How to wash my sneakers and shoes

Wash sneakers and shoes by hand, in a basin. Do not put them in a washing machine. Not on a gentle cycle, not inside a pillowcase, not “just the canvas ones”. Hand-washing is slower, and it is the method that keeps glue, shape and mixed materials under your control.

What you need

A soft brush for the upper, a firmer brush for the sole, two clean cloths, a basin of cool water, and a few drops of mild detergent or mild dish soap. Plain paper or paper towels for stuffing. Skip newspaper on white shoes. The ink can transfer.

Canvas and mesh, step by step

1. Dry-brush first. Take out the laces and the insoles. Knock the soles together outside and brush off loose dirt. Water on dry dust makes mud.

2. Laces and insoles on their own. Soak the laces in a little soapy water, rub them, rinse, and hang them straight. Wipe foam insoles with a damp soapy cloth. Do not drown them. Dry them flat, outside the shoe.

3. Soles. Scrub the outsole and the side of the midsole with the firmer brush. Rinse the brush often. Most of the grey line lives on that midsole edge.

4. Uppers, with less water than you think. Dip the soft brush in suds, not in a deep pool, and work one panel at a time. Wipe the foam off with a damp cloth as you go. Do not flood the inside of the shoe.

5. Rinse with a cloth. Wipe with a clean damp cloth until the soap is gone. Soap left in the cloth attracts new dirt and can dry as a yellowish cast.

6. Dry in the air. Stuff the shoes with plain paper so they hold their shape, and change the paper when it is damp. Keep them in the shade with air moving. A fan helps. Keep them out of a tumble dryer, off a hot windowsill, and out of a closed car. In humid weather this often takes a full day or more. A shoe put away damp will smell.

Leather needs less water: a barely damp soapy cloth, then a clean damp cloth, then a soft towel. Suede and nubuck should stay as dry as you can manage. A dry suede brush and a suede eraser are safer than a soak. Water can leave dark rings that are harder to live with than the original mark. If you are unsure of the material, stop.

Do not use bleach, hot water, a wire brush, a washing machine, or a dryer. Bleach can yellow a white midsole and mark coloured panels. None of this repairs a split seam or a hole. Cleaning is not mending.

To keep a white pair cleaner between washes, see How to keep white sneakers clean. For other things that should stay out of the drum, see How to tell what not to machine-wash.

The shop in Cheras

Superman Laundry is in Cheras (Cheras Yulek). One machine serves one customer, so your load is not mixed with anyone else’s. Shoes are hand-washed and never go in a machine. Laundry and shoe cleaning are usually ready within 3 working days. Express exists, so ask if you need a faster time rather than assuming one. We clean. We do not repair tears. We also do not promise that a yellowed midsole will go back to the colour it left the box.

WhatsApp or call 013-833 5526.

Related reading: How we hand-wash sneakers in Cheras.

Shoe cleaning (Standard RM30, Premium / Luxury RM45 a pair). Laundry services. Price list.