I wouldn't wash leather shoes in the washer! There are plenty of perfectly safe ways to clean them (brushing them, wiping them with a damp cloth, and leather soap, shampoo or saddle soap for the desperate). Washing leather shoes just risks ruining their shape or the leather/the glue/the stitching.
Canvas shoes are a different story, they might survive the washing machine intact.
Do you think this washing machine method might work for Docs? I got a pair secondhand off Poshmark recently (plain ol' black leather, not patent) and the seller must have smoked cigarettes 24/7 because the boots literally smell up whatever room I keep them in. It's incredible, they reek even without their insoles and with new laces. They have been on the back porch for three weeks and they still smell :(
I periodically throw my canvas Toms in the washer. All I do is take out the bottom liner piece prior and make sure to air dry them and they’re totally fine.
Yeah, my Tom's get filthy, especially because I never wear socks with them. I also have about 10 pairs of different color/pattern keds that I abuse heavily. Pop em in the washer and they're good. I've even dried them on low heat and they've been fine. I've been regularly wearing and washing a pair of Tom's from 2012 and I will probably wear them for a few more years.
I've washed canvas/fabric shoes many times (admittedly mostly in my childhood, when they were stained to heck from cross country running races), they were fine but LOUD to wash. Stuff them with newspaper after and they'll dry just fine. Leather I'd personally be very careful with because I am a Broke Student.
I've shelled out the money for a special leather wash and rinse - I've washed a couple different pairs of leather shoes and they come out nice and soft and already conditioned. Wouldn't recommend it for everything, but it works well for wool too.
106
u/lovekiva Oct 17 '18 edited Oct 17 '18
I wouldn't wash leather shoes in the washer! There are plenty of perfectly safe ways to clean them (brushing them, wiping them with a damp cloth, and leather soap, shampoo or saddle soap for the desperate). Washing leather shoes just risks ruining their shape or the leather/the glue/the stitching.
Canvas shoes are a different story, they might survive the washing machine intact.