Can you machine wash your sneakers? Australian experts say yes
By Catherine Spiteri, Founder, Mudroom Co.
Published 17 July 2026.
You have stood at the machine holding a pair of grubby runners more than once, haven't you. Half of you knows they would come out looking new. The other half hears the voice that says you are not supposed to do this, that you will wreck them, or the machine, or both. So you put them back down and feel a bit guilty either way. Here is the good news. You can stop feeling guilty. You were told a myth, and two Australian experts have just said so out loud.
In short. Yes, you can machine wash most everyday sneakers. Australian experts at RMIT and CHOICE confirm that shoes made of cotton, canvas, polyester or nylon are generally fine in the machine, as long as you do it gently. The safe method is a cold wash on a delicate or gentle cycle, spin set to 600 to 800rpm, laces and insoles out, and air dry only. Leather and suede stay out.
This is one of those household questions where the honest answer has been buried under years of hand-wringing. Somewhere along the way we all absorbed a rule that shoes and washing machines do not mix, and most of us have quietly obeyed it while suspecting it was not quite true. It turns out the suspicion was right. The nuance is not "never". The nuance is "which shoes, and how". Get those two things right and a machine wash is one of the cheapest, most satisfying jobs in the house.
What the experts actually said
In May 2026 the ABC put the question to two people who study this for a living, and the answer was not the cautious "it depends" you might expect. Dr Alexandra Sherlock is a lecturer in the School of Fashion and Textiles at RMIT, and in 2021 she founded the Footwear Research Network, so she thinks about shoes more than almost anyone in the country (Source: RMIT University, Alexandra Sherlock profile). Matthew Steen is the Director of Reviews and Testing at CHOICE, the body that runs Australia's independent product testing (Source: CHOICE, Matthew Steen).
Steen was direct about which shoes are safe. "Shoes made of cotton, canvas, polyester or nylon are generally ok to go in the washing machine," he told the ABC (Source: ABC News, How to clean your sneakers in a washing machine). That covers the vast majority of the runners, canvas sneakers and school shoes piled up by your back door. The exceptions are the ones you already suspect. Leather and suede do not belong in the machine, and Dr Sherlock noted that leather is better cared for with a treatment "which is more about renewing and refreshing the look of them," rather than a wash (Source: ABC News, How to clean your sneakers in a washing machine).
What stood out was not just the permission, it was the practicality. Dr Sherlock talked about the plain satisfaction of it. "It's a satisfying feeling knowing the amount of money that you've saved by doing that and also the positive impacts on the environment," she said (Source: ABC News, How to clean your sneakers in a washing machine). That is the part most of us miss. A wash is not just cleaning. It is the difference between replacing a $150 pair and keeping the one you have for another year.
Where the myth came from, and why it stuck
The "never wash shoes in the machine" rule did not appear from nowhere. It comes from real damage that real people have seen, and it is worth understanding so you can avoid it rather than just fear it. Two things wreck shoes in a wash, and neither is the water. The first is heat. Most athletic footwear is glued, not stitched, and heat softens that glue. ASICS says it plainly, warning that a heat source or a clothes dryer can make shoes "lose their shape or damage the adhesives" (Source: ASICS, how to clean your running shoes). The second is force. A shoe thrown loose into a fast, hot cycle gets flung against the drum, and the heel and structure take the beating.
So the rule was never really about washing. It was about washing badly. Hot water, a high spin and a loose shoe is a recipe for a ruined pair, and enough people did exactly that for the warning to harden into folklore. The shoe brands have not helped clear it up, because their official position is understandably cautious. Nike, for instance, does not recommend the washing machine and points people to hand cleaning with a soft brush and air drying (Source: Nike, how to clean your shoes).
Here is where we are honest with you, because it matters. We do not tell you to override your shoe maker. If Nike says hand wash, that is their call and there is nothing wrong with following it. What the RMIT and CHOICE experts have confirmed is the thing plenty of Australians already know from experience: for the everyday cotton, canvas and synthetic shoes that fill most homes, a gentle machine wash done the right way is safe. We did not build Mudroom Co to talk you into the machine. We built it for the millions of you who were already using it, so you can do it without the guilt and without the risk.
