Can You Put Vans In The Washing Machine? Yes, Here’s How

Do not do this without a [amazon link=”B08ZXPLHF3″ title=”washing machine safe mesh bag”] You can severely damage your machine and shoes.

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Vans are a great shoe for many reasons. They’re versatile to style, comfortable to wear, and last for years. They can we worn from work to the skatepark to dinner with friends for years and years! 

Yes you can put Vans in the washing machine. Vans are so well-loved over the years and they often get dirty, scuffed and stained. There are many methods to cleaning a Vans shoe.

Vans provides a cleaning kit that you can buy online or at one of their stores, you can go the DIY route with your own stain remover and brush – super easy – or you can out them in the good ‘ol washer (even easier!).

Oh yeah! You can wash your Vans. 

Before you wash your vans

It is important that you check the material on your Vans. The traditional canvas shoe has the green light.

Suede Vans will need the gentler hand-washing method. Suede is a delicate material that you don’t want to ruin while you’re trying to save your shoe.

But if you live on the edge just send your suede vans in the washer too.

Check out: How To Clean Black Suede Shoes

The washer method

You’ll want to use a gentle detergent and only half the amount that you’d use for a regular load.

Be sure your detergent is bleach-free if you’ve got a colored or black canvas shoe. It’s okay to use bleach if you have all-white Vans.

Check our “pro-tips” below for more on this.

Take the laces off and put the sneakers in a mesh laundry bag or a pillowcase that is tied shut. Add a towel or two and wash the load on the lowest setting with warm water.

The laundry bag and towels save your sneakers from banging around in the machine.

The hand-washing “machine” 

To give your Vans an almost-washing-machine experience, remove the laces and soak the shoes in a large bucket filled with warm water and gentle detergent.

Periodically scrub the shoe with a soft-bristle brush to get out stubborn stains.

 With this method, you can keep a close eye on your shoes and be sure that the machine is not causing any damage. Another benefit is that you can scrub with a little extra elbow grease!

Those Vans are sure to have some ground in stains from pavement, grass and who-knows-what-else.

Dirty vans shoes

Suede Vans

If you’ve got stubborn suede Vans on your hands, you’ll need to use those hands to wash them. Get to work! 

Use a suede brush to buff away the dirt. You’ll want to stay away from detergents this time and grab some white vinegar. Did you know vinegar is basically a clean-all?

It will lighten stains on your suede vans. Use warm water to rinse away the vinegar and leave them to dry.

You can go ahead and wash the rubber soles with a toothbrush dipped in warm, soapy water with a drop of bleach. Be careful to not get the bleach on the shoe. Keep a towel nearby.

Pro-tips!

Use a soft-bristle brush to buff away any excess dirt before washing

Using bleach on white shoes can cause the shoe to yellow – use a very small amount

Wash Vans with Velcro by hand

Don’t dry Vans in the sun – it can fade the coloring

Check out: Can You Put Shoes In The Dryer