Wash shoes in the washing machine: which pairs can go in – and which can't

After a run in the spring rain, a festival on the grass or a summer in the school playground, trainers often end up grey, stained and far from fresh. Many people would like to wash shoes in the washing machine because it is convenient and more thorough than a brush and cloth. It works – but not for every pair, and only with a little preparation.

What matters is the material, how the shoe is made and the right programme. Here is which shoes survive a wash, how to prepare them and how to dry them – at home or in the shared laundry room.

Which shoes can go in the washing machine – and which can't

In the drum, water, heat, detergent and movement all work together. Canvas and synthetics usually cope well. Leather, on the other hand, turns hard, cracked and blotchy from water and friction, and suede loses its nap. Shoes whose soles are only glued rather than stitched are also risky: warm water and movement can loosen the adhesive, leaving the sole gaping at the toe.

White leather trainers therefore do not belong in the machine; our guide to cleaning white trainers shows how to get them bright again. For mountain boots with a membrane, read cleaning hiking boots instead.

1. Check the care label and the manufacturer's advice

Many sports and canvas shoes have a label inside the tongue with care symbols. The number in the washtub is the maximum temperature, a bar underneath stands for a gentler cycle, and a crossed-out tub means: do not wash. The textile association GINETEX explains every symbol in its care symbol index.

No label? Check the manufacturer's website or the box. If in doubt, clean the shoes by hand – especially expensive running shoes with special cushioning, or a pair that is already well worn.

2. Prepare the shoes: dirt, laces and insoles

Loose dirt should never go into the washing machine. Knock the shoes together outside, brush off dried mud and sand and pick stones out of the tread, for example with a toothpick.

• Remove the laces: washed separately in a laundry bag or by hand, they come out cleaner and don't get tangled.
• Remove the insoles: they are often glued or made of foam and lose their shape in the machine. Wash them by hand in lukewarm water with a little liquid detergent and let them dry flat.
• Pre-treat stains: work a little liquid detergent into grass stains or grime with a soft brush.
• Clean the sole edge: rubber rims can be wiped beforehand with a damp sponge and a drop of washing-up liquid.

3. Load it right: laundry bag and towels

A single pair of shoes thuds noisily around the drum. That strains the drum, door glass and bearings – and the shoes themselves. So:

1. Put each pair in a zipped laundry bag or mesh wash bag, or alternatively in an old pillowcase buttoned shut.
2. Add two or three old, colourfast towels. They cushion the knocks and help clean through extra friction.
3. Wash no more than one or two pairs per cycle.
4. Don't add light-coloured laundry that could be stained by dirt or by shoes that run.

4. Choose the programme, temperature and detergent

For shoes, a gentle or delicates programme at 30 °C is enough. Higher temperatures put adhesives, foams and colours under strain without getting the shoes any cleaner. This is in line with the advice of the Swiss energy programme SwissEnergy (EnergieSchweiz) to wash at 20 to 30 °C where possible and not to increase the detergent dose at low temperatures.

• Detergent: liquid detergent dissolves well at low temperatures and leaves no powder residue in the fabric. A normal dose for lightly to normally soiled laundry is sufficient.
• No fabric softener: it can clog mesh and technical materials and affect the cushioning.
• Spin: choose the lowest spin speed or switch spinning off altogether. High speeds distort the shoes.
• Bleach: for white canvas trainers a heavy-duty detergent is fine; for coloured shoes a colour detergent is the better choice.

5. Dry the shoes properly – without a tumble dryer

Drying decides whether the shoes keep their shape. Heat is the biggest enemy here: in the tumble dryer, on a radiator or in blazing sun, soles can come loose, plastics can warp and white areas can yellow.

1. Take the shoes out of the machine as soon as the programme ends.
2. Stuff them with crumpled, unprinted paper or kitchen roll. It absorbs moisture and holds the shape. Change the paper after a few hours.
3. Leave them to dry somewhere airy at room temperature, for example in the laundry room or on the balcony in the shade.
4. Dry laces and insoles separately.
5. Only wear them again once they are completely dry inside – this often takes one to two days.

The most common mistakes

• Washing leather shoes: leather goes hard, blotchy and can crack – even if it looks fine at first glance.
• Washing too hot: 40 °C or more loosens adhesives and makes foam shrink.
• Washing without padding: alone in the drum, shoes hit hard and can damage the machine and door glass.
• Tumble drying: the heat distorts shoes and soles. Air-drying takes patience but protects the material.
• Leaving sand in the machine: check the drum and filter after washing; our guide to cleaning the washing machine explains how to look after it.

Priority Clean editorial teamOur cleaning team from Alberswil, Canton of Lucerne, shares hands-on experience from move-out, house, office and window cleaning across Central and Northwestern Switzerland.