We built the Shoe Wash Kit for exactly this wash. A three-compartment bag that holds each shoe off the drum, keeps its shape, and has no dye to bleed onto your white runners. Join the waitlist for priority access to the first run before the public launch.
The right way to machine wash sneakers
The method the experts describe is, almost word for word, the method we have been recommending since day one. That is not a coincidence. It is what happens when you design around the actual failure points rather than a blanket ban. Do these things and the machine does the cleaning while the shoe stays intact.
Knock off the loose dirt first. Dr Sherlock's point that "there are lots of things you can do before using the washing machine" is a good one (Source: ABC News, How to clean your sneakers in a washing machine). A quick dry brush over the uppers and soles, or a surface clean with a mild detergent, gets rid of caked mud so the wash does the finishing work rather than all of it.
Take out the laces and insoles. Wash them separately in the same load. The insoles hold most of the odour, and loose laces tangle. This one step lifts the result more than any other.
Protect the shoe and the machine. Put the pair in a structured wash bag so they cannot batter the drum and the drum cannot batter them. This is the single change that turns a gamble into a routine.
Cold water, gentle cycle, low spin. Set a cold wash on the delicate or gentle cycle and keep the spin low, around 600 to 800rpm. Cold protects the glue, and a low spin stops the shoes being flung. Skip the hot wash and the fast spin entirely.
Air dry only, never the dryer. Take the shoes out and let them dry at room temperature, out of direct heat and away from the dryer, which is where the adhesive damage happens. Shoe trees or crumpled paper hold the shape while they dry.
The full method, including which machines suit it, is on our Care Guide. One note on machines, because it matters for the low-force rule: this works in a front-loader or an impeller top-loader, the kind without a tall central post. The old-style agitator, with the post in the middle, is too rough on shoes, bag or no bag.
Why mums should stop feeling guilty about it
If you have ever felt like putting the school shoes through the machine was a shortcut you should be ashamed of, this is the section for you. It is not a shortcut. It is good household sense, and the experts are on your side. You are not being lazy by using the tool in your laundry that was built to clean things. You are saving an afternoon of scrubbing at the sink and getting a better result.
And the reward is real. There is the money, first. A machine wash costs cents. A new pair of runners for a growing teenager costs a small fortune, and they will scuff the new ones within a fortnight anyway. Keeping a pair going for another season, or reviving the ones you had written off, is money that stays in your pocket. Then there is the quiet pleasure Dr Sherlock described, the satisfaction of knowing what you saved, and the small lift when someone assumes your kid has new shoes when really you just washed the old ones. That compliment is earned. You did that, in twenty minutes, for the price of a scoop of detergent.
The guilt was never yours to carry. It belonged to the myth. Put it down with the shoes.
Where the Shoe Wash Kit fits
The experts confirm you can. The Kit is how you do it without a second thought. The Shoe Wash Kit is a three-compartment bag plus a pair of adjustable shoe trees. One outer compartment takes each shoe so the pair never touches mid-cycle, and a centre compartment holds the laces and insoles. More than 3,000 soft chenille fingers line the inside and hold each shoe off the drum wall, and a 3D mesh panel at each end lets the water move through. On the Chalk Kit there is no dye anywhere in the bag, so there is nothing to transfer onto your white runners. It is tested to ISO 105-C06 grade 4 colour fastness and stress tested to 50 cycles at 60°C and 1400rpm, which is the durability test, not a usage instruction. Recommended use is a cold wash, on a delicate or gentle cycle, with the spin set to 600 to 800rpm, air dry only. Designed for canvas, mesh and synthetic shoes. Not designed for leather or suede.
A structured bag versus the usual workarounds
The experts agree you should put shoes in a bag before they go in the machine. The question is which. A knotted pillowcase or a thin mesh sack is better than nothing, but it is not built for the job. Here is the difference.
| Feature | The Shoe Wash Kit | A pillowcase or thin mesh bag |
| Keeps the pair apart | Three compartments, shoes never touch | Both shoes tumble together and knock |
| Holds shoes off the drum | 3,000+ chenille fingers cushion the wash | Thin fabric, shoes hit the drum wall |
| Colour transfer | No dye in the bag, tested to grade 4 colour fastness | Dyed fabric can bleed onto white shoes |
| Holds the shape after | Adjustable shoe trees included | None, shoes dry however they land |
| Laces and insoles | Centre compartment keeps them contained | Loose, tangling through the load |
| Built to last | Stress tested to 50 cycles | Frays and knots give out fast |
The safe method, in one product. A pillowcase cannot keep the pair apart, hold them off the drum and stay colourfast. The Shoe Wash Kit does all three. Join the waitlist for priority access before the public launch. The first 500 orders receive a complimentary gift with purchase.
