If you wear them daily, wash them once a week.
Never dry them in the clothes dryer since the heat can melt shoe adhesives.
Note it can take two days for canvas shoes to air-dry fully.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
Here’s a guide for how to cleancanvas and fabric shoes, and make them look new again.
Add them to a mesh laundry bag before tossing the shoes in the washer to prevent tangling.
Or, you could wash them by hand in warm, soapy water.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
Choose a lower spin cycle speed to prevent your washer from becoming off-balance.
Tip
If theshoes are white, you might addchlorine bleachto brighten them.
For colored canvas, choose anoxygen-based bleach, such as OxiClean, instead.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
Remove Stains
Rinse mud with a garden hose or in a utility sink before washing.
Mud can clog the washer and cause it to malfunction.
Use a teaspoon of heavy-duty laundry detergent to pretreat stains.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
Never wash an entire load of only shoes.
Stuff the toes with nylon mesh or paper towels to retain the shoe’s shape.
If you use paper towels, change them frequently so the interior will dry more quickly.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
Never place canvas shoes in a hot clothes dryer.
The intense heat can cause shoe adhesives to melt, and the shoes can fall apart.
Do not place shoes with rope-covered soles or trim in water.
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Submerging embellished canvas shoes in water for extended periods may loosen some adhesives.
Use a damp cloth or sponge dipped in soapy water to gently wipe away soil from the rope.
Work in a small area at a time, changing the water frequently, and rinse sudsy residue.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
Pretreat Stains
Use a dab of detergent to pre-treat a specific or visible stain.
Work in the detergent with your fingers or with a soft-bristled brush.
Allow it to work for at least 15 minutes before washing the shoe.
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Pay attention to the soles as well.
Use a melamine sponge/eraser to remove scuff marks from rubber soles.
Rinse the laces and allow the shoes and laces to air-dry away from harsh sunlight and direct heat.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
Wipe the rinsed shoes with an absorbent towel to speed up the drying process.
Care and Repairs
Canvas can rip or become perforated from normal wear and tear.
The adhesives on the soles and rubber parts can come apart over time.
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Canvas shoes worn multiple times weekly should be cleaned weekly in the washer or hand-washed.
For dressier shoes worn only occasionally, clean them at least once per season and spot-clean any specific stains.
In a pinch, melamine foam erasers can remove stains on the canvas part of the shoe.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
Yes, white vinegar can be used to clean canvas shoes.
If you don’t have laundry detergent, use liquid dish soap to clean canvas shoes by hand.
Mix 1 teaspoon of dish detergent with 2 quarts of warm water and scrub shoes with a sponge.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
A melamine eraser can clean the hard rubber parts of the shoe.
However, in a pinch melamine foam erasers can remove stains on the canvas part of the shoe.
