do not. When in doubt, hand wash.

2. 2

   Take out the laces and insoles

   Pull the laces and remove the insoles if they come out. Insoles often have foam that loses shape in the washer, so hand wash them in a bowl of soapy water instead. Laces can go in the mesh bag with the shoes.

3. 3

   Knock off and brush away dirt

   Tap the soles together outside to drop loose dirt, then brush the uppers and the tread with a dry brush. Pick out stones from the tread with a toothpick. Mud that goes into the washer ends up redeposited on the shoes and inside the machine.

4. 4

   Pretreat stains

   Dab stain remover or a little liquid detergent on grass, food and grease marks and work it in with a soft brush. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Scrub scuffed rubber midsoles separately with a damp brush, since the washer will not shift them.

5. 5

   Bag them and pad the drum

   Put the shoes in a mesh laundry bag or a tied pillowcase, then add 2 to 4 old towels. The towels cushion the shoes so they do not bang the drum, and they balance the load so the machine does not walk during the spin. Do not add other laundry.

6. 6

   Run a gentle cycle in cold water

   Choose the delicate or gentle cycle with cold water and use about half your usual dose of mild liquid detergent. Skip fabric softener and bleach. Use a low spin setting if your washer has one.

7. 7

   Air dry, stuffed with paper

   Take the shoes out right away, shake off excess water and stuff them loosely with paper towels or newspaper to hold the shape and soak up water. Set them somewhere with moving air, like near an open window or in front of a fan, away from radiators and direct sun. Change the paper after a few hours; most shoes are dry in about 24 hours.

8. 8

   Put the insoles and laces back

   Once everything is fully dry, inside and out, reinsert the insoles and relace the shoes. Damp insoles left inside a shoe are a common source of odor. The shoes may feel stiff for a wear or two.

Which shoes can go in the washing machine?

Fabric sneakers usually can; leather, suede and dress shoes cannot. Brands disagree, so the label or the maker’s care page is the final word.

Nike, for example, does not recommend washing its shoes in a washing machine and suggests hand washing with a mild solution, noting that bulky sneakers can also damage the washer. Allbirds, by contrast, says most of its shoes are made to be machine washed: insoles and laces out, a delicates bag or pillowcase, a gentle cycle with cold water and a small amount of mild detergent, no fabric softener or bleach, then air dry. If your pair is not machine safe, our guide to cleaning sneakers by hand works for every material.

Why you should not put shoes in the dryer

Heat is what ruins washed shoes. Nike explains that tumbling beats shoes up, heat can shrink them and change their fit, and high heat can damage the glue that holds the sole on. Allbirds also says to avoid machine drying.

Faster ways to dry them: stuff with fresh paper every few hours, aim a fan at the openings, or hang them by the laces in a warm, airy room. Do not set them on a heater or in a sunny window, which can yellow white soles and warp foam.

Keeping shoes and the washer fresh afterward

Run a quick rinse cycle with the empty washer if a lot of grit came off the shoes, and wipe out the door gasket on a front loader.

• For lingering odor, sprinkle a spoonful of baking soda into each dry shoe overnight and shake it out in the morning.
• White shoes that came out dingy may need spot work on the rubber; see how to clean white shoes.
• Laces that are still gray can soak separately in warm water with detergent or oxygen bleach.
• If the washer smells after cleaning shoes, our washing machine cleaning guide resets it.

Mistakes to avoid

• Washing leather, suede or dress shoes in the machine.
• Using hot water, which can soften the glue and shrink the upper.
• Throwing shoes in loose with no bag or towels, so they bang the drum.
• Washing them with clothes, which pick up dirt and can be snagged by eyelets.
• Finishing them in the dryer or on a heater.
• Leaving the insoles in, where they stay wet and smell.