About Mudroom Co
Mudroom Co is a small Australian premium brand making home care tools for active families. We build for the way people actually use their homes, not the way the catalogue says they do. We launch in July 2026 with one product, the Shoe Wash Kit: a three-compartment bag plus a pair of adjustable shoe trees, built chalk cream inside and out, with a eucalyptus zip, piping and tag the only colour you see. It is tested to ISO 105-C06 grade 4 colour fastness and stress tested to 50 cycles at 60°C and 1400rpm. We are based in Melbourne and we sell direct. The machine washes the shoes. The bag protects them. That is the whole brand in one line.
Frequently asked questions
Can you really put sneakers in the washing machine?
Yes, for most everyday sneakers. Experts at RMIT and CHOICE confirm that shoes made of cotton, canvas, polyester or nylon are generally fine in the machine, provided you use a cold, gentle cycle with a low spin and air dry them. Leather and suede should be cleaned by hand instead.
Which shoes should never go in the washing machine?
Leather and suede. Both are damaged by soaking, and leather is better maintained with a wipe and a leather treatment. Anything with delicate embellishment or a structured dress-shoe build is also safer cleaned by hand.
What temperature should I wash sneakers at?
Cold water. Heat is what softens the glue that holds a shoe together, so a cold wash protects the adhesive. Keep the cycle on delicate or gentle and the spin low, around 600 to 800rpm.
Do I need a special bag, or will a pillowcase do?
A pillowcase is better than washing shoes loose, but it does not keep the pair apart, hold them off the drum or hold their shape afterwards. A structured shoe wash bag is built to do all three, which is why the experts' advice to bag your shoes is easiest to follow with the right one.
Will washing shoes damage my washing machine?
Not if you protect them. Shoes washed loose can thump the drum and, in older machines, damage it. A structured bag cushions the shoes and the drum, and a low spin keeps everything gentle. Use a front-loader or an impeller top-loader, not an old agitator machine.
How much money does washing sneakers actually save?
A machine wash costs cents in water and detergent. Replacing a pair of runners costs anywhere from $80 to well over $200. Reviving shoes you would otherwise replace, especially for growing kids, adds up to real money across a year, which is exactly the saving Dr Sherlock pointed to.
Should I hand wash first or just use the machine?
A quick surface clean first helps. Knock off caked mud with a dry brush or a wipe with mild detergent, then let the machine do the finishing. Dr Sherlock noted there are lots of things you can do before the machine, and a light pre-clean gives the best result.
Related reading
More from The Hub on washing shoes safely at home.
- The best laundry bag for washing sneakers
- How to use a shoe washing bag properly
- What tools do I need to clean shoes properly
- How to clean Jordans to look brand new
In short. The myth that you cannot machine wash sneakers is just that, a myth. RMIT and CHOICE experts confirm cotton, canvas and synthetic shoes wash safely on a cold, gentle, low-spin cycle, laces and insoles out, air dried. Leather and suede stay out. Do it right and you save real money and keep the shoes you already own looking new.
Now you know you can. The Kit makes it foolproof. Join the waitlist for priority access to the first run before the public launch, and the first 500 orders receive a complimentary gift with purchase.
About the author
Catherine Spiteri is the founder of Mudroom Co. With two teenage kids, an overflowing mudroom and a washing machine running twice a day, she noticed how few quality tools existed to make busy home life easier, and to protect the things we use every day so they last.
She started Mudroom Co because, while the tools existed, she could not find any made properly for the lives people actually lead. She has thirty years in development and construction, working with global corporates on projects of every scale and complexity, and now applies that skillset to household products with proper manufacturing and quality control behind them. Mudroom Co is based in Melbourne, Australia.
References
External sources cited in this article.
ABC News, How to clean your sneakers in a washing machine (14 May 2026)
RMIT University, Dr Alexandra Sherlock staff profile