How to wash Converse and other fabric sneakers correctly

You need to wash your sneakers in the washing machine correctly. Otherwise, the material will irrevocably lose color and the sole will peel off. Automatic washing is completely contraindicated for Converse analogues; they can only be washed by hand. Read on for all the nuances of caring for white and colored sneakers, and you can return them to their original appearance in no time.

Preparing for washing

Any washing, both machine and hand, requires the preparation of things (and in our case, shoes). Sneakers must be freed from removable parts and cleaned of large dirt.

What exactly should you do?

Remove the insoles and laces. If there are decorative elements on the buttons, they also need to be removed and washed separately.
Arm yourself with a stiff brush and walk over the soles over the trash can. Remove any pebbles or debris stuck in the sole pattern.
Shake sand and dust out of your sneakers. Using patting movements, knock out the top.
Wet the soles with a shoe rag and leave for 5 minutes. Wash away the softened dirt.

The pre-cleaning procedure is not extra work, as it may seem at the beginning. If this is not done, the dirt on the sneakers will mix with water and penetrate into the deep layers of the fabric, from where it will be much more difficult to wash it out. Besides, sometimes a good cleaning is enough to make your sneakers sparkle like new.

To get rid of an unpleasant odor in your shoes, you don’t have to wash them. Try filling dry sneakers with baking soda and leaving them overnight.In the morning, shake everything out thoroughly and go through the inside with a brush to remove any residue. The smell of sweat should go away. If not, you can try washing the insoles separately in soapy water.

Washing sneakers in a washing machine

Different Converse models have their own care requirements. But in general, original shoes tolerate machine washing very well.

The exceptions are:

leather sneakers;
textile with voluminous metal decoration (non-removable).

Such models are washed by hand. The rest can be safely loaded into the machine, having first been placed in a bag for delicate washing (it can be replaced with an old pillowcase). The mode is set to manual or delicate, with a temperature of 30 degrees and a spin of no more than 500 revolutions.

Washing sneakers is carried out according to the same principle as laundry: white with white, colored with colored, black separately. Powder or gel is poured into the compartment accordingly.

So, how to wash textile Converse in a machine?

Wrap surface-cleaned sneakers without laces and insoles in a delicate wash bag and load them into the drum.
Pour powder into the powder compartment or pour washing gel according to the instructions on the package. White sneakers can be washed with the addition of oxygen bleach. For the rest, you need to choose a product marked “for colored things”.
If the sneakers are very dirty, you can add a stain remover to the same compartment (liquid ones are placed in a special cap or cuvette). Again, you need to pay attention to what kind of things the product is intended for - for colored or white.
Next, select the “delicate wash” mode. If it is not there, it is “manual”. Or you can set the temperature to 30-40 degrees, wash time 1 hour and spin at 500 rpm.
Wait until the wash is finished and dry the shoes.

To prevent streaks from leaving on fabric sneakers, it is recommended to give preference to liquid powders and select an additional rinse.

Wash by hand

Hand washing your sneakers the old fashioned way is the most reliable method. At the same time, knowing some subtleties, in this way you can achieve a much better effect than by machine.

But first you should remember a few rules:

No hot water. It destroys not only the glue, but also the fabric (deforms, fades).
The duration of washing together with soaking is no longer than 1 hour.
Bulk products must first be dissolved in warm water so that they do not clog the fabric.
You can and should rub your sneakers, but only with a soft brush, otherwise they will become covered in pellets.

When washing by hand, most of the dirt on the sneakers should be removed by soaking. To do this, use several solution options:

2 tbsp. spoons of baking soda, 3 tbsp. spoons of vinegar (only for white sneakers);
3 tbsp. spoons of laundry soap shavings;
2 teaspoons of dishwashing detergent, 2 tbsp. spoons of vinegar;
5 tbsp. spoons of table salt (from fresh traces of grass);
purchased stain remover or oxygen bleach in a standard dosage;
Mr. Muscle or other glass cleaner (for white Converse).

The selected product is dissolved in 2 liters of water, then sneakers are placed there for 15-40 minutes. Or the composition is applied directly to the fabric, but then the exposure time is from 5 to 15 minutes (the solution must not be allowed to dry out). You can also use a melamine sponge as a stain remover. After wetting it, you need to actively rub the stain, and then wash the sneakers as usual. Another similar option is wiping with an alcohol-based damp cloth.

If you are bleaching Converse, the composition must be applied not only to the outside, but also to the inside, paying special attention to the seams and folds. Otherwise, the shade will differ on untreated areas.

So, the shoes are cleaned of clods of dirt, the laces and insoles are removed, and heavy stains are soaked. Now the sneakers can be washed.

Pour warm (30 degrees) water into a basin, add washing powder or gel to it. Standard – 1 tbsp. spoon for 3 l.
Dip your sneakers into the soapy solution and brush the surface inside and out with a brush.
Wash the insoles and laces in the same way.
Change the water and rinse the Converse until the water stops foaming. Usually it takes 3-5 water changes.
Hang your sneakers to dry by tying them to a line with laces.

The following products help to clean the sole from scratches and also remove yellowness:

stationery eraser;
acetone;
"White";
"Domestos";
toothpaste with whitening effect;
baking soda.

Any of the products is carefully applied to the rubber part, and then cleaned off with an old toothbrush. The sole becomes snow-white, the main thing is not to go beyond the edges and not damage the fabric.

How to dry sneakers correctly?

Proper drying is of enormous importance. If you make a mistake at this stage, the fabric will lose its shape and may fade or become streaky.

It is prohibited to dry textile shoes in the following ways:

in a drying cabinet;
a jet of hot air;
near a heater or radiator.

Also, you should not wear sneakers that are not dry, otherwise they will stretch. Dry Converse in the shade in a well-ventilated area or in the fresh air. To preserve the shape, you must stuff crumpled paper inside the sneaker (it must be white to avoid overprinting the paint).

After washing, rinse white sneakers with water and lemon juice (1 tablespoon per glass) and leave to dry in the sun. They will turn whiter.

Washing Converse sneakers and their analogues has its own nuances. But in general, even snow-white models are easy to care for. Original shoes can be washed in a washing machine on the delicate cycle. Other fabric sneakers are less durable, so they are washed by hand. The main thing is to follow the instructions, and everything will work out!