How to Clean Vans

Co-authored by Marc Sigal

Vans make a variety of primarily white-soled canvas skate-shoes, which look best when they look fresh and clean. If you want to get your Vans looking new again, you can learn a few quick tips to clean them up, bleach the whites, and do deeper cleans every now and then to get the most life out of your shoes. These methods will work for other styles of canvas sneakers, as well.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Bleaching the White Strip

1
Choose a cleaning product. It's common to want the white, rubbery sole on Vans to look crisp and new, so it might take a little extra effort and extra supplies to return that fresh out-of-the-box look to your old Vans. This works for other canvas-style shoes, as well, like Toms or Keds.^{[1]
X
Research source} To clean the whites of your Vans, you can use a variety of household ingredients, like:
- Bleach
- Liquid nail polish remover (acetone)
- Rubbing alcohol
- Window cleaner
- Magic eraser
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Baking soda and water
- Lemon juice
2
Place the shoes on a covered work surface. Set out your shoes and cleaning product on a clean towel and use an old toothbrush or a shoe brush to apply the cleaner. If you're going to work inside with bleach, or some other cleaning product with the potential for staining, make sure you've got plenty of cover down.
- Acetone and bleach need to be applied outside, preferably, or in well-ventilated area.
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3
Cover the canvas of colored Vans. Using one of the serious above-described cleaners on the canvas of colored Vans will leave stains, which means you need to use some masking tape to cover the canvas, at least where it meets the sole.
- Alternatively, some people think it looks cool to have bleach-spattered Vans. Your choice.
4
Dip the brush in the cleaner. Put a small amount of cleaner on your brush or old toothbrush and firmly buff the rubber sole of each Van, working in circles and loading the brush as needed. Work around the outside of the shoes, and the bottoms if you want.
5
Wipe them down with clean water. When you have done both shoes, wipe them over with either a paper towel or kitchen towel, slightly dampened with fresh water. Your shoes should be bright white on the rubber strips now.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Quick Cleaning Vans

1
Remove any caked-on dirt outside. If your Vans are really dirty and you want to start getting them clean, take your shoes outside. Hold them over an area onto which you can shake dirt.
- If your shoes are muddy, let them dry thoroughly before brushing them off. It'll be easier that way.
- Use a soft shoe brush or toothbrush to brush away caked on dirt. Hit the soles of the shoes together to knock away any small particles of dust and dirt.
2
Use dish detergent and warm water. Fill a bucket halfway full with warm water and one or two tbsp. (15 to 30ml) of mild dish detergent. Swish it around in your bucket, until suds start to rise.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.}
3
Take a medium to large soft brush and dip it in the sudsy water. Taking the shoe in one hand, work the brush back and forth on the surface of the shoes with the other.^{[3]
X
Expert Source

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.}
- If the shoes are quite dirty, you can dip the surface lightly in the water, brushing hard to clean the bottom of the shoe.
4
Rinse with warm, clean water. After you've scrubbed the shoes thoroughly, give them a quick rinse with fresh warm water, inside, or from another bucket.
5
Dry the shoes thoroughly. Lay the wet shoes on a clean white towel and wrap the towel around each shoe. Press the excess water out of the canvas with the towel. Repeat with the other shoe.
- Place the shoes open outside to air dry. If the shoes are white, place them in direct sunlight to bleach them slightly.^{[4]
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  Research source}
- Stuff them with hand towels or plain white paper towels to absorb water. This helps to avoid shrinkage and those dark lines in the places where the Vans bend when you're walking.^{[5]
  X
  Research source}
- You can also stuff your Vans with newspaper to speed up the drying time.^{[6]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Marc Sigal
  Shoe Care Specialist
  Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Deep Cleaning Vans

1
Only use this method for canvas or synthetic vans. Vans make all kinds of shoes of different materials, including leather, which would be ruined by getting them wet. Look at the shoe's tag to determine whether or not the shoes are canvas or another synthetic material.^{[7]
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Research source}
- If you own leather or suede Vans, you should use the same cleaning directions as you would use with other leather shoes. You should not dip them in water or use laundry detergent to clean them.
2
Pre-treat stains on your shoes with a mild pre-treater. If you've stepped in some serious mud, or gotten oil or grease on your shoes, use an enzymatic stain remover, or another commercial product of your choice to lift the stain before the wash. Apply to the stains in question and let the shoes sit for a while, while you prepare the washer.
3
Set your washing machine cycle to gentle, with cool water. You want to use the gentlest and coolest setting on your washer, both for the safety of the shoes and the washer itself. It's not generally great to have shoes banging around in a washing machine, but it should be fine, done properly.^{[8]
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Research source}
4
Put the Vans in a pillowcase. Many people fear the glue and seams of Vans coming loose when placed in the washing machine. If you place the vans in a pillowcase beforehand, however, and include the shoes in a wash with other soiled items, like bath towels, or small rugs, it'll be a good way to keep everything padded, and from bouncing around too much. Your Vans should be fine.
- It's not generally recommended that you wash shoes in the washing machine more than once every six months or so, or you'll risk damaging the shoes.
- If you're concerned about the liners or inserts in your Vans, it's usually best to remove them entirely from the shoe and replace after washing, or replace with new inserts.
5
Use half the normal detergent you would normally use. Make sure to use mild detergent for machine washing as well as hand washing and add the shoes in the pillowcase with the rest of the wash.
- To cut down on the amount of time you soak the shoes, wait until the load is half-full, if you're using a top-loading washing machine. The shoes will still get plenty clean, but won't sit for quite so long.
6
Air-dry machine-washed Vans. Don't put shoes in the dryer. This can dry out the canvas as well as the soles, resulting in cracks along the seams. It's also a good way to damage your dryer.^{[9]
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Research source}
- If you need to get your Vans dried quickly and don't care about cracking, put them in the dryer with a few towels to soften the jostling.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How do you clean white Vans without peroxide?

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

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Use an old toothbrush and some lukewarm soapy water. Dip the toothbrush in the soapy water and scrub your vans with it. Blot your shoes with a towel to remove the suds, then let them air dry.
Question

Can I put my slip on vans in the washing machine?

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Certainly, you can wash canvas slip-on Vans in the washing machine. As with any canvas shoe, use the low or gentle machine wash cycle and cold water only. It can be helpful to place the shoes inside a laundry wash bag suitable to the size of the shoes, to help stop them from flying around too much; or toss in a few towels to give the shoes some padding to hit against. Air dry only, as the dryer can damage canvas shoes.
Question

How do you clean canvas sneakers?

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You can wash canvas sneakers in the washing machine or by hand. If you have stains or scuff marks on the sneakers that need cleaning, you’ll find several helpful cleaning methods in How to Clean Canvas Sneakers.