How to wash sneakers without damaging them in the washer: a calm Australian guide
By Catherine Spiteri, Founder, Mudroom Co.
Published 18 June 2026.
You have a muddy pair of runners, a busy week, and a quiet fear that the washing machine will turn them into a write-off. You have heard the stories: collapsed heels, a sole peeling away at the toe, a thud that sounds like the drum is coming loose. The machine can wash sneakers safely. It just has to be set up the right way, in the right machine, with the shoe held still. Here is exactly how.
In short. To wash sneakers without damaging them, bag each shoe with a shoe tree inside, then run a front-loader or impeller top-loader, never an agitator, on a cold delicate cycle at 400 to 800rpm with a couple of towels. Air dry only. Heat from a hot wash or the dryer is what ruins shoes, not the water.
Most guides skip the two things that actually decide whether your shoes survive: the machine you own and the heat you use. Get those right and a sneaker wash is a low-risk job. Get them wrong and even a gentle cycle can cost you a pair. This is the honest version, in the order that matters, so you can wash with confidence rather than crossed fingers. Done properly, a machine wash is effective as well as safe: a University of Arizona study found that a single wash cycle removes more than 90 percent of the bacteria a worn shoe carries, which averages around 421,000 units on the outside of a shoe (Source: Cleaning Industry Research Institute, study reveals high bacteria levels on footwear).
What actually damages a shoe in the wash
Three things do the damage, and none of them is the water itself. The first is impact. A loose shoe tumbles, slams against the drum wall, and loses its shape, while the hard sole takes chips out of the drum and works the door seal loose over time. The second is heat. Hot water and the dryer soften the adhesive that holds the sole to the upper, which is how a toe starts to peel. Most athletic-footwear adhesives soften above 40°C, which is why a warm wash and a hot tumble are the fastest way to wreck a pair (Source: Nike, how to clean your shoes). The third is the spin. A fast final spin throws a heavy, off-balance shoe hard against the drum and stresses the seams.
Knowing the three causes makes the fix obvious. Hold the shoe still, keep the temperature cold, and keep the spin low. Everything that follows is just how to do those three things properly.
Get the machine right before anything else
The machine you own matters more than any setting. A front-loader is ideal. The drum tumbles, there is no central post, and a cold delicate cycle treats a bagged shoe gently. An impeller top-loader, which uses a low cone or disc to move the water rather than a tall spindle, is fine too. An agitator top-loader, with a tall twisting post in the middle of the drum, is the one to avoid. That post grabs and wrenches the load, and no bag can fully protect a shoe from that motion.
In Australia this is a real fork in the road. Apartments often run compact front-loaders, most houses run a full-size front-loader or an impeller top-loader, and only older or budget machines still use a central agitator. Appliance guidance backs the cautious approach here: wash shoes in a mesh bag, on a gentle cold cycle, with a few towels to soften the load (Source: Whirlpool, how to wash shoes in the washing machine). If you only have an agitator machine, clean the shoes by hand instead and save yourself the heartache.
Which sneakers can actually go in
A wash protects nothing if the shoe was never washable to begin with. Canvas, mesh and synthetic runners handle a cold gentle machine wash well. Leather and suede do not, in or out of a bag, because water and detergent damage the material itself. The shoe makers are clear on the principle. Nike's official position is to clean shoes by hand with a soft brush and a mild solution, and it does not recommend the washing machine at all (Source: Nike, how to clean your shoes).
We do not argue with the manufacturer. We build for the millions of people who machine-wash their canvas and mesh runners anyway, and want to do the least possible damage when they do. So treat this as a simple sort. If the shoe is canvas, mesh or synthetic, it is a candidate for the machine. If it is leather, suede or nubuck, keep it out of the drum and clean it by hand. When in doubt, hand-clean. The machine is a convenience, not a rule.
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The settings that protect the shoe
Once the shoe is bagged and the machine is the right type, the settings do the rest of the protecting. Three of them matter.
Cold water, every time. Cold protects the adhesives that hold the sole on, and it stops dyes in coloured shoes from running. A delicate or gentle cycle, because it uses slower drum movement and a gentler spin than a normal cottons cycle. And a spin of 400 to 800rpm, low enough that the shoe is not thrown hard against the drum on the final spin. Add a little mild detergent, skip the bleach and the fabric softener, and put a couple of towels in to balance the load and cushion the movement. Never use a hot wash, and never finish in the dryer. Air drying is not just gentler, it is the single decision that keeps a sole attached to a shoe.
