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For those who don’t yet know how to wash white shoes in washing machine, we will look at the steps in this article..
It’s not really tedious and it will make your white shoes keep looking minty white again..
Please note that most shoes can be washed in a washer without getting damaged (except leather or suede shoes)..
How to wash white shoes in washing machine – preliminaries
Remove any excess (and loose) dirt from the shoe by banging them together.
Next, take out the shoes laces.
You will be placing them in a mesh bag (alongside the shoes) as explained in step 1 (I will tell you why..)
About the insoles, you probably want to leave them in -as the wash cycle runs- but you obviously need to remove them when laying out the shoes to dry afterwards.
How to wash white shoes in washing machine (step by step)
Step 1: Put your shoes in a mesh laundry bag or even a pillow case.
Putting the shoes (and shoe laces) in a mesh laundry bag (for delicates) makes it safer.. you just don’t want them to bang around.
A pillow case can also work fine (the end should be tied off).
Step 2: Add a load of white towels
Put a bunch load of white towels (to be with your shoes)- to be clear, the towels will act like some sort of a buffer during the wash.
Step 3: Put your washer through a normal (cold) gentle cycle
The safest way to wash your white shoes is by putting the washer through a normal (cold) gentle cycle.
Bear in mind that hot (or warm) water often ruins shoes so always use COLD water.
In other words, cold water+low spin works perfectly for shoes.
Oh, and be sure to add regular liquid detergent (put a less than usual amount).
Step 4: Let your shoes Air dry
Here is one thing you cannot do: Put shoes in a dryer to dry…that’s a no-no!
Why?
The heat from the dryer is usually too much for shoes and your pair is likely to come out utterly ruined!
So, to dry your shoes, just put them in a shade and leave them to “air dry”….remove the insoles first and dry them independently..
Please allow them enough time since you want them to dry out completely before wearing them again.
If you, however, want to expedite drying, you can put something like white paper towers in the shoes (they help absorb excess wetness quickly).
Step 5: Put everything back together
Once everything has dried up, put the insoles back in and restring the laces.
That’s simply it!
How to wash white shoes in washing machine – Important Tips
Don’t use bleach on your white shoes
This is very important:
Throwing your white shoes in your washing machine with bleach will only worsen things- it is likely to mess the color and your shoes may come out with some yellow tinge.
What to do if some spots are still dirty
If some patches (this is rare) are still a little dirty, use an old tooth brush + water (and maybe soap) to scrub it a bit.
Overall, soapy water+ tooth brush works wonders and it’ll fix them.
Do not dry your shoes in the sun
Another mistakes folks make is putting their white shoes in direct sunlight to dry.
Well, it’s not recommended because direct sun may end up yellowing your shoes!
A word on washing white shoe laces
Sometimes it is best to wash while shoe laces by hand (If you want them to look crisp white).
To do so, you can simply rub the laces (after wetting them in clean water) in your hands (once you have put some soap on them) until they’re white.
But that’s not the only way..
In fact, perhaps the following procedure is the best way of cleaning white shoe laces:
How to clean white shoelaces
- Fill your sink with water up halfway. A washing-up bowl or a small tub can also suffice here.
- Take a little hand soap then work it thoroughly into each of your laces.
You have to be thorough (I cannot emphasize this enough) since you want to loosen the dirt as much as you can.
- Now drop your shoelaces into the water then proceed to wash away all remaining soap.
- Next, grab a dry rag then wrap it around one lace firmly.
- To dry the lace, go ahead and pull the rag all along the entire length of this lace.
- Repeat the above 2 steps to dry the remaining lace.
How to wash white shoes in washing machine – Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put all the dirty white shoes in one mesh bag?
For the most part, putting multiple shoes in one bag is okay but we don’t really encourage it because there is a chance of your shoes scuffing during movement.
Can you wash white shoes with bleach in the washer?
You should not..
To be honest, it’s not a very good idea since bleach typically causes color issues when it comes to different shoe materials because it oxidizes and your shoes will begin to yellow.
In short, your white shoes will probably come out looking pretty awful!
Can I put my white shoes in the washer along with white clothes?
Just don’t!
Shoes will in all likelihood muck up your white clothes (Doing this might also cause serious wear and tear on the fabrics).
Final words
There are a lot of different methods to clean white shoes nowadays but why would you bother with tiresome methods such as hand washing them in a bucket of water+laundry detergent when you can just wash them pristine clean in your washer?
It surely beats logic so go ahead and try the above steps- they should come out looking like new!
ALSO READ:
How to wash Nike shoes in washer (step-by-step)
How to wash Adidas shoes in washing machine (step-by-step and important tips)
