Clean Your Canvas Shoes! (Toms & Keds)
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On the TOMS website, it says:
We highly recommend hand washing TOMS in cold water with a gentle detergent and let them air dry. We do NOT recommend putting TOMS in the dryer under any circumstances.
While hand washing would do the job, let me show you a shortcut to save some time but you HAVE to be careful when you do this, people. If you throw caution to the wind, you could ruin the shape as well as the adhesive of the shoe and that’ll make you sad.
I agree about not putting them in a dryer, but they didn’t say anything about a washing machine!
This tip works for any canvas shoes
..it doesn’t matter what colour they are or what fabric they are – even if you have sparkles on them!
[three_fourth last="no"]So, here’s what you’ll need..
- Dirty Canvas Shoes
- A Washing Machine
- A Small Brush (a toothbrush works well)
- Laundry Detergent
- Baking Soda
- Water
- Mixing Bowl[/three_fourth][one_fourth last="yes"][/one_fourth]
To start, take an old toothbrush and quickly remove any dirt or debris before washing your shoes. This will make for easier stain removal and a more successful wash.
If you have any bad stains, you can pre-treat it with a laundry stain remover (but you may want to test it out first in an inconspicuous area first to ensure it doesn’t bleach your shoes).
To get the soles clean, add some baking soda to a bowl and create a paste by mixing an equal amount of water in. Dip the toothbrush in and gently massage the paste into the sole – when you’re done, wipe them clean.
Now it’s time for your washing machine to do the rest!
We’ll start by running a gentle cycle with cold water.
- Add gentle detergent (about half of what you would normally use) to the cycle when it’s about half way filled with water
- Once the machine is about 3/4 the way full, add in the shoes
- When the cycle is finished, take out the shoes and leave them to air dry
That’s right, air dry. Not in the dryer, not over a vent
Put them on a back porch and let the sun dry them up.
If you don’t heed this warning, you’ll have shrunken and shriveled shoes – Heed this warning and your shoes should be looking marvelous!
Now that the hard part is done, remember to keep them smelling great by using shoe powder. I use Dr. Scholl’s which is moisture and odour absorbing.
Apparently straight baking soda will dry out the leather insole but you can also make your own powder for a lot less with the following recipe:
- 1 cup cornstarch (which is a gentle absorbent)
- 1/2 cup of baking soda
- 1/2 cup baking powder
Put it in a locking lid container or Ziploc bag.
Add in 5 drops of sage, lavender or any other essential oils that you like (and preferably have an anti-bacterial property to them), shake well and store in the locked container.
Powder your shoes overnight and dump the powder in the AM and also powder your feet as needed during the day to reduce moisture and odours.
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What if I cannot load my washing machine after the cycle starts? (mine is just like that). Is that a problem?
Cheers!
It’s not a problem at all! They’ll come clean just the same
I personally have a pair of tons and They are really needing a cleaning. Though the fury time I washed them I had hand washed them. And although they were cleaner. They weren’t the cleanest they could have been. As well the insoles of my shoes dried out and cracked and is now pealing. I air dried my shoes and i was wondering with this method if it will dry out my insoles, causing them to crack and tear again. Have you noticed a difference, after cleaning, about how your insoles compared to before washing them??
Hi Lauren, I’m not sure why that would have happened…I suppose it depended on the kind of detergent you used. My insoles temporarily curled at the toes after air drying them and once I wore them again they went right back to their original format. The leather will dry out a slight bit. You can try wiping them down with a leather conditioner if you want after cleaning, that may help (just let it dry for 24 hours). I have not noticed any cracking or peeling and have washed mine numerous times. Good luck!
How do clean black Toms shoes or colors one?
Hi Amanda, it would be the same process
I have the hounds tooth Toms so they are black and white. How would I wash those? Also the lace Toms?
Hi Sydnie, Lace TOMS you can wash the same way, perhaps consider placing them in a delicates laundry bag for added protection (those are so pretty, BTW, I’ve been seriously contemplating a pair). For your B/W TOMS, I think you should be fine to wash them too – from what I can ascertain TOMS should be colourfast.
What happens if you don’t have baking powder for the shoe powder?
You can try the mixture without it, I’ve never tried it so I can’t tell you the exact effect. However, the next time you pick up groceries go to the baking aisle and grab a little container, it’s super inexpensive and very accessible!
Thank you so much! Toms are basically all I wear during the summer, and mine are falling apart and in a desperate need of a cleaning. I’ve washed mine before but it didn’t do much. Im really excited for this!
Hi Cassie, let us know what happens! I have had that pair now for almost 2 years and they are in amazing shape (and I’m no fawn when it comes to being careful with shoes). Good luck!
Do you know of a way to stretch a pair of Tom’s without wearing them? I got a pair for my birthday and though they ate the same size as my other pair they are MUCH too small and when I try to wear them to stretch them out they hurt my feet super bad and I have to take them off.
You can try getting them wet, that helped mine out alot because mine were snug when I got them
Try wearing them with socks! I wear TOMS almost 365 days a year, so in the winter, I wear them with thick, fuzzy socks, and now my black TOMS are pretty darn stretched out! And getting them wet and letting them dry will shrink them back down.
you can try putting them in the freezer! just fill a ziplock bag with water and put it in the shoe then simply place the shoe in the freezer. when the bag of water freezes it expands the shoe.
