We always wash our clothes regularly, so that they are always fresh and ready to wear for every opportunity. But we always forget the sneakers. We just throw them in the back of the back of the locker and forget about them until they stink up the place. And that's pretty much too late to do something about the smell. Once they are stunk up, it hard to get them to smell like new again.
What you need to do is to wash or otherwise do something to keep them smelling fresh regularly. Washing sneakers can damage them if you don't do it right. Here are a few tips to help you with this:
Read the label or the box for any mentions about washing them in the washing machine. If they are easily damageable, it will clearly be marked somewhere and that's about it. You've got to try something else to clean them. If there's o marking of any sorts, then you're safe to wash them.
Don't wash suede sneakers! I hate these, they are too high maintenance for my tastes. You can't wash them because the suede will be damaged with no turning back (trust me, I've did it), and you have to get all sorts of chemicals instead to do the job. I avoid suede like the plague, but if you've got a pair of those, I'm sorry for you.
Now that you've taken the necessary precautions, it's time to do the washing. Take the sneakers and if there is anything out of place that you see, like a small rock stuck in the lower part of sole or some dry dirt or stains that can be removed easily, take it out. For dirt in stuck in the small wholes of the design, use a toothbrush. This will help better clean the sneakers and protect the washing machine.
Take the shoe laces out, fold them in two and tie them together and throw them in the machine. This way the won't get wrapped around the other clothes.
Pull the tongue out as far as you can. This will ensure that water and detergent will easily get all the way to the toe box.
Put a normal load of detergent and conditioner in the machine. If the shoes are really stunk up, you can put even more than that. You need all the help in the world.
Throw in a couple of towels, preferably white towels. I made the mistake once to put a couple of blue towels with my favorite pair of white running sneakers. Well, an hour later I was the proud owner of a beautiful pair of turquoise sneakers... What a shame, I managed to get them back to their original color only after 4-5 more washes.
Leave the sneakers out to dry in the sun. Never use the air dryer because the heat may damage them. When you leave them to dry, put some newspapers in to help them keep they shape.
To help your sneakers have a long life, try to maintain them regularly. Leave them out or in a well ventilated room to dry between two consecutive wearings and especially after working out. Wash them every couple of weeks and remove any dirt as soon as you notice it.
Now that you know all you need about washing sneakers, you can go get them looking fresh and start enjoying your active lifestyle.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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