Do you clean or wash your cheap sneakers?

[kenny1999]

Some told me that sneakers shouldn't require any delicate cleaning because it is supposed to get dirty, inside and outside, washing with water may even wear it faster.

Some said that with proper methods of cleaning which usually involves regular use of professional or special cleansers, life of sneakers will be largely extended.

In fact, I think any shoe should be cleaned but I don't think that it is good to throw them into washing machines, at least, I have not and I will not risk doing this.

Generally speaking, how to clean sneakers and how often should I clean them?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by kenny1999

[StringJunky]

If they are synthetic sling them in the washer and stop overthinking hygiene matters. 

[Sensei]

I used to often put my sport shoes in the washing machine..

One, two or three months of daily use per wash.

27 minutes ago, kenny1999 said:

Generally speaking, how to clean sneakers and how often should I clean them?

Depends on how often they are dirty..

Depends on where you live..

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by Sensei

[swansont]

I’ve done this with canvas sneakers, back in the day. Modern ones with leather? I ‘m not inclined to do that. Wipe them down if they need it

[Phi for All]

53 minutes ago, kenny1999 said:

Some told me that sneakers shouldn't require any delicate cleaning because it is supposed to get dirty, inside and outside,

I think assuming they're supposed to get dirty on the inside is a mistake. If you want to extend the life of your sneakers AND keep them clean, don't wear the same pair every day. If you swap out between at least two pairs, the shoes can air out in between time, so they don't get so sweaty/dirty. Couple this practice with wiping them down, as swansont suggests, and you're good to go.

[kenny1999]

18 hours ago, Phi for All said:

I think assuming they're supposed to get dirty on the inside is a mistake. If you want to extend the life of your sneakers AND keep them clean, don't wear the same pair every day. If you swap out between at least two pairs, the shoes can air out in between time, so they don't get so sweaty/dirty. Couple this practice with wiping them down, as swansont suggests, and you're good to go.

No any professional cleanser is needed for most sneakers right? I have been thinking about if they are really useful.

Edited November 27, 2023 by kenny1999

[Sensei]

There are special sprays that protect against water and dirt, but they should be used immediately after buying shoes or washing them:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Water+Repellent+and+Dirt+Protection+Spray

 

[kenny1999]

40 minutes ago, Sensei said:

There are special sprays that protect against water and dirt, but they should be used immediately after buying shoes or washing them:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Water+Repellent+and+Dirt+Protection+Spray

 

Spray it onto the surface of shoes for once after it is newly bought then it will last a lot longer right?

[Phi for All]

1 hour ago, kenny1999 said:

No any professional cleanser is needed for most sneakers right? I have been thinking about if they are really useful.

I think they are useful for removing excess money from your savings. 

[StringJunky]

I use polydimethylsiloxane for waterproofing. It's usually called 'silicone oil'. I got gymnasium equipment lubricant.   No smell, optically clear and apparently this substance is self-healing.  A 500ml bottle will probably cost you a couple of tins of waterproofing spray and last a lot longer because there isn't any propellent making up part of the bulk. You could use a volatile solvent to make a spray. I use isopropyl alcohol to thin for spraying, but I would check your substrate suitability before using that one. Things don't like sticking to silicone, so it should keep stuff relatively cleaner than without.

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by StringJunky

[mistermack]

I use laundry detergent in a big bowl of warm water and soft scrubbing brush or rag. For badly marked areas I sprinkle on some powder direct, and then scrub with the brush. When I'm happy, they go into the washing machine for one cool cycle. Nothing fancy but they come out like new. 

I wouldn't do that to leather though.

[TheVat]

13 hours ago, mistermack said:

When I'm happy, they go into the washing machine for one cool cycle. 

Where do they go when you're depressed?

[mistermack]

Up my wife's ass.

If I'm depressed, it's her fault.

[HarvianRoid]

I've never thought about such things. Personally, I have several pairs of fairly cheap sneakers, but even so, I clean them as they get dirty. I have one pair of fairly good quality shoes, but even they are not cleaned in any special way))) 

[TheVat]

I tend to wear work boots or hikers if I'm going to walk in muddy dirty conditions so my sneakers generally don't get dirty.  Wearing socks is sufficient to protect the interior from stink, if the sneakers are aired in the sun regularly.  But I live in a semiarid climate and use foot powder, both of which mitigate sweaty feet.  Leather shoes - a tip from my Significant Bother is to wipe them with a weak solution of vinegar in the winter after a walk - she says it neutralizes the effects on leather of salted roads and sidewalks.

