How to properly wash sneakers in a washing machine at home, cleaning secrets
Sneakers are a comfortable and inexpensive item suitable for everyday use. Almost all teenagers have sneakers, and as a rule, they do not care about the safety of shoes, quickly contaminating them. It is quite difficult to manually remove dirt from the surface of a sneaker, and washing with a typewriter requires certain knowledge from the owner. Let's see how to gently wash sneakers in the washing machine and which products are best for this.
Coaching
Washing sneakers at home requires some preparation on the part of the owner. Before sending your shoes to the washing machine, do the following:
- Study the label information to see if the shoes can be put in the machine or not.
- If the manufacturer allows automatic cleaning, first remove the soles. They are cleaned manually.
- Unlace your shoes. It is advisable to wash the laces with your own hands.
- Check the outsole for dirt. Dirt or stones can get stuck in the guards, which, if they get into the washing machine, will damage the mechanism.
Cleaning methods
There are only two methods to clean sneakers:
- cleaning with your own hands;
- machine wash.
The first method provides a delicate effect on the fabric, which contributes to better preservation. The second method does not require any effort from the owner, but is not suitable for all types of shoes. Both options have their own nuances, which should be discussed in more detail.
Manual
Hand washing is ideal for delicate fabrics that are easily damaged by automatic cleaning. The following products are used as a cleaning agent:
- washing powder;
- baking soda;
- the vinegar;
- toothpaste;
- lemon;
- chlorine bleach.
Washing powder
Powder detergent is used as follows:
- We take 5 liters of warm water.
- Add 1.5 tablespoons of hand washing powder to it.
- Mix well.
- We soak the shoes in the resulting solution for an hour.
- We remove the sneakers from the water and three soiled areas of the fabric with an old toothbrush.
- Occasionally dampen the brush in a suds of laundry detergent.
- Rinse your shoes thoroughly with water.
To note! When wringing your shoes out of the water, try not to twist the sole or it could burst.
Baking soda
If your sneakers smell bad because the leather insoles are soaked with sweat, you don't need to wash your shoes. Put baking soda inside and leave them like that for 10 to 12 hours. After the specified time has passed, shake off the powder and gently wipe the insoles with a brush. The pungent smell will disappear and the shoes can be worn again. If baking soda doesn't work, try washing the insoles with soap and water.
The vinegar
Cloth sneakers are cleaned well with a vinegar solution, which gently interacts with the fibers of the fabric. To prepare it, you will need:
- a tablespoon of vinegar;
- soda tea boat.
Pour baking soda on the contaminated surface and pour vinegar. A chemical reaction begins, with the help of which all the dirt is separated from the fibers. We give the vinegar a few minutes, then rinse with plenty of water.
Toothpaste
It is possible to qualitatively clean the sole and rubber inserts with ordinary toothpaste. It is applied to a dirty surface, then gently rubbed with an old toothbrush. As soon as the rubber regains its original appearance, the remains of the paste are wiped off with a damp sponge. Keep in mind that there should be no coloring in the dough.
Lemon
It is good to clean suede sneakers from dirt with lemon juice or citric acid solution. It needs:
- lemon juice or half a tablespoon of acid;
- we apply the ingredient to the surface of the stain;
- give the substance a few minutes to interact with the pollution;
- rinse with water.
The method is equally effective for white and colored fabrics.
Chlorine bleach
Chlorine bleach helps restore the original whiteness of the rubber inserts on the front and around the shoe. For this, dilute bleach in water in a ratio of 1 to 10 and immerse your shoes in it.
After 30 minutes, it should be rinsed and machine washed. At the end of the procedure, the sneakers will be like new.
Wash in a washing machine
Hand washing isn't the only way to restore your shoes to their former glory. Also there is :
- clean sneakers in the washing machine;
- Dry cleaning.
Each method has advantages and disadvantages to suit different life situations.
Manual
Advantages of hand washing:
- one-time impact on contaminated sites;
- the ability to clean shoes made of any type of fabric.
Defaults:
- the process is laborious, since all actions for removing stains must be carried out independently;
- long preparation;
- take a lot of time.
Engine room
Advantage of automatic washing:
- simplicity. Just prepare the sports shoes and put them in the typewriter;
- speed;
- Efficiency;
- complex impact.
Disadvantages:
- some types of sneakers cannot be washed.
Consider the following nuances when washing:
- Place your sneakers in a special laundry bag or add a few towels. This will prevent the sneakers from hitting the drum and the washer will not make noise.
- Do not activate automatic spin. This has a detrimental effect on the safety of the sneakers and the machine itself.
- The water temperature should be in the region of 30-35 ohotherwise the shoes may change color. This is especially true for a multicolored fabric sneaker.
