With spring and summer just on our doorsteps, your kids are likely to be spending more time outside which can only mean one thing, dirty trainers.
In this guide we’ll teach you how to clean those stubborn dirt and mud marks off your kids trainers.
How often should you clean kids trainers?
If your kids have a pair of trainers that they love and wear all the time, thay may need to be cleaned more frequently to keep them looking and smelling as good as possible.
If you have the time, it's a good idea to give trainers a good deep clean about once a month. Not only will this help the trainers to look better, but it will also ensure they last as long as possible.
How to clean kids trainers
Cleaning your kids trainers can be super simple, as long as you know how to properly clean the specific materials.
While some may think that using the same technique on every trainer will work, it can actually end up damaging the fabrics and causing them to deteriorate quicker.
How to clean leather trainers
Cleaning your kids leather trainers in super easy, all you need to do is follow the steps below:
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Remove any excess dirt and mud. More often than not, if your kids have been playing in their trainers, there will be some form of mud or dirt on them.
To remove this mud, leave the trainers to dry and then bang them together to get rid of the larger clumps. You can remove any stubborn spots with an old toothbrush or a small bristle brush.
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Remove and soak the laces.Start by unthreading the laces from the shoes and leave them in a strong solution of washing up liquid and warm water while you get on with the rest of the shoes.
If your kids shoes have velcro fastenings, head over to our guide on how to clean hook and loop shoes.
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Clean the outside.When you’re cleaning leather, avoid being too harsh with chemical cleaners. Using a washing up liquid solution will do the trick. Simply place a soft cloth in your mixture, rinse and begin to wipe down the shoes. You can also use a brush for any textured or harder to reach places.
Once complete, run the cloth under some warm water and then wipe down the trainer again to remove any excess soap.
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Air dry only.Once complete, leave the trainers and laces to air dry in a warm and dry environment, try to avoid direct sunlight to prevent any warping of the materials. Once dry, put the laces back in and they’ll be good as new.
How to clean canvas trainers
To clean canvas shoes, we suggest following the steps above except due to the nature of the fabric it may be easier to use a type of scrubbing brush to clean off any dirt.
Head over to our full guide on how to clean kids canvas shoes to find out more.
Canvas high-tops and baseball shoes tend to have rubber top caps, which are very easily prone to scuffing. This scuff can be a nuisance to remove, but it can be made very easy by using magic eraser cleaning sponges.
Simply take your sponge, give them a quick wipe and they’ll be back to good as new. If you don’t have a sponge, you can mix 1 tsp water with 1 tsp baking powder to make a paste. Massage the paste in with a soft cloth and you should start to see the scuffs disappear.
How to clean suede trainers
Unlike canvas and leather, suede on trainers can’t really be cleaned with heavy soap mixtures.
Instead, to clean suede we suggest rubbing a damp lint-free cloth over the dirty area to help break down the dirt and remove it from the suede fibres. You can also purchase specialist suede brushes which move the fibres much more effectively and therefore loosens the dirt much better.
Can you put kids trainers in the washing machine?
You can put some kids shoes in the washing machine, but bear in mind that not every material is suitable.
Canvas shoes with no embellishments on them are completely fine to put in the washing machine. Just be sure to put them on a low temperature and low spin cycle with some bed sheets or towels to prevent the shoes damaging your machine.
Oftentime your kids shoes will have labels on the inside stating whether they are suitable for machine washing or not. If the label doesn’t tell you, you may be able to find an answer on the manufacturers site.