How to wash sneakers without damaging them, step by step
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Knock the loose dirt off first. Wipe the soles over a bin and brush off mud, grass and stones with a dry, soft brush. This protects the machine filter and stops grit grinding into the upper during the wash.
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Take out the laces and insoles. Wash them separately or in a centre compartment. The insoles hold most of the odour and come out fresher cleaned on their own, and the shoes have more room to move.
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Insert a shoe tree into each shoe, then bag them one shoe per compartment. The shoe tree holds the shape through the wash and the dry that follows. Use a structured wash bag so the pair cannot collide. Zip it fully closed and tuck the pull away so it cannot work open mid-cycle.
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Cold water, delicate cycle, spin 400 to 800rpm. Add a little mild detergent, no bleach and no fabric softener, and put a couple of towels in to balance the load. Cold protects the glue, since most athletic-footwear adhesives soften above 40°C.
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Air dry only, with the shoe trees in. Stuff a little paper at the toe, dry on a rack out of direct heat, and never use the dryer. Dry the insoles and laces in the sun, where the UV helps freshen them. Many shoes need at least eight hours to dry through.
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 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 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 400 to 800rpm, air dry only. Designed for canvas, mesh and synthetic shoes. Not designed for leather or suede.
Protected versus unprotected, at a glance
| Risk in the wash | Bagged with shoe trees | Loose in the drum |
| Shoe holds its shape | Yes, the shoe tree braces it | No, the shoe collapses and curls |
| Impact on the drum | Chenille cushioning absorbs it | Hard sole strikes the drum directly |
| Sole adhesive | Protected by the cold setting | Softens in a warm wash or dryer |
| Laces and insoles | Held in the centre compartment | Tangled or lost in the machine |
| Colour transfer | No dye in the Chalk Kit | Cheap bags can bleed onto whites |
| Spin balance | Steadier with towels added | Off-balance, loud and jarring |
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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
How do you wash sneakers without damaging them in the washer?
Brush off the loose dirt, remove the laces and insoles, and put each shoe in a structured wash bag with a shoe tree inside. Use a front-loader or impeller top-loader on a cold delicate cycle with the spin at 400 to 800rpm, add a couple of towels, then air dry only.
What cycle and temperature should I use to wash sneakers?
A delicate or gentle cycle, cold water, and a spin of 400 to 800rpm. Cold protects the adhesive that holds the sole on, and a lower spin keeps the shoe from being thrown hard against the drum.
Can I put sneakers in the dryer if I am in a hurry?
No. The dryer is the most common way shoes are ruined. The heat softens the sole adhesive and can deform the shoe. Air dry on a rack out of direct heat, with shoe trees or paper inside to hold the shape.
Do I really need a wash bag, or can I just use a pillowcase?
A pillowcase keeps the parts together but does not hold the shoe in shape, separate the pair, or cushion the impact against the drum. A structured shoe wash bag with compartments and internal cushioning does all three, which is what actually prevents damage.
Which shoes should never go in the washing machine?
Leather, suede and nubuck. Water and detergent damage those materials whether or not they are in a bag. Clean them by hand with a material-specific cleaner, and keep the machine for canvas, mesh and synthetic runners.
How many pairs can I wash at once?
One pair per bag, with a couple of towels for balance. Crowding the drum reduces the protection and the wash quality. For more pairs, use a separate bag for each and keep the load balanced.
Will washing my sneakers this way damage the machine?
Done this way, no. The bag cushions the impact, the shoe trees hold the shape, and the towels balance the spin, so the hard sole never strikes the drum directly. Washing shoes loose, hot and fast is what wears a machine out.
Related reading
Going deeper on the topics above. Each of these is on the Mudroom Co hub.
In short. Hold the shoe still, keep it cold, and keep the spin low. Bag each shoe with a tree inside, run a cold delicate cycle at 400 to 800rpm in a front-loader or impeller top-loader, add a couple of towels, and air dry. Do that and the washer cleans your sneakers without ever putting them at risk.
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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.
Nike, How to Clean Your Shoes in 6 Easy Steps
Whirlpool, How to Wash Shoes in the Washing Machine