Hey guys,
I have just been out for run this morning and did some off track stuff on the wet grass.
As you can imagine, my shoes are not the cleanest.
Is it ok to stick shoes in the washing machine or have you any better suggestions as to how to clean shoes without having to actually hand wash them?
Looking forward to your replies,
Tim
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In winter "hand wash" them in a bowl/bath and then turn upside down to get the worst of the water out, then stick them on the central heating storage thing to dry out.
An old toothbrush is good at getting mud off, I find.
1. attend foam party at local nightclub (yes, foamy bubbles everywhere)
2. go for a run through long wet grass - ignore strange looks from passers by because your feet are foaming
3. end result - shoes look like new - with no shrinking or scuffing that you sometimes get in the washing machine
Alternatively, follow Iain's advice!
Don't put them in the machine !!!!!
A very expensive lesson in how not to treat running shoes as they will definately shrink no matter how slowly they dry.
I just gently rinse the outsides under tap and rub with a light brush to get rid of the dirt. The only scrubbing that needs doing on mine are the removable in-soles which freshen up quite well.
I once put a pair on a bathroom towel heater to dry off and this discoloured the upper material. Best to keep them away from excessive heat when drying.
But I don't think I would recommend you do this on a regular basis.
Back when I had a bit more energy, I used to play footy & cleaned my boots in the bath using the shower head - stick 'em by the radiator & they were fine.
If in doubt, test it on your old trainers first!
I've actually got black socks for similar reasons, but white ones a re a lot more common!
Agree about strong heat - my central heating unit doesn't emit much. Stuffing newspaper inside helps to pull out the moisture before this stage too - but change it regularly as it gets soaked.
Must try that wet grass thing.
I do have some trainer cleaner stuff I got as a present years ago, but haven't tried it yet. Think it comes from JJB sports if anyone wants to try it out.
(I actually thought she bought them in that unattractive,washed out grey, until I tried to buy her some for Christmas....."no no sir , black,white,red yes, grey definitely not".)
Also a quick wash with warm water and left to dry by the bolier works.Can also recommend the old toothbrush for removing mud.
It invalidates the warranty on Nike shoes too (and they are very switched on to knowing when it's been done!) - I have seen what it can do to an air unit to put them in the washing machine and it's not funny.
I disagree, if you go off road running (proper off road that is) then you usually finish with wet feet and shoes covered top to bottom in mud and sheep crap. If you don't wash them out they end up seriously stinking and the stitches rot away so the uppers fall apart.
I find they give me strange foot problems if I don't wash them out, like rashes and athletes foot type issues.
Throw them in the washing machine, and let them dry off naturally never had a problem with doing that.
I have also seen lots of people post on forums that it damages shoes however I am yet to see anyone produce evidence that it does this, or research supporting this claim. Its an old wives tale imho
To address the suggestion that heat damages materials, you use a cool wash and I would ask the question what about running in exotic and hot enviroments I would have thought with the ambient temprature, road temprature and the temprature of the foot itself combined could exceed the temprature of a cool wash.
Can someone please show me research, photo's evidence that using a washing machine damages shoes.
I have not documented it, but putting my Adidas cross-trainers (cheap, £35 type shoes) in the washing machine for a normal cycle at 30 degrees Celsius did significant damage. The soles came unstuck from the upper shoe in many places. Most likely the glue job came unstuck because of the water - not sure why the heat would be the culprit.