To note! No more than 2 pairs of shoes are loaded into the drum in a single session.
Dry
Dry brushing is done with toothpaste. To do this, the sneakers are rubbed with the paste applied to the toothbrush and removed for an hour. After that, the surface is treated with a damp sponge in order to remove excess paste. It is an easy and cheap way as cheaper brands of toothpaste can be used. Dry cleaning also involves removing dust and dirt from the sole.
Get rid of yellow spots
White sneakers look more effective on the leg, but they have one major drawback - yellow stains appear on the fabric over time. Many methods have been invented to eliminate them, the most effective of which are:
- the use of talcum powder;
- using a mixture of lye and soda;
- remove stains with hydrogen peroxide.
We'll talk about the effectiveness of each method below.
Talcum powder
If your snow-white sneakers have yellowed over time, restore them to their original appearance with talcum powder. For that:
- we take talc and water;
- mix them until pasty;
- apply the resulting mixture to the yellowed areas of the fabric;
- let the paste dry;
- take a brush and gently brush off the excess talc.
washing powder and soda
White sneakers, after the appearance of yellow spots on the fabric, are brought back to normal with a mixture of washing powder and soda. Add them to the water and beat until a thick dense foam appears. We moisten the fabric of the sneakers and apply the resulting mixture to them. We take the sneakers off to the side for 30 minutes, then wipe them with a towel. Then it remains only to dry the shoes, and they will be like new.
Peroxide
If your medicine cabinet contains hydrogen peroxide and yellow stains have formed on the white fabric, don't despair. We take:
- a bottle of peroxide;
- moisten a cotton swab with it;
- put the cotton on the yellow spot;
- wait 1 minute;
- wash the fabric with water.
The streaks should disappear. If this does not happen, repeat the procedure again.
Remove stains
Old stains that are firmly embedded in the structure of the fabric can be extremely difficult to remove with regular washing.To easily remove old stains from the surface of sneakers, additional treatment with special substances is necessary:
- a mixture of vinegar, citric acid and powder;
- petroleum jelly;
- gasoline;
- ammonia.
Essence
Gasoline is considered an effective means of combating dirt embedded in the structure of the fabric. The processing is done as follows:
- we take a piece of cotton or fabric;
- moisten it in gasoline;
- we apply a cotton swab to the contaminated area;
- we leave it for five minutes;
- rinse shoes with plenty of water;
- dry.
The disadvantage of this method is the pungent smell of gasoline, which is difficult to get rid of.
Vinegar, citric acid and powder
A mixture of citric acid, vinegar, and washing powder will help whiten the fabric and remove stubborn stains. To do this, mix all the above ingredients in equal proportions and apply the resulting mixture to the contaminated area. We wait 10-15 minutes, after which we rinse the fabric with water and dry. No traces of the old stains will remain.
Ammonia
If dirty spots appeared on the fabric, and it was not possible to remove them immediately, ammonia will help. It has a powerful whitening and cleansing effect. Action Algorithm:
- we take a clean cloth;
- ammonia is applied to it;
- we wipe the dirt;
- let the fabric dry a bit.
We repeat the steps until the stain disappears. Then you need to rinse the shoes in cold water and dry the fabric.
Vaseline
Vaseline will help remove yellowing and stubborn dirt. We rub it into the desired area and let the substance penetrate the tissue structure for 20 minutes.We remove excess Vaseline with a clean towel and rinse the sneakers with soap and water.
Remove dirt from the sole
Cleaning the sole of the sneaker from dirt will help:
- ordinary washing;
- gum;
- dishwasher;
- toothpaste;
- remover. This method is recommended for use in cases where other methods of influence were powerless.
We remove an unpleasant odor
You can eliminate the unpleasant odor that appears after prolonged use of the sneaker with the help of:
- wash shoes and insoles;
- spray the inside of the sneakers with an alcohol solution, using a spray bottle;
- place the shoes in the freezer for a day. Before that, it is packed in a bag;
- using bay leaf or orange peel air fresheners.
Clean the soles
If the soles are not too stained, just rinse them with cold water and soap. Neglected cases are treated with baking soda or rubbing alcohol.
Rules for drying sneakers
Dirty sneakers are not enough just to wash. They must also be properly dried. The shades of drying sneakers are as follows:
- Do not dry colored shoes in the sun, otherwise they will fade and their fabric will fade.
- White sneakers, on the other hand, dry in a sunny place. This will make the fabric more pure white.
- Pieces of paper are placed inside the shoe. They will absorb the excess.
- Provide air circulation during drying. This will allow the shoe to dry faster.
- Leather products are dried only in special dryers and using paper.