Hi Melissa, before I read this I washed my white canvas keds with laundry detergent, water, and a toothbrush and then let then dry in the sun. After they were dry I had noticed that by the front of my shoes they had turned yellow. Do you know why this happened? Thank you.
If you dry them in the sun, they won’t turn brown. I think it’s because they dry faster outside and it doesn’t allow time for the glue and gook to fade onto the shoe. Just my guess. I do know though that if dried inside, they turn brown, if dried outside in the bright sunshine, they won’t.
I have the glittery ones /:
Do you know if this will work with the glitter TOMS? Mine smell horrible and I’ve nervous to wash them because I don’t want to wash off the glitter or crack the leather bottom.
I have a pair of Keens in a flower-print canvas. I pulled out the insoles, then tossed the shoes in the washer with a load of towels (to help the scrubbing action). I used cool-ish water (it’s too hot out for my water to be truly cool) and regular liquid Tide. Set them out to dry near an a/c vent. The shoes were pretty dirty to start with, but washing definitely helped. I think washing them a second time will brighten them up a bit more. I hand-washed the insoles. You can do this with any canvas Keen shoe.
I did a water soap and toothbrush method because I wasn’t sure about the washer, and it worked very well. I couldn’t get the soles clean though! I also have a problem with the smell inside! Thanks! (My toms are navy)
I’ve done something similar to this for many years. I love nice, white canvas shoes. I suggest crumbling some paper towel down in the toes of the shoes while they air dry to keep the shape of the shoe.
i have white canvas wedges that i cant throw into the washing machine…how would i clean those?
[...] Looking to Clean your Canvas Sperrys (or TOMS)? This Article Will Help! [...]
I have a pair of glitter toms that are in desperate need of cleaning and i wanted to know if this method would work for those? and if it would work for some with sequins too?
One word of warning:
If you machine wash your Toms (I have a basic gray canvas pair) multiple times, the leather insole starts to come unglued and curl at the toes. I air dried mine each time, too. This has happened with many of my friends’ shoes too.
I haven’t read all the comments yet so someone might have posted this, I’m not sure. I’ve had a few friends machine wash their toms and totally disintegrated the insides. I don’t have light colored toms so I don’t have problems with stains but I’m extremely hesitant to put them in the wash machine after the horror stories I’ve heard
I do have a tip for drying them out though if they get wet from rain/puddles/etc. I’ve done this several times and it works great. Fill them with rice. It absorbs both the smell and the moisture and don’t distort the shape.
That is a great tip. Rice is a terrific natural moisture absorber. I’ve not experienced this happening myself and have washed my TOMS about a dozen times over the 3 years I’ve had them…
My toms have sequins all over but are the silver color what should i do with those
Thank You soo much they are clean!!!!! now i am going to make the powder that makes your shoes smell good. Thank you soo much for doing the videos they really help me a lot…you are an awesom person and ny mom and i think you have an awesom personality!!!
Will the same method work for the glittery TOMS? Im afriad if I try all the sparkles will come off. Loved your tips though.
What I you don’t have sun??? I live in Oregon and we ran out of sun…
Thank you, this helps a lot.
[...] do stretch when you wear them, and they do get dirty! DO NOT DRY THEM IN A DRYER WHEN WASHING! http://cleanmyspace.com/clean-your-canvas-shoes-toms-keds/ here is a great blog on how to wash them! I personally love my TOMS so [...]
I like to throw mine in with towels. Helps act as a toothbrush within the machine.
hi, i have sperry top siders and i was them how you said, but i never read the part where i wasnt suppose to air vent dir them and well they are leather, and they got burnt and i want to know if there is anyting i can do, may mink oil? Or shoe conditionar, or are they done for good? I really love my sperrys and i almost cried when i saw them.
I want to wash my toms but I have a custom painted design on them and don’t want to ruin the paint. What can I do??
Will this work well on gray vans? Thanks!
Does this treatment also work on colored toms? For example, i have red and white striped ones.
I love the baking soda tip for the soles.. Never would have guessed!
I do have to disagree on the dryer thing though.. I have always washed/dryed my toms with no problems. They may look a little funky at first but I like that they are tight like new again, and it does not take long for them to form to my feet.
Maybe because I always wash/dry mine with some towels or clothes they have been spared, but I will use more caution next time (:
Thanks (:
I have a pair of light pink suede Toms. Any suggestions for cleaning suede shoes? Are they okay to go in the washing machine?
if you leave white canvas in the sun or turns yellow…
[...] [...]
my canvas toms got purple stains from plants when it was raining.how do i get rid of the stains without damaging the shoes?i would appreciate your help alot
My toms are really needing a cleaning but mine are canvas shoes that I had custom painted would that ruin the paint in any way?
Wish I’d found this before I’d ruined my two-day-old pair of gorgeous aqua Toms. Someone stupidly told me they were colorfast. Thanks so much for showing me the RIGHT way to fix them!
What happened to your leather insoles when they are in the washing machine? I’ve washed my Toms many times in the washing machine, but the leather always seems to curl up around the edges!