How to wash trainers in the machine without wrecking them
Which trainers you can put in the washer, how to prep them and why they never go in the dryer. Tricks to make them look like new.
Yes, you can wash trainers in the machine, and they come out like new if you do it right. The key is to prep them and use a gentle program.
Which ones you can wash
- Yes: canvas, cotton, synthetic mesh, fabric trainers.
- With care: synthetic leather (better by hand).
- No: real leather, suede, patent leather and shoes with lights or delicate glue.
Prep them first
- Remove the laces and insoles (wash those separately).
- Brush the dried mud off the sole.
- Put them in a wash bag or a closed pillowcase.
- Add a couple of old towels: they cushion the knocks and balance the drum.
Program and detergent
Delicate or cold program (30 °C), low spin and regular detergent without bleach. At a self-service laundrette you can wash them without putting them in your home machine.
Drying: never in the machine
Don’t put them in the dryer: heat unglues soles and warps them. Air-dry them, stuffed with paper so they keep their shape, away from strong sun and radiators. They take a day to dry fully.
At Safareig (L’Escala) you have self-service washers to do it hassle-free, and you can drop off the day’s laundry while you’re at it.
Quick recap
- Laces and insoles out; into a wash bag.
- Cold, gentle, no bleach.
- Air-dry with paper; never the dryer.
Photo: Jamain · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons