You have seen the advice everywhere: put your shoes in a mesh bag before you wash them. But nobody quite explains why, so it sounds like a nice-to-have you can skip. It is not. The bag is doing two jobs at once, protecting the shoe from the drum and the drum from the shoe, and the difference between doing it and not doing it is whether your runners and your machine both survive the wash. Here is exactly what the bag does, and why a thin sack does not do enough of it.
In short. You put shoes in a mesh bag when washing because the bag protects the shoe from the drum and the drum from the shoe. It cushions the impact, separates the pair so they do not collide, holds the shape, and keeps laces and insoles from disappearing into the machine. A structured bag does this far better than a thin single-compartment sack. Use a front-loader or impeller top-loader, never an agitator, on a cold delicate cycle at 600 to 800rpm, then air dry.
This is one of the most common shoe-washing questions, and the usual answer, "so they do not get damaged", is true but lazy. A mesh bag is a piece of protective hardware, and once you understand the four jobs it does, you can see why the quality of the bag matters as much as using one at all. A bag that fails at any of those four jobs is barely better than no bag. Here is the full picture.
Job one: protect the shoe from the drum
A loose shoe in a washing machine is a hard, heavy object tumbling against a steel wall. It bangs, it loses its shape, and the upper takes the brunt of every impact. The bag puts a cushioned barrier between the shoe and the drum, so the shoe is held rather than thrown.
This matters more than it sounds, because of what heat and force do to a shoe. ASICS warns that a heat source or the dryer can damage the construction and adhesives and pull a shoe out of shape, which is why the wash has to stay cold and gentle and the dry has to be air only (Source: ASICS, how to clean your running shoes). Cold matters because most athletic-footwear adhesives soften above 40°C, so a hot wash is how a sole starts to separate (Source: Nike, how to clean your shoes). The bag handles the mechanical side of that protection: it cushions the shoe so the force of the spin does not batter it against the drum while the glue is at its most vulnerable. Keeping the wash cold is the easy half of that, and it costs less too, since about 90% of a washing machine's energy goes to heating the water, so a cold wash is the biggest single saving on the load (Source: CHOICE, how green is your laundry routine).
Job two: protect the drum from the shoe
The protection runs both ways, and this is the half most people never think about. A hard sole is bad for the machine. Appliance technicians are blunt about washing shoes loose: a hard sole creates an uneven, off-balance load during the spin, which can chip the drum, damage the door seal, and accelerate wear on the drum bearings over time (Source: Armadillo, how to safely wash shoes without wrecking your washer).
The bag keeps the hard parts of the shoe off the drum and helps hold the load together so the spin runs more evenly. The standard appliance advice pairs the bag with a couple of towels for exactly this reason. Whirlpool's own guidance is to use a mesh bag and add towels to the load, on a cold delicate cycle, to soften the impact and balance the spin (Source: Whirlpool, how to wash shoes in the washing machine). A moderate spin helps too: machines run anywhere from roughly 400 to 1600rpm, and the lower the spin the gentler the load on both shoe and drum, which is why 600 to 800rpm is the setting to use (Source: Miele Australia, laundry care guide).
Job three: separate the pair and cushion it
Two shoes loose in the same space collide. Through a full cycle that is hundreds of impacts of one shoe against the other, which is what loosens soles, scuffs uppers, and knocks shoes out of shape. A bag that holds each shoe separately stops that entirely, and a cushioned lining holds each shoe off the drum wall so the impact never lands hard in the first place.
This is the job a thin single-compartment sack does worst. With both shoes in one loose pocket, the pair still slides together and bangs, and thin mesh with no padding lets each shoe press straight against the drum. The structure is the protection. A bag that separates and cushions is doing real work; a bag that just contains is barely doing any.
Job four: keep the small parts in, and the bacteria contained
The fourth job is the quiet one. Laces and insoles come loose in the wash, and loose they either tangle around the machine's parts or vanish past the drum seal. A bag with a place for them keeps them with the shoes and lets them come out clean.
There is a hygiene angle here too, and it is the reason you are washing the shoes at all. A University of Arizona study led by microbiologist Charles Gerba found an average of 421,000 units of bacteria on the outside of a shoe, with coliform bacteria present on 96% of shoes tested and transfer from a shoe to a clean surface 90 to 99% of the time (Source: CIRI, study reveals high bacteria levels on footwear). Containing the shoes in a bag, washing them properly cold and gentle, and drying them right is how you actually get on top of that, rather than spreading it around a half-finished wash. ASICS makes the point that the insoles in particular absorb the sweat that breeds the bacteria behind the smell, so washing them with the shoes is part of the job (Source: ASICS, how to clean your running shoes).
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Why structure beats a thin sack
By now the pattern is clear. A mesh bag works because of what it does, not just because it is a bag, and a thin sack does too little of each job. It contains the shoes loosely but does not separate them, cushion them, hold their shape, or stay reliably closed. A structured bag with a compartment for each shoe, a cushioned lining, and shoe trees to hold the shape does all four jobs at once. It is the same reasoning behind the standard appliance advice to wash shoes in a bag with a few towels rather than loose, which is what keeps the off-balance spin that wears a machine from happening in the first place (Source: Armadillo, how to safely wash shoes without wrecking your washer).
It is worth saying plainly that the shoe makers prefer a hand clean. Nike does not officially recommend the washing machine and points people to a soft brush and mild soap instead (Source: Nike, how to clean your shoes). We do not argue with that. We make a properly built bag for the millions of people who machine-wash their everyday canvas and mesh runners anyway, so that when they do, the shoe and the machine both come out intact.
