You wash your shirts, your pants, your jacket—all the things that bring you into contact with the outside world. But you probably don’t ever wash your shoes.
That should absolutely change, says Anne Sharkey, a podiatrist in Cedar Park, Texas, who views shoes as mobile petri dishes of germs. “You might walk through a school bathroom, you might walk outside in a dirty parking lot,” or you might step in a pile of dog poop or goose droppings, she says. Plus,“If there are a lot of allergens outside, those can sit on the exterior of your shoes, and there’s so much other dirt on them.”
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Some research estimates that about 421,000 units of bacteria live on the outside of a shoe, and nearly 3,000 thrive on the inside. But machine-washing shoes can get rid of 90-99% of the bacteria in both places. Here’s how often to wash your shoes—and how to do it without ruining them.
What kind of germs are lurking on shoes?
It depends on what you’ve been stepping in, but your shoes could carry pathogens like E. coli, salmonella, MRSA, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Serratia, which can cause infections in the respiratory tract as well as skin issues like cellulitis. That risk jumps if you’ve plodded through fecal matter, urine, or vomit residue from humans, pets, rodents, or farm animals, says Karen Duus, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Touro University Nevada. The same is true for stepping on discarded, contaminated food or a wad of chewed gum. Plus, mud can carry pathogens that live in the soil, like bacterial and fungal spores, worm eggs, and parasite cysts.
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“People talk a lot about things like toilet seats being filthy, but actually, shoes are worse,” she says. “Toilet seats only see butts. Who knows what your shoes see? Amazing amounts of stuff get deposited everywhere.”
Wiping your shoes on a doormat doesn’t help much, either, since most shoes have soles with crevices that collect germs and bacteria. “You’d have to take the shoe off and scrub it out,” Duus says. While some of the icky hitchhikers you pick up are only able to survive for hours to weeks, other bacterial and fungal spores, noroviruses, worm eggs, and parasite cysts can last for months or even years, she adds.
How often should you wash your shoes?
Exactly how often you should wash your shoes depends on how much dirt they’re accumulating. For general maintenance, Sharkey recommends a thorough wash at least every couple months. Sweaty athletic shoes you wear every day might need to be tossed into the washing machine every couple weeks, she adds.
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It’s also a good idea to use a bleach wipe on rubber, plastic, and synthetic surfaces much more regularly. (Don’t use these wipes on leather, suede, or other delicate materials.) “There’s no problem with wiping down your shoes every single day,” she says, especially if you wear them inside your home. “If you have little kids crawling on your floors, their hands are in contact with what’s on the bottom of our shoes. Either designate house shoes, or wipe down the exterior of the shoe.”
How to machine-wash shoes
Some shoes, like flip-flops, sandals, rain boots, and those made out of canvas, cotton, nylon, or polyester are durable enough to be tossed into a gentle cycle in the washing machine, as long as you use cold water and a mild detergent. “In my world, it’s like a maxim: any time you can put something in the washing machine, you should put it in the washing machine,” says Melissa Maker, who runs the YouTube channel Clean My Space.
To confirm yours are OK to launder, check their care label or website, Maker advises: Most manufacturers will specify the preferred cleaning method. She’s found that more brands are leaning into machine-washable options. She wears FootJoy mesh golf shoes, for example, which are designed to be easily washed after a round on muddy grounds. Brands like Skechers, Rothy’s, Allbirds, and Keds also make machine-washable kicks.
If your shoes are particularly grungy, pre-treat them with a dish soap like Dawn Powerwash, which you can rub in with a toothbrush, she suggests. Then toss them into the washing machine, alongside some towels that will help scrub the soles clean (and also reduce the amount of noise they’ll make clanking around the machine).
Once the cycle is done, let your shoes air dry rather than tossing them into the dryer. “You want to make sure you’re not leaving them near any source of heat,” Maker says. “The heat could potentially melt the glue on the shoes or deform the shape of them.” To help prevent that from happening, you can stuff crumpled up newspaper inside your shoes, she adds, to help them hold their form.
Cleaning more delicate shoes
Some shoes—like heels, Uggs, and anything made out of leather or suede—would be ruined if they were doused with detergent and spun around for half an hour. Yet there are still ways to make sure they’re as clean as possible. Start by removing any dirt with a dry brush that has soft bristles, Maker advises; hold the shoe vertically so anything loose will fall off.
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Then, put some shoe cleaning solution (Maker likes the one by Shoe MGK) onto the brush, and scrub in a circular motion. Once that’s done, use a clean, damp microfiber cloth to remove any excess product. “It reveals a clean shoe,” Maker says. You can also spray shoe conditioner on afterwards. While it’s an optional step, “I always describe it like the topcoat of nail polish,” she says. “You’re not going to see it, but it’s an added level of protection, and it prevents the dirt and stains from having an ability to settle in.”
What about shoelaces?
If you can’t even tell that your laces were once white, it’s time for a refresh. Pull them out of your shoes and pre-treat them with a stain remover or a mixture of baking soda and water that you scrub in with a brush. Then, toss them into a laundry bag: “Something you would use to wash your bra or a super-delicate shirt, so they don’t get tangled up or ruin other things in the wash,” Maker says.
Add the bag to a load of laundry with warm to hot water, and afterwards, hang the laces somewhere to air-dry. A bonus: Cleaning them is “a really nice way to add a fresh pop to your shoes,” she says.
Odor control
Even if your shoes don’t look like they need to be cleaned, there could be another reason to prioritize a laundry day: They might smell really bad. There are a few ways to ensure you don’t need to wrinkle your nose when you come within a 50-step radius of your sneakers. If they have insoles, pull them out and leave them in the sun for a few hours. “The sun is an extremely powerful deodorizer,” Maker says. “UV rays will zap the odor out of nearly anything, so if you’re a runner or a person who really sweats and stinks up their shoes, that’s something you can do.”
Activated charcoal is also helpful. Maker likes popping little packets into her shoes; they’re like “odor eaters,” she says, that absorb and neutralize smells. Some people get in the habit of inserting them into shoes every time they take them off.
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You can also buy a product like Dr. Scholl’s foot powder, or make your own. Mix ½ cup of cornstarch with ¼ cup of baking soda, ¼ cup of baking powder, and, if you’d like, a few drops of your favorite essential oil, Maker advises. Sprinkle a bit into your shoes, and then spread it around evenly. Leave the powder in overnight; then, after at least 12 hours, shake it out before putting your shoes on. Repeat any time you feel like they’re starting to get smelly again.
And don’t overlook Sharkey’s No. 1 foot-hygiene rule: Always wear socks. They absorb sweat, which keeps your feet dry and prevents the buildup of odor-causing bacteria and fungi. “We’re not meant to wear shoes barefoot,” she says.
A touch-and-go situation
Your shoes aren’t the only thing you should be washing regularly. It’s just as important—if not more so—to keep your hands clean, says Dr. Richard A. Martinello, an adult and pediatric infectious diseases clinician with Yale School of Medicine.
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Most of the time, the germs on your shoes won’t make you sick, he says. But if there’s something yucky on them, and you use your hands to put them on or pull them off, and then you put your hand in your mouth or start whipping up dinner—well, those pavement pathogens are on the move.
That’s why it’s essential to observe general good-hygiene practices. “Handwashing really becomes a very important factor,” Martinello says. “Instead of worrying as much about the bottom of your shoes, we should be worrying about what might be on our hands, and making sure we’re focused on washing them.”