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With warmer weather here, it’s time to put away our boots and bring out our summer sneakers and sandals. Dirty shoes can totally ruin a look, but don’t give up on your favorites just yet. Here are five ways to breathe new life into your beloved shoes.
First, the laces
Before we break down different ways to clean your shoes, the first step is to remove the laces.
Clean laces ‘make’ the shoe, so if you want to get technical, remove the laces and treat with a spray product like Oxyclean. Leave them for about 10 minutes and then place them into a delicates bag to avoid them getting tangled up and then dry. Re-string and watch your shoes instantly brighten up!
Many shoes can be placed right in your washing machine – but make sure you check the care tag or visit the manufacturer’s website to see what’s recommended. You’ll also want to use cold water, so you don’t melt any glue, and a strong detergent like Tide.
You can use a shoe-cleaning bag or a separate delicates bag to keep them protected from other items in the wash. You can also add the laces into the bag or put them in a separate delicates bag.
Then, you can place your shoes in the dryer (if the manufacturer recommends), otherwise, you can stuff them with newspaper and leave them to air dry. Re-lace when dry, and you’ll see how nice and clean they come out.
By hand
I love keeping my sneakers and leather shoes looking fresh and clean at all times, so I clean mine pretty regularly. There are a couple of tried-and-true ways you can do this by hand.
Lay out a towel and two bowls of water—add a dose of shoe-cleaning solution to one bowl. Remove the laces and dry brush your shoes to remove any surface dirt. I have this kit that comes with a brush, shoe-cleaning product, and a protector. Once dry brushing is done, dip the brush into the bowl with the solution and scrub the entire shoe in a circular motion, including the soles. When done, dip a clean cloth in the bowl of plain water and rinse off the shoes. After that, you can apply the protector if you like.
If you care about your shoes and want them to look just right, consider keeping a package of shoe-cleaning wipes on you when you’re out and about (think: car).
Give them a quick scrub before heading into an event, after walking on a dirty path, while traveling, or after a night out. While I’m not a fan of disposable products, these make a great on-the-go solution and can be used for bags and jackets, too; just make sure you don’t use them on suede.
Shoe odour is something we’ve all experienced to a certain degree. If you don’t want your front entryway to smell like a gym, consider getting these simple activated bamboo charcoal-filled bags and stuffing them into your shoes.
These ones come in a 12-pack, and all you need to do is place the bag into the shoe when it’s in the closet or shoe rack. The activated charcoal naturally eats away at odours and the bags last anywhere from two to five years. Keep them in a small basket by your front door and pop them into your shoes when you get home. I like this idea for long-term shoe storage, too, especially if you’re boxing shoes up for the season.
One of the biggest challenges for people who love shoes is figuring out how to store all their pairs without building an extension onto the back of the house.
I recently found these and started using them at home. They can just about double your shoe storage space and are easy to use. They are also adjustable for different types of shoes. I am really delighted by this innovation!
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