You have a pair of Jordans that cost more than a week of groceries, they are scuffed and grubby, and somewhere online someone has told you to just throw them in the machine. Before you do, stop for a second. The honest answer depends entirely on what your Jordans are made of, and getting that one thing wrong is how a good pair gets ruined. Here is how to do it properly.
In short. Whether you can wash Jordans in the machine depends on the material. Leather, patent and suede Jordans should be cleaned by hand and never machine-washed. Canvas and textile Jordans can go through a cold, delicate cycle at 600 to 800rpm, inside a structured wash bag with a shoe tree in each shoe, then air dried. Check the upper first. When in doubt, clean by hand.
This is one of the most nervous questions in shoe care, and for good reason. Jordans are not cheap, and the internet is full of confident advice that ignores the one thing that matters most: what the shoe is made of. A wash bag protects a shoe, but it does not change its material. So the first job is not to pick a cycle. It is to look at the upper and be honest about what you are holding.
First, work out what your Jordans are made of
Air Jordans come in a huge range of materials, and they do not all behave the same way in water. Most classic Jordan 1s are leather, some with suede or nubuck panels. Patent leather appears on many colourways. Newer and lower-priced models often use canvas, mesh or synthetic textile uppers. The material decides everything that follows.
Leather, patent and suede do not belong in a washing machine, bag or no bag. Water and detergent dry out leather, lift the finish on patent, and flatten the nap on suede. Nike's own care guidance is to clean shoes by hand with a soft brush and mild soap, and not to put them in the machine (Source: Nike, how to clean your shoes). We do not tell you to ignore the maker. We make a bag for the millions of people who machine-wash their canvas and textile runners anyway, and want to do the least damage when they do. If your Jordans are leather or suede, this is a hand-clean, and we cover that method in full in our guide on how to clean Jordans to look brand new.
Canvas and textile Jordans are different. A cold, gentle machine wash inside a structured bag is a reasonable way to clean them, provided you protect the shoe and the machine while you do it. The rest of this guide is for that pair.
Why a bag matters more with an expensive shoe
When a shoe goes through the wash loose, two things take damage: the shoe and the machine. A loose shoe tumbles, bangs against the drum, loses its shape, and can shed grit into the wash. The machine takes the other side of every one of those impacts. Appliance guidance is consistent on the fix: wash shoes in a bag, on a cold gentle cycle, and add a couple of towels to soften the load. Whirlpool's own guidance is to use a mesh bag and add towels (Source: Whirlpool, how to wash shoes in the washing machine).
With a pair you have paid a lot for, the bag stops being optional. A structured wash bag holds each shoe, separates the pair so they cannot collide, cushions the shoe off the drum wall, and keeps the laces and insoles from vanishing into the machine. On a shoe you care about, that protection is the whole point.
The machine you use matters too
A front-loader is ideal for washing textile Jordans: the drum tumbles gently and a cold delicate cycle is kind to a bagged shoe. An impeller top-loader, which uses a low cone or disc rather than a tall central spindle, is fine as well. An agitator top-loader, with a tall twisting post in the middle, is the one to avoid, because the post grabs and wrenches the load and even a good bag cannot fully protect a shoe from that motion. If you only have an agitator machine, clean your Jordans by hand instead.
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The temperature trap that separates soles
The single biggest mistake people make with sneakers is heat. Warm and hot washes, and above all the dryer, are what make a sole peel away from the upper. The adhesives that hold a sneaker together are not built for it. Most athletic-footwear adhesives soften above 40°C, which is why a hot wash or a tumble dry is how a Jordan starts to come apart at the toe. Cold water, every time, protects the glue. This is the fact the confident online advice almost always skips.
How to wash canvas or textile Jordans without ruining them
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Confirm the material first. Canvas, mesh and synthetic textile only. If any part is leather, patent or suede, stop and clean by hand. A bag does not make leather machine-safe.
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Knock off the loose dirt. Wipe the soles over a bin and brush away mud, grass and stones. This protects the machine filter and keeps grit from grinding into the upper mid-wash.
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Remove the laces and insoles. Put them in the centre compartment of the bag, or a separate small bag. They come out cleaner and the shoes have room to move.
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Insert a shoe tree into each shoe, then load one shoe per compartment. The shoe tree holds the shape through the wash and the dry that follows, which matters most on a structured shoe. Zip the bag fully closed and tuck the pull away.
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Cold water, delicate cycle, spin 600 to 800rpm, air dry only. Use a little mild detergent, no bleach, no fabric softener, and add a couple of towels to balance the load. When it is done, dry on a rack out of direct heat with the shoe trees still in. Never use the dryer.
The full method, including drying and storage, is on our Care Guide.
Where the Shoe Wash Kit fits
The machine washes the shoes. The bag protects them, and protects the machine, while it happens.
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 pale uppers. 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.
Leather Jordans vs textile Jordans, at a glance
| Feature | Canvas / textile Jordans | Leather, patent or suede Jordans |
| Machine wash | Yes, cold and gentle in a bag | No, hand clean only |
| Water and detergent | Handles a mild wash | Dries out and marks the material |
| Best cycle | Cold, delicate, 600 to 800rpm | None, spot clean by hand |
| Drying | Air dry with shoe trees in | Air dry away from heat, condition after |
| Shape protection | Shoe trees hold the form | Stuff with paper, keep the shape |
| Risk if you get it wrong | Sole separation from heat | Cracking, staining, flattened nap |
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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 put Jordans in the washing machine?
Only if they are canvas or textile. Leather, patent and suede Jordans should be cleaned by hand, because water and detergent damage the material. Canvas and textile pairs can go through a cold, delicate cycle at 600 to 800rpm inside a structured wash bag, then air dried.
How do I know if my Jordans are leather or canvas?
Look and feel along the upper. Leather is smooth and firm and creases in lines. Patent is high-shine. Suede and nubuck have a soft, brushed nap. Canvas and textile feel like fabric and often show a weave. If any panel is leather or suede, treat the whole shoe as hand-clean.
What temperature should I wash Jordans at?
Cold water only. Most athletic-footwear adhesives soften above 40°C, so a warm or hot wash, and especially the dryer, is what makes a sole peel away from the upper. Cold protects the glue.
Will a wash bag protect my Jordans?
A structured wash bag protects a canvas or textile shoe from the drum, holds its shape with a shoe tree, and keeps the pair from colliding. It does not change what the shoe is made of, so it cannot make leather or suede safe to machine wash.
Can I put my Jordans in the dryer?
No. The dryer is the fastest way to ruin any sneaker. The heat softens the adhesives and warps the shape. Always air dry on a rack, out of direct heat, with a shoe tree in each shoe.
How should I dry Jordans after washing?
Air dry only. Keep the shoe trees in to hold the shape, stuff a little paper at the toe if you like, and dry on a rack away from direct sun and heat. Dry the laces and insoles separately.
How often can I machine wash textile Jordans?
Only when they genuinely need it, and always cold and gentle in a bag. Spot cleaning between full washes keeps them looking good with far less stress on the shoe. A wash every few weeks of heavy wear is plenty for most people.
Related reading
Going deeper on the topics above. Each of these is on the Mudroom Co hub.
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How to clean Jordans to look brand new (the hand-clean method)
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Can you put shoes in the dryer? How to dry them after washing
In short. With Jordans, the material decides the method. Leather, patent and suede are a hand-clean, never a machine wash. Canvas and textile pairs can be washed cold and gentle at 600 to 800rpm in a structured bag with a shoe tree in each shoe, then air dried. Check the upper first, and when you are not sure, clean by hand.
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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.
Whirlpool, how to wash shoes in the washing machine