If you know how to wash canvas shoes, you can wash almost any shoes. Leather shoes can sometimes be cleaned effectively by hand, but cloth shoes and athletic shoes often need a heavier duty washing to get clean. Cleaning your shoes is important to make sure they don’t cause any kind of fungus or other foot problem. If you don’t know how to wash shoes, you are not alone. Most people don’t realize that you should be washing your shoes periodically in order to keep them hygienic as well as to keep them clean. Most experts say that shoes be washed every 4-6 weeks. Wash them more often if you are very active or if you are an athlete that wears sneakers often. Here are some insider tips to wash your shoes in the washer without ruining your shoes or your washer:

Pre-clean your shoes: In order to prevent the dirt on the outside of your shoes from settling inside your shoes, brush off the shoes before you put them in the washer. If your shoes are muddy or extremely dirty, let the mud dry then brush it off the shoes with a stiff brush. Then you will be able to wash the shoes.

Wash shoes by themselves: The only thing that you should wash with your shoes is an old towel or two. Make sure the towels have been washed at least once so they don’t deposit dye or dirt onto the shoes in the wash. The towels will pad the shoes and make sure that they don’t bang around in the washer and dryer. You can also wash the shoes in a lingerie bag or a zipped pillowcase cover if you want to keep them from knocking around in the washer and the dryer. Use the smallest load setting that your washing machine has to wash shoes. You should also wash the shoes in cold water. Hot water can warp leather or cause the soles of the shoes to lose their shape.

Use detergent and vinegar: Make sure that you use a good quality detergent. Natural detergents are the best to use to wash shoes because they don’t contain any dyes that might get on your shoes and change the color. Add a half cup to a cup of vinegar to the detergent and wash water to get rid of any odors in the shoes. If you use these tips once you dry your shoes they will smell great and look clean.