Do you need to wash your shoes in your washing machine? Follow these helpful tips

Even the most meticulous person can't avoid getting their shoes dirty, especially when it comes to sports shoes with light-colored uppers. In short, all washable shoes and sneakers need to be cleaned at some point.

Without a doubt, one of the most convenient and effective methods to clean washable footwear is to use the washing machine. That said, it is best to remember a number of useful tips to avoid damaging your footwear in the machine. Read on to find out more:

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• The first thing to do is to make sure your footwear can be machine washed. This depends, of course, on the material they are made of. Natural leathers cannot be machine washed: for leather or suede, therefore, it is always advisable to use special cleaning products and accessories. Canvas or fabric shoes can usually be machine washed (although some - such as those with linen or lace components - should be washed using the delicates cycle).
• As for eco-leather, be careful: you can first use a delicate degreaser (without bleach), leave it to act for a few minutes and then rub off with a soft cloth. Then put the shoes in the washing machine on a delicate cycle.
• Preparing footwear for washing: remove the bulk of the dirt. As indicated for eco-leather, it is a good idea to take remove the most visible dirt before putting the shoes in the washing machine. Then use brushes (or old toothbrushes) to remove any debris and dirt from both the uppers and the soles. If you like, you can also use a magic (melamine) eraser to "erase" the marks on any white rubber components.

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• At the time of washing - whether you wash a single pair of shes or more - it is advisable that each pair of shoes is placed inside a mesh laundry bag used for delicate items. Alternatively, you can also use old pillowcases, perhaps white one to avoid color transfer.
• What detergents to use? Use gel types (or liquids) rather than the powdered versions.
• The recommended maximum temperature is 30°C.
• If you want to protect your shoes even more and avoid annoying noises from the washing machine, add some old towels to the drum, also preferably white in colou. When washing only one pair, any noise can be dampened by making sure that both laces of each shoe are secured in the washing machine's (closed) door, leaving the shoes dangling down into the drum. This will stop the shoes banging around inside the washing machine.

Are you ready to make your shoes look like new again?