I Have Tested 7 Different Ways To Wash My Shoes And There Is Only One I Rate 10/10
I'm genuinely obsessed with wearing clean shoes, and I'm the kind of person who doesn't buy new shoes very often, I'd rather wash them to save money. So over the past year, I've tested 7 different ways to clean shoes, and I came to the conclusion that only one really worked well.
Tossing Shoes in the Washing Machine Unprotected: My rating: 0/10
As you can see, the washing machine completely ruined my shoes. I felt sick pulling them out, they looked like something I'd find at the bottom of a bin.
This is one method I really, truly can't recommend.
Verdict: Cost Me a Pair of ShoesScrubbing The Shoes With Toothpaste And A Toothbrush: My Rating 6/10
This actually worked much better than I expected. I thought it was a joke when I came across a Facebook post where a woman recommended scrubbing your shoes with toothpaste.
But the results still weren't what I was hoping for, the toughest stains, unfortunately, didn't come off.
Verdict: Better Than Expected, But Not EnoughThe Classic Towel Method: My Rating 4/10
A trick I'd seen recommended in countless laundry forums: wrap your shoes in two or three towels and toss the whole bundle in the washing machine. The towels are supposed to cushion the impact and protect both the shoes and the drum.
The reality: It muffled the noise a bit — I'll give it that. But the shoes still banged around inside the towel bundle, the towels unwrapped halfway through the cycle, and I ended up with a tangled, wet mess of laces, soggy towels and dented sneakers.
Verdict: Quieter, But Still BadShoes In A Pillowcase — Also A Classic Method: My Rating 3/10
After the towel method, I thought wrapping the shoes in a pillowcase would be a slight upgrade, at least it would keep everything contained, right? I was wrong.
The reality: This was somehow worse than the towels. The pillowcase didn't muffle the noise the way the towels did, the shoes banged around inside it from the very first spin
Verdict:Even Worse Than The TowelsShoes In The Dishwasher (The Best So Far) : My Rating 8/10
As strange as it sounds, this method actually turned out to be one of the best I've tried. The shoes came out genuinely clean, and they stayed completely still throughout the entire cycle.
That said, I still can't fully recommend it — I'd be worried about the long-term damage it could cause to the dishwasher itself.
Verdict:Worked Well, But Worried About The MachineRegular Mesh Bag: My Rating 7/10
Mesh bags let water through, but they don't cushion anything. The shoes still bang around inside, just contained in a thin net.
After this method, I realized the problem wasn't the bag itself, it was that no one had built a bag specifically for sneakers. Until I found Skovasken...
Verdict: Right Idea, Wrong BagA Sneaker-Specific Microfiber Wash Bag
I'd never heard of these. Apparently they're huge in Scandinavia.
It's a thick microfiber bag with internal padding, designed specifically for sneakers — running shoes, everyday trainers, white sneakers, kids' shoes, you name it.
What happens:
The padding cushions the shoes against the drum — no banging, no noise, no damage to the machine. The microfiber actually scrubs the shoes during the spin cycle, getting into the mesh in a way no toothbrush ever could. The laces stay contained. The foam holds its shape. And the bag prevents any rubber scuffing from transferring to the drum.
I pulled the shoes out 45 minutes later and they looked new. Not "pretty good" — actually new. The mesh was bright white. The laces were clean. The midsole was uncompressed.
I've now washed every pair I own this way. None of them have been damaged. My washing machine is quieter than it's been in years.
The brand I use is called Skovasken — a Nordic company that's been making these for over 85,000+ customers across Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. They've recently started shipping to the US and UK.
Verdict: The only method that actually worksWhat other people are saying
"I was skeptical but my running shoes look brand new after one wash. Cannot believe I didn't know about this sooner."
"Bought one for my husband, ended up using it on all our shoes. Worth every penny."
"Quiet wash, clean shoes, zero damage to the machine. Exactly what was promised."