How to clean canvas shoes by hand or machine

Check the shoe before you wet it

Most classic canvas sneakers are vulcanized: the canvas upper is joined to a rubber sole and a rubber strip, called foxing, with glue and heat. Water and gentle soap do not hurt that construction, but heat and long soaking can soften the adhesive and let the sole start to lift. For that reason, makers such as Superga advise against the washing machine and the dryer altogether and recommend a damp cloth with a gentle detergent.

Look at what else is on the shoe. Leather or suede trims, printed logos, cork footbeds and padded collars all need a lighter touch than plain canvas. For leather details, see our guide on cleaning white sneakers by material. On colored canvas, dampen a hidden spot, such as the inside of the tongue, with your soap mix and press a white cloth on it. If color transfers, keep the whole cleaning cool, quick and gentle.

How to clean canvas shoes by hand

You need a soft brush (an old toothbrush works for detail), a firmer brush for the soles, two cloths, a bowl of warm water and a small amount of mild liquid detergent or gentle soap.

1. 01

   Take out the laces and insoles

   They clean better separately, and removing them lets you reach the tongue and the folds around the eyelets. Stuff the shoes loosely with a towel or paper so the canvas has something to push against.

2. 02

   Brush off the dry dirt first

   Knock the shoes together outdoors and brush away dust and dried mud while everything is dry. If you wet caked dirt, it turns into muddy water that soaks into the weave. For a muddy pair, let the mud dry fully first, as explained in our guide on getting mud out of clothes.

3. 03

   Scrub the canvas in small circles

   Mix a teaspoon or so of mild detergent into a bowl of warm water. Dip the soft brush, tap off the excess and scrub the canvas in small circles, a section at a time. You want foam on the surface, not water running through the shoe.

   CheckYou should see the dirt lift into the suds.

4. 04

   Clean the rubber separately

   Use the firmer brush with the same solution on the soles and the foxing. This is where a melamine sponge is useful: it takes scuffs off rubber quickly. Keep it off the canvas, where its fine abrasive can roughen the weave.

5. 05

   Wipe away the soap completely

   Go over the whole shoe with a clean cloth dipped in plain water and wrung out, rinsing the cloth often, until no suds appear. Leftover detergent is the most common cause of yellow marks on white canvas after cleaning.

6. 06

   Dry slowly, in the shade

   Blot with a dry towel, stuff the shoes with fresh paper and leave them in a cool, airy place out of direct sun. Change the paper once or twice. Expect a day or so before they are dry through.

How to clean white canvas shoes without yellowing

White canvas shows everything, so it benefits from a slightly stronger treatment on gray areas. A paste of baking soda with a few drops of water and a little detergent, brushed gently into the stain and left for 15 to 30 minutes, adds mild scrubbing power and helps with dull patches. Some guides pair baking soda with vinegar; the fizz is dramatic but the two largely neutralize each other, so the baking soda and the brush are doing most of the work.

Yellowing after a wash usually has two causes. The first is detergent left in the fabric, which Clarks identifies as the typical culprit; the fix is to rinse or wipe the shoes again with plain water. The second is how the shoe dries. Canvas that dries in strong sun can yellow, and dirty water drawn to the edges of a wet patch leaves a brownish outline as it evaporates. Cleaning the whole upper evenly, rather than just one spot, and drying in the shade prevents both.

Many shoe makers advise against chlorine bleach on uppers, and it can weaken cotton and discolor rubber and glue. If you want to use it at all, keep it to separate white cotton laces, well diluted, briefly, and rinsed thoroughly, and never mix it with vinegar or ammonia.

Can you put canvas shoes in the washing machine?

Makers disagree, so read the care information for your pair. Superga says to avoid the washer and dryer entirely to protect the shoe's structure. Clarks describes machine washing fabric sneakers on a delicate cycle with cold water in a mesh laundry bag. The practical conclusion is that a machine wash often works on inexpensive vulcanized canvas shoes, but it is a risk you take on yourself, and it is not worth taking with a pair you love or one with leather parts.

If you do use the machine, remove the laces and insoles, put the shoes in a mesh bag or a zipped pillowcase, and add a couple of old towels so they do not bang against the drum. Choose a cold, gentle cycle, a small amount of liquid detergent and an extra rinse to clear the soap. Never put canvas shoes in the dryer. Heat can shrink the canvas, warp the rubber and loosen the glue, and it is the quickest way to ruin a pair.

Laces, insoles and a fresh inside

Soak the laces in warm soapy water while you clean the shoes, rub them between your hands, rinse and hang them to dry. If white laces stay gray, new ones are inexpensive, and our guide on lacing shoes will help you put them back neatly. Wipe the insoles with a cloth dipped in the soap mix, rinse with a damp cloth and let them dry separately; soaking them can break down the foam and glue.

For odor, the most effective step is drying the shoes fully between wears. Sprinkling baking soda inside overnight and shaking it out in the morning absorbs some smell, and wearing socks, even thin no show ones, keeps sweat off the canvas in the first place. Our guide on getting smells out of fabric explains why damp is the real enemy.

Keep canvas cleaner for longer

A quick dry brush after muddy days stops dirt from being ground into the weave, and dealing with a spill while it is fresh saves a full wash later. Once the shoes are clean and completely dry, a water and stain repellent spray made for fabric shoes helps liquids bead up instead of soaking in; test it on the tongue first, since some sprays darken colored canvas slightly.

Store canvas shoes somewhere dry and out of the sun, with a little paper inside if they have lost their shape. Our guide on storing shoes covers the rest. A canvas pair that is still gray after two careful cleanings has usually absorbed dye or soil deep in the cotton, and further scrubbing will only wear the fabric thin.