On 11/28/2023 at 9:11 AM, mistermack said:

Up my wife's ass.

If I'm depressed, it's her fault.

Haha!  Is your recent silence here a result of trying that option?

[J.C.MacSwell]

On 11/28/2023 at 12:11 PM, mistermack said:

Up my wife's ass.

If I'm depressed, it's her fault.

Definitely a good idea to clean them once you're happy again...

[MigL]

running shoes are disposable; buy cheap ones.

Expensive ones only line the pockets of large corporations that use child labor to manufacture them.
And are a status symbol for spoilt rich kids.

Edited February 18 by MigL

[swansont]

1 hour ago, MigL said:

running shoes are disposable; buy cheap ones.

Expensive ones only line the pockets of large corporations that use child labor to manufacture them.
And are a status symbol for spoilt rich kids.

OTOH cheap things tend to wear out pretty rapidly, and quality often lasts longer and not in a linear fashion. (i.e. 4x more expensive lasting longer than 4x the time)

Consider the Boots economic theory by Terry Pratchett

Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

[TheVat]

Speaking of cheap sneakers....

https://www.thewrap.com/donald-trump-sneaker-con-gold-shoes/

Selling his sole again?

[MigL]

7 hours ago, swansont said:

OTOH cheap things tend to wear out pretty rapidly, and quality often lasts longer and not in a linear fashion. (i.e. 4x more expensive lasting longer than 4x the time)

Boots are a different matter; I have 20 year old cowboy boots that cost $600 Can back then.
None of my sneakers or running shoes are over a year old.

But while on the subject of comparing/complaining about  totally different things ...

I have a fully automated espresso machine that only needs water, coffee beans and the push of a button.
It cost me $2500 Can two years ago. It is currently not working properly, and needs over $400 Can in repairs.
I used a stove top percolator for a bit. I like the aroma when it percolates but hate the wait.
So I bought a $150 Can Nespresso machine and use $30 Can for 100 pods from CostCo instead of $15 Can bags of coffee beans.

The espresso is fast, just as good, and I can almost get another two machines for the cost of repairing my 'good' one, never mind buying another. Someties 'better' isn't always a better idea.

( I just had to get this story off my chest; it makes me so angry ! )

Edited February 18 by MigL

[swansont]

20 minutes ago, MigL said:

Someties 'better' isn't always a better idea.

Sometime price is not a sign of quality.

[StringJunky]

39 minutes ago, MigL said:

Boots are a different matter; I have 20 year old cowboy boots that cost $600 Can back then.
None of my sneakers or running shoes are over a year old.

But while on the subject of comparing/complaining about  totally different things ...

I have a fully automated espresso machine that only needs water, coffee beans and the push of a button.
It cost me $2500 Can two years ago. It is currently not working properly, and needs over $400 Can in repairs.
I used a stove top percolator for a bit. I like the aroma when it percolates but hate the wait.
So I bought a $150 Can Nespresso machine and use $30 Can for 100 pods from CostCo instead of $15 Can bags of coffee beans.

The espresso is fast, just as good, and I can almost get another two machines for the cost of repairing my 'good' one, never mind buying another. Someties 'better' isn't always a better idea.

( I just had to get this story off my chest; it makes me so angry ! )

IMO unless you get it straight from the roasters, they are pretty much the same. A bit like the difference between getting bread straight from the bakery and off the shelf. The smells that make coffee and bread exceptional are short-lived.

Edited February 19 by StringJunky

[MigL]

I just need my 'fix', String Junky.
Doesn't matter where it's from.

[iNow]

1 hour ago, MigL said:

I have a fully automated espresso machine that only needs water, coffee beans and the push of a button.

Mine is similar, though I paid closer to $800 about 7 years ago and I buy 2-3lbs bags of beans at Costco when they go on sale. I’ve saved several hundred dollars and had a better higher quality experience everyday since. 

[kenny1999]

Now, I decided not to wash my sneakers but only use a damp cloth to wipe its surface when it gets obviously dirty. I hope it is the best balance among all other considerations.