How to Clean Mesh Shoes

Co-authored by Marc Sigal

Last Updated: January 27, 2023 References

Mesh shoes are notorious for being able to absorb pretty much anything they come into contact with, which makes them tough to clean. Luckily, with a bit of care, you can keep them free from dirt and even give them a nice, thorough clean in the washing machine if you follow the right steps!

Things You Should Know

Scrub your canvas shoes with a homemade cleaning solution—1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of dish detergent and warm water.
Clean your midsoles with standard cleaning wipes and when you're done, leave your shoes to air dry for 24 hours.
Wash your shoes in the laundry machine after removing the laces and putting the pair into a pillowcase.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Cleaning Mesh Shoes Manually

1
Create a mixture of 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) dish detergent and warm water.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.} Pour warm water into a bowl—no more than halfway to give yourself room to dip your rag—and add your dish detergent. Gently stir the detergent in with a spoon to ensure even consistency.^{[2]
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- Be sure the consistency of your cleaning solution is slightly soapy without being overly sticky or frothy.
- Never use bleaching agents—they can damage certain types of materials and cause discoloration.
2
Remove your shoe's laces and stuff it with a cloth. After removing your shoe's laces, find a clean, absorbent cloth and stuff it into the shoe—this will absorb extra liquid that leaks in during cleaning. It will also give you some resistance as you scrub the surface of the shoe.^{[3]
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- Use microfiber cloths for the best absorbency.
- Stuff your shoes with a paper towel if you don't have an extra cloth.
- If your laces are dirty, soak them in a separate mixture of 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) dish detergent and warm water. Afterward, scrub them clean with a soft-bristled brush.
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3
Brush off exterior dirt on the shoe with a soft-bristled brush.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.} Head to a shoe store and purchase a soft-bristled shoe brush. Hold the brush perpendicular to the shoe and brush away from the surface dirt using short, simple motions and a light amount of pressure.^{[5]
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- Always use less pressure than you would with a heavier material, such as leather.
- Swap your shoe brush with a soft-bristled toothbrush for an alternative.
4
Wash your shoes with a soft cloth and the cleaning solution. Dip a soft cloth into your cleaning mixture. Scrub the surface of your shoes with the cloth using circular motions while applying a light amount of pressure. For regions that require more scrubbing, such as embedded dirt and grass stains, dip your brush into the cleaning solution and scrub them clean.^{[6]
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- Rinse your cloth periodically in a bowl of clean, warm water to get rid of dirt.
5
Rinse your rag and clean the surface of the shoes once more. After cleaning your shoes with your detergent solution, dip the cloth into your rinsing bucket and squeeze it out. Now, scrub the surface of the shoes once more to remove any soapy residue.^{[7]
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- Be sure to squeeze your rag out once over the cleaning solution to get rid of any excess soap in the cloth.
6
Clean the midsoles of your shoes with disinfectant cleaning wipes. Unlike the top of your shoes, the midsoles—the bottom of your shoes—can handle bleaching agents. Purchase some disinfectant cleaning wipes from a home improvement store and wipe the bottoms clean. Apply a firm amount of pressure and take care to avoid touching the surface of the shoe with your wipes.
- Never use cleaning wipes on the surface of your shoes.
- If you don't have cleaning wipes, use a piece of paper towel wet with 3 to 4 drops of bleach.
- Use a Magic Eraser product if you have any. You can also purchase some from home improvement and big box stores.^{[8]
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  Expert Source
  
  Marc Sigal
  Shoe Care Specialist
  Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.}
7
Air-dry your shoes in a dry, cool place for 24 hours.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.} Find an indoor location like a shed or hayloft or an outdoor location in the shade. Avoid garages, as they typically don't provide enough airflow, and never dry your shoes in a basement.^{[10]
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- Unstuff your shoes and tie the laces back on when they're done drying.
- Place an electric household fan toward your shoes to improve airflow and decrease drying time.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using a Washing Machine

1
Remove the laces from your shoes and put them in a sock. Start by removing the laces from the holes at the top of your shoe—closest to your leg—and work your way down to the tip. After you remove your laces, stuff them into a sock—this allows you to clean them separately in the same load as your sneakers. Tie the end of the sock tightly with a lace or elastic band.^{[11]
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- If your shoes have laces that feed through plastic loops that hold them in place, don't bother removing them.
2
Stuff your shoes into a pillowcase and twist the end. Place all of your shoes into a pillowcase—whichever size accommodates your load—and twist the end tightly to hold it closed. Afterward, fasten the twisted end with a rubber band wrapped around it 2 times or more, depending on the size of the rubber band and the thickness of the twisted end.^{[12]
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- Fold the twisted end in half before wrapping the rubber band around it to make it snugger.
- Usually, you can fit 2 to 3 pairs of shoes in a pillowcase. Put as many in as you want, but try not to stuff it too tight.
- Remember that not all shoe materials can be washed in a washing machine. Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
3
Place your shoes and laces into the washer with detergent. Put the pillowcase with your shoes and sock with your laces into the washer. Afterward, stuff the remaining space around the bags with rags to prevent the bags from hitting the walls. Finally, dump in 1 full cup of your favorite laundry detergent.^{[13]
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- If you have a top washer with a center turbine, wrap its edges with a towel.
4
Wash your shoes on "Delicate" and "Cold." Turn the load size dial to slightly before the "Medium" and hit the "Cold" button. Now, put the spin mode to "Delicate" on the "Normal" setting. Double-check your settings and then turn the washer on and wait!^{[14]
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- Always use the "Delicate" or—for older washers—"Knits Gentle" setting for your mesh shoes. This minimizes agitation of the fabric and prevents it from stretching.
5
Air-dry your shoes for 1 day in a cool, dry location. Indoor areas like a hayloft or shed or outdoor locations that provide enough shade are ideal. Never store your shoes in a basement, and avoid garages, as they often don't provide enough airflow.
- If you have an electric household fan, place it in front of your shoes to decrease drying time and improve airflow.
- Don't machine dry your shoes—this will likely ruin the mesh material.
- Remove the shoes from the pillowcase and the laces from the sock before setting them to dry.
- Tie the laces back onto your shoes when they're done drying.

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Expert Q&A
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Question

What should I do if my mesh shoes get muddy?

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Marc Sigal is the Founder of ButlerBox, a dry cleaning and shoe care service based in Los Angeles, California. ButlerBox places custom-designed, wrinkle-resistant lockers in luxury apartment buildings, class A office buildings, shopping centers, and other convenient locations so you can pick up and drop off items 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Marc has a BA in Global and International Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Marc Sigal

Shoe Care Specialist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

If the shoes are muddy or if there are just some stains on the shoes, you can grab a soft bristle brush and mild detergent with some lukewarm water and rub those areas out. After, you can crumple up some newspaper and put them in the shoes while they dry. As they dry, make sure to keep them in a dry, well-ventilated area.