Where cheap mesh bags fail
If the bag is the protection, a cheap bag is a false economy, and there are three failures that show up again and again.
The single-stitch zip
The most common complaint about shoe wash bags is the zip. The category ships cheap zip tape, stitched with a single line of thread, and under the higher mass and faster spin of a shoe wash that zip opens, detaches, or jams. Once it opens mid-cycle the shoes are loose in the drum, and you are back to every problem the bag was meant to solve.
Dye bleed onto white shoes
A dyed bag can bleed its own colour onto the shoes under a vigorous wash, which is the exact opposite of clean, especially on white runners. The fix is a bag with no dye in it, or a tested colour-fastness rating, so there is nothing to transfer.
The single loose compartment
A one-pocket sack lets the pair collide and gives the shoe nothing to hold its shape, so the shoe tumbles and deforms. Without separate compartments and a shoe tree, the bag cannot do its two core jobs.
How to wash shoes in a bag without ruining them
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Knock the loose dirt off first. Wipe the soles over a bin and brush off mud, leaves and stones, so the grit does not scour the shoe or the machine.
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Take out the laces and insoles. Put them in the centre compartment so they wash clean and the shoes have room to move.
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Insert a shoe tree, then load one shoe per outer compartment. The shoe tree holds the shape through the wash and the dry that follows. Zip the bag fully closed and tuck the pull away.
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Cold water, delicate cycle, spin 600 to 800rpm. Use a little mild detergent, no bleach, no fabric softener, and add a couple of towels to balance the load and soften the spin.
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Air dry only, shoe trees in. Stuff a little plain paper at the toe, dry on a rack out of direct heat, and never use the dryer. Dry the laces and insoles separately.
The full method, including drying and storage, is on our Care Guide.
Where the Shoe Wash Kit fits
The bag protects the shoe from the drum and the drum from the shoe. That is the whole reason it exists, and it is the whole reason the Kit is built the way it is.
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.
Structured bag vs thin mesh sack, at a glance
| Job of the bag | The Shoe Wash Kit | Thin mesh sack |
| Protects the shoe | Chenille cushioning, shoe held off the drum | Thin mesh, shoe presses on the drum |
| Protects the machine | Hard sole cushioned, load held steadier | Hard sole still strikes the drum |
| Separates the pair | One shoe per outer compartment | Both shoes collide in one pocket |
| Holds the shape | Adjustable shoe trees inside | Shoe tumbles and deforms |
| Colour transfer | No dye in the Chalk Kit | Dyed sacks can bleed onto white |
| Zip under load | Engineered to stay closed | Single-stitch zip can open mid-cycle |
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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
Why put shoes in a mesh bag when washing?
Because the bag protects the shoe from the drum and the drum from the shoe. It cushions the impact, separates the pair so they do not collide, holds the shape, and keeps laces and insoles from being lost in the machine. A structured bag does all four jobs far better than a thin sack.
Does a mesh bag really protect my washing machine?
Largely, yes. A cushioned bag stops the hard sole striking the drum, holds the load steadier through the spin, and keeps grit and small parts out of the machine. Add a couple of towels to balance the load and the spin runs smoother, which protects the door seal and bearings over time.
Will a mesh bag stop my shoes getting damaged in the wash?
It greatly reduces the risk on the right materials. The bag cushions the shoe off the drum, separates the pair, and with a shoe tree inside holds the shape through the wash. Keep the water cold and the spin at 600 to 800rpm, since heat and a hard spin are what actually damage a shoe.
Is a structured shoe wash bag better than a thin mesh sack?
Yes. A thin sack contains the shoes loosely but does not separate them, cushion them, or hold their shape, and its zip often fails under load. A structured bag with a compartment per shoe, a cushioned lining and shoe trees does the full job.
Why do cheap mesh shoe bags fail?
Three common ways: a single-stitch zip that opens or detaches under the load of a shoe wash, a dye that bleeds onto white shoes, and a single loose compartment that lets the pair collide and gives the shoe nothing to hold its shape. A well-built bag solves all three.
What temperature and spin should I use with a mesh bag?
Cold water, a delicate or gentle cycle, and a spin of 600 to 800rpm. Cold protects the sole adhesive, since most athletic-footwear adhesives soften above 40°C, and a moderate spin is kinder to the shoe and the machine than a hot, hard wash.
Can I wash leather or suede shoes in a mesh bag?
No. A bag protects a shoe but does not change its material. Water and detergent damage leather and suede whether they are bagged or not. Use the bag for canvas, mesh and synthetic runners, and clean leather and suede by hand.
Related reading
Going deeper on the topics above. Each of these is on the Mudroom Co hub.
In short. A mesh bag does four jobs when you wash shoes: it protects the shoe from the drum, the drum from the shoe, separates and cushions the pair, and keeps the small parts in. A structured bag does all four where a thin sack does almost none. Cold, delicate, 600 to 800rpm, air dry.
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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.
ASICS, How to Clean Your Running Shoes
Nike, How to Clean Your Shoes in 6 Easy Steps
Armadillo, How to Safely Wash Shoes Without Wrecking Your Washer
Whirlpool, How to Wash Shoes in the Washing Machine
Miele Australia, Guide to Laundry Care
CIRI, Study Reveals High Bacteria Levels on Footwear (Gerba, University of Arizona)