When it comes to shoes, there are few materials that are as durable and versatile as canvas! Canvas shoes come in many different styles and sizes, and look great on people of all ages! But while there are many advantages to canvas shoes, the one drawback I’ve found is that they really tend to show off dirt and scuff marks after a while. But with a good cleaning, you can make them look almost as good as new!
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The tricky thing about cleaning canvas shoes is that it needs to be done gently. Many people choose to machine-wash their canvas shoes, which is quick and easy but isn’t without risks. Machine-washing canvas shoes can lead to discoloration, and even weaken the glue that holds them together. So while hand-washing your shoes may take a bit longer, it’s the best way to make sure your shoes last as long as possible! And honestly, it doesn’t even take that much time or effort. You’ll have your shoes looking good as new in no time! Here’s how it’s done.
How To Safely Clean Canvas Shoes
You’ll need:
- Bucket
- Warm water
- Mild laundry detergent
- Scrub brush or toothbrush
- Towel
- Newspaper or paper bags
- Magic eraser
Directions:
Start by removing the laces from the shoes. You can wash these with your laundry to clean them (but it’s best to put them in a mesh bag first to make sure they don’t end up in a tangled mess!) If they don’t come clean or if they are in rough shape, you may want to replace them with a new pair.
Next, use a scrub brush to brush off any loose dust and dirt from your shoes. Then fill a bucket with warm water and add a tablespoon or two of mild laundry detergent. Swirl the water around until the detergent has dissolved or is well incorporated.
Dip your scrub brush into the soapy water and scrub the outside of your shoes, including the soles. Use the water to gently rinse the dirt and debris off your shoes, but avoid submerging the shoes entirely.
Then dampen your magic eraser and use it to scrub away any dirt or marks off the soles and any other non-fabric parts of your shoes. It works wonderfully and will go a long way towards making your shoes look cleaner and newer!
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Rinse any remaining soap or dirt from the shoes using clean warm water. Then use a towel to absorb any excess water from the shoes, and set them somewhere warm to dry completely.
Ball up some newspaper or paper bags and stuff them inside your shoes to help keep their shape while they dry.
Once your shoes and laces have dried completely, put the laces back in and go show off your fresh and clean kicks! :-)
Back in the late 60’s/early 70’s, mom would hand us a bar of ivory soap and a bucket of warm water with a brush in it. They came out so bright white (we didn’t have many colors back then). She even made us use the brush on the laces. I still do this with my tennies and canvas shoes. Our basement recently had water damage and my daughter’s leather boots and shoes got a little moldy. I used a mixture of vinegar and water and washed them off with a rag, then dried them with towel. They came out really… Read more »
Thanks again, Jillee, for your timely post! Last year I bought (an outrageously) expensive “Beatles” sneakers and they’re looking a little tired. I have been thinking, (and putting off) cleaning them, for fear of damaging the pictures. If I can work up the steam today, I’ll post a before and after!
Thank you!
Leanne
I wash my canvas Skechers in the washing machine all the time and air dry them. They come out like new and haven’t had any trouble with shrinkage. I also have put canvas purses in the machine and air dry. Instead of bleach, I’ve been adding White Brite to my machine when washing whites. It works great!
I love my white canvas Sperry’s and have recently learned to pretreated them with the OxiClean Gel Stick then wash in the machine on delicate. These shoes have leather laces that are knotted on the ends so I didn’t remove them. I also used my finger to make sure I got the gel around the shoelace holes and on the tongue. Dried them out in the sun and they literally look like new.
Love your great information. It would be great for you to experiment with white canvas shoes. They seem to be everywhere these days. I love them but hesitate to buy due to keeping them clean. Cheers.
This method will work just as well with white shoes!
I throw mine in the washing machine (with a full load to prevent balance problems) and then air dry or over the heating/cooling vents on the floor). Works every time.
How about canvas shoulder bags with lots of zippers and compartments? Should I use this method also?
Yes!
How do you prevent the colours from running? My canvas bag is cream with red handles.
Try adding a tablespoon or two of washing soda to your soapy water :-)
Great idea. Thank you. I do have a question about your shoes. Did you color them yourself or buy them like that? I did mine with permanent markers and alcohol. Love them.
They sell them with that pattern on them! :-)
Please share the How To on using permanent markers and alcohol to create the the dye look on Canvas shoes. Thanks, T.
Great steps for cleaning canvas shoes!!! My 15 year old daughter will ONLY wear WHITE Converse and Van’s canvas shoes and its SO HARD to keep them clean! It’s very strange that you posted this today becasue about an hour ago I got a text from my daughter saying “Hi Mom I accidentally stepped in a mud puddle getting off the bus & one of my Vans has a big mud mark. Can you bring me my high top Converse, pls” I always use the magic eraser but I used to put them in the washer on the soak setting….and… Read more »
Try spraying with Scotch Guard or the like when they are either new or clean, then it will help to keep them a lot cleaner for a much longer time!
Perfect! Let me know how it turns out Shannon :-)
Thank you for this advice on cleaning tennis shoes. I also spray my shoes with scotch guard or waterproofing spray when they are new and after I clean them. Everyone thinks I am always wearing new shoes!
Using scotch guard is a great tip!