How To Clean Basketball Shoes? Make Your Shoes Looks Like New

It is essential to clean your basketball shoes regularly. Cleaning the shoes will help you to give your best performance, and it also prevents injury! This article will discuss how to clean basketball shoes to be ready for the court when you need them most.

Avoid This Common Mistake

Cleaning your basketball shoes is one of the most important things you can do to keep them in good shape. But cleaning your basketball shoes with common household products can cause damage that will shorten their lifespan.

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Avoid This Common Mistake when Cleaning Basketball Shoes.

• Do not clean your basketball shoes with water directly. It will wear out the material of your shoe and ruin it more than if you had never washed them!
• To clean your basketball shoes, avoid using harsh, chemical solvents such as bleach, acetone, benzene, rubbing alcohol, and soapy water. They may damage the shoe’s surface and its foam padding. You also shouldn’t use any ammonia- or chlorine-based products.
• Avoid using the washing machine. This usually ends up ruining the shoe and destroying any chance at getting it to look new again.
• Don’t use machine dryers, vacuums, or solid overhead lights.

Requirement Elements

• Warm water
• Dish soap or liquid cleaner 
• Soft cloths, sponges, and brush to clean the hard spots 
• A bucket for the cleaning supplies and the dirty water
• Paper towels or rags 
• Water-resistant spray

How To Clean Basketball Shoes

Cleaning basketball shoes can be a pain. People buy expensive sneakers thinking that they won’t get dirty, but the truth is that the shoe’s material makes it easy for dirt to stick.

However, similar to other materials, you can clean them out by giving them a good scrubbing with soap and water. Here are seven easy steps on how to clean your basketball shoes:

1.Before Cleaning Remove Shoe Insoles

Remove any inserts or insoles before cleaning your shoes. These items could get ruined if they come into contact with warm water or soap. In addition, this will destroy the shape of your favorite footwear.

If you want to clean them, put them in a separate bucket. Fill it with cold water—don’t use any hot or warm water.

2. To Clean, Prepare a Mild Mixture

Combine the warm water and liquid cleaning.

3. Using a Damp Cloth, Wipe The Shoes

First, wipe the shoes with a soft cloth or sponge. To get stains out, you can use a toothbrush. Its size makes it easy to reach spots like between shoelaces and around eyelets.

However, make sure not to use the old one. It will only transfer bacteria from one shoe into another. A rag can be a good alternative because it is cheap and soft, making it a safer choice.

4. To Remove Stains, Use Hydrogen Peroxide

If your shoes have stubborn stains or marks on them, don’t be afraid to add hydrogen peroxide into the mix. This will help whiten your sneakers and make them look like they’re new again.

The only downside about this chemical is that it has a strong smell that can irritate your nose and lungs. Make sure to open up windows when you’re using this solution. If you feel nauseous because of how it smells, go outside to get some fresh air in the meantime.

5. Remove The Extra Soap With a Cloth

After scrubbing out dirt and stains from your shoes, wipe them thoroughly with a wet cloth. Once you think the basketball shoes are clean, dry them out with a paper towel. Don’t rub roughly on the insoles—you might damage the fabric.

6. Use a Water-Resistant Protectant

Finally, spray your shoes down with a water-resistant protectant to keep dirt from sticking onto them again. The reason for this is to ensure that stains don’t return in the future.

7. Allow The Shoes To Dry Naturally

Now, leave your shoes to dry at room temperature. 

It’s the best way to clean shoes. This way of cleaning shoes will make your life easier. It will also save you time because you won’t need to spend a lot of time scrubbing out stains and marks.

Question That Asks Our Readers         

1. Is it OK to Wash Basketball Shoes?

It is usually OK to wash your basketball shoes, but you need to use clean water. The material of the shoe will determine how much water you should use. Generally, leather or suede shoes are not good candidates for washing. After that, if you want to clean white leather shoes then read this guide-Clean White Leather Shoes. If you plan on using soap, make sure it doesn’t contain oil to avoid destroying them.

Also, we do not recommend washing synthetic sneakers until they are filthy, as they can wear down quickly if washed too often.

You should clean parts of a room that get dirty first before cleaning other areas. Avoid placing rubber soles into the water since these can become unsteady and slippery.

2. How Do You Clean Mesh Material Shoes?

Step-1: Make sure to dry them thoroughly. Mix white vinegar and water in a spray bottle (a ratio of about 1-2 cups of vinegar per half-gallon).

Step-2: Now spritz the mesh shoes with the mixture to help loosen any dirt.

Step-3: Then scrub gently using a soft toothbrush or dish brush.

Step-4: Rinse well with tap water.

Step-5: Allow the shoe to air dry completely before wearing it again.

3. How To Clean Basketball Shoe Soles?

To clean basketball shoe soles, do the following:

1) First, make the basketball sole cleaner with water and dish soap. Next, soak the sole in the cleaner for 20 minutes.

2) Gently scrub both shoe soles using a cloth or sponge with no coarse textures.

3) Use a wet cloth to rinse off the remaining soap.

4) Wait 12 hours for your shoes to air-dry, ideally in the open air.

If you want to make your shoes less slippery, read this guide- How To Make Basketball Shoes More Grippy?

4. How To Clean The Inside of Basketball Shoes?

Firstly, to clean the inside of your dirty basketball shoes, you can put baking soda in them and leave them overnight.

Secondly, pour out the baking soda and give your basketball shoes a good scrubbing with soap the next day.

Thirdly, rinse well, then air dries the shoes.

5. How to Dry Basketball Shoes?

It’s best to air dry your shoes at room temperature. After you get your shoes wet, use a towel or newspaper to dry them. Then take the shoes outside and let them air dry. Before going back inside, shake off the remaining condensed water from both shoe surfaces and between the laces.

Suppose you have access to an infrared heating unit or any heater set at a low temperature. Then go ahead and use it for drying purposes as well.

6. How To Clean White Basketball Shoes?

Step-1: Get a toothbrush and warm water, mix them.

Step-2: Rub toothpaste onto the brushes bristles and brush the shoe with it.

Step-3: If stubborn stains persist, use baking powder or white vinegar to scrub them off. Follow this by neutralizing the baking soda/vinegar with lemon juice or water. Rinse well with clear water. 

Step-4: Dry by blotting excess moisture out of the shoes gently, put them outside in direct sunlight for about 15 minutes to help dry even more quickly. Then let your shoe dry overnight. Or you could put them in front of a fan to make them cooler. But make sure that the fan is pointing at the side of the room that is cooler.

7. How Do You Get The Moisture Out of Shoes?

Shoes get moist due to moisture in the environment. Humidity can get inside your shoes if you store them near windows or other places that take in water. It would help if you allowed shoes to dry naturally away from windows, which will prevent them from attracting more humidity while they are still damp.

You can dry out your shoes by putting paper inside while you wear them. The paper absorbs the water, and then you can take it out. In addition, it helps increase air circulation around the foot, which allows their natural evaporation process for dryness.

Conclusion 

We hope that this article answered any questions you may have had about how to clean basketball shoes. If not, please leave a comment below, and we will be happy to help!