Washing New Balance sneakers in the washing machine

Washing New Balance sneakers in the washing machine Can New Balance sneakers be machine washed? This question is often asked by owners of sports shoes from a famous brand. New sneakers look stylish and impeccable, but after wearing them outside, dust and dirt spoil the look of the pair. Let's figure out whether machine washing is acceptable, or whether it is better to clean sneakers manually, without using a machine.

Is automatic washing acceptable?

All recommendations for caring for the product are specified in the instructions. The manufacturer prohibits placing sneakers New Balance into the washing machine. The rule applies to all models produced under this brand, regardless of what material the sneakers are made of: leather, suede, textiles or artificial fabrics.

The manufacturer strongly recommends not using a washing machine and cleaning sports shoes by hand. Adhere to the following rules:

Wipe the surface of your sneakers from dust and dirt every day with a damp cloth or soft brush;
Wipe sneakers made of dyed leather with a cloth soaked in soapy water;
do not allow long-term contact of shoes with water, do not soak sneakers;
When removing stubborn stains from textile sneakers, use special cleaning products and aerosols.

If you follow the manufacturer's advice, the crosses will last a long time without losing their quality. But in reality, it often turns out that it is very difficult to clean shoes with just a brush and a damp cloth, and thoughts, one way or another, rush towards the washing machine.

You can still wash New Balance textile sneakers in an automatic washing machine, but you will have to forget about warranty service after such treatment.

Making sure the shoes can withstand washing

Certain models of shoes are strictly prohibited from being thrown into the washing machine drum. Otherwise, you will end up with a pretty damaged item coming out of the machine. We're talking about sneakers:

made of nubuck, leather or suede. These materials will not tolerate contact with water;
made of polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride;
with many decorative elements: spikes, rhinestones, colored stripes, rivets;
which have damage: holes, loose threads, torn seams. Also, you should not wash shoes with slightly peeled soles. As a result of machine washing, the sneakers will deteriorate even more;
with reflective inserts - they can come off when washed.

Sneakers made from natural fabrics require delicate handling. Shoes from the New Balance brand are expensive, so if possible, it is better not to risk it, but to dry-clean your sneakers. Minor stains can be easily dealt with at home. You can try machine washing heavily soiled New Balance textile sneakers. Before putting it into the drum, you need to make sure that the pair of shoes is intact. It is important to choose a gentle washing program and check its settings.

Washing algorithm in a machine

Only New Balance textile sneakers or shoes made from artificial materials should be thrown into the washing machine. A sports pair made of leather, suede or nubuck can only be cleaned by hand. When starting an automatic wash, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

Before putting them in the drum, wipe the surface of the sneakers with a damp cloth, remove dirt from the sole, remove stones stuck in the tread pattern;
take out the insoles, pull out the laces. It is better to wash them separately, by hand;
place sports shoes in a laundry bag.If there is no special mesh, you can use a regular pillowcase;
Use liquid detergents or gel capsules. They dissolve faster and are completely rinsed out of the material. This minimizes the risk of whitish stains appearing on shoes;
run delicate or hand wash mode. A special program “Sports shoes” is also suitable;
monitor the water temperature, it should not exceed 30°C;
It is better to turn off the spin or set it to the lowest possible speed;
If the Eco Time function is programmed into the washing machine’s memory, additionally enable the option. This will reduce the cycle time.

New Balance athletic shoe washing powder will not work. The granules are difficult to dissolve in cool water, so it will not be possible to get rid of stains or avoid the appearance of white streaks on the material.

When choosing a detergent, choose one that works in cool water (temperature 20-30°C).

We wash shoes by hand

Manual cleaning is convenient because you don’t have to wet the entire surface of the shoe, but direct your efforts specifically to the contaminated area. This method will help deal with small individual stains. The algorithm of actions will be as follows:

Prepare a soap solution in a basin: add detergent to the water and mix well. You can use regular baby or laundry soap, special washing gels;
stuff New Balance sneakers with white fabric. For example, an old T-shirt, a waffle towel or gauze. This is necessary so that the boots do not get wet through and become deformed;
Use a sponge or cloth soaked in soapy water to wipe the contaminated areas on the shoes;
remove stains with a soft brush;
rinse the treated areas under running warm water;
put the sneakers to dry.

This way you can clean not only textile shoes, but also leather or suede sneakers. The main thing is to act as carefully as possible. If a sneaker made of textiles or artificial materials completely needs cleaning, you should proceed as follows:

Prepare a soap solution in a basin. The detergent must be completely dissolved in water, so no white streaks will appear on the sneakers. Make sure that the water temperature does not exceed 30°C;
Place your shoes in the container. You should wipe off dust and dirt from your shoes in advance and wash the soles;
leave the sports pair in the basin for half an hour;
Wipe the most contaminated areas with a brush;
rinse your sneakers in clean water;
dry your shoes.

When cleaning by hand, the sneakers come into less contact with water, which reduces the risk of damage. Also, the sneakers are protected from excess friction, which cannot be expected when washing a sports pair in a machine.

Proper drying is the key to success

It is important not only to carefully wash your New Balance sneakers, but also to dry them properly. Much will depend on the latter. Therefore, when drying, observe the following rules:

Do not expose sports shoes to high temperatures. You cannot place crosses on a radiator, a heater, or blow them with a hot hairdryer;
It’s better to dry your sneakers in the fresh air, most importantly, protect them from direct sunlight;
if you can’t take your sneakers outside, you should leave them to dry in a well-ventilated room;
Be sure to stuff your sneakers with white paper. The parchment will absorb excess water. The main thing is not to use newspaper or magazine pages. Printing ink can imprint on the material, ruining the appearance of the shoes.

If you need the crosses to dry faster, you can point a running fan at them. Jets of cold air will speed up the process, and in just a couple of hours the sneakers can be put on.

Expert advice

Experts advise following simple recommendations when cleaning sports shoes; this will avoid damage to expensive sneakers. When washing automatically or manually, you need to remember that:

white shoes should be washed separately from black or colored ones;
It is allowed to load no more than two pairs of shoes into the washing machine at a time;
to prevent imbalance, it is better to throw several old light T-shirts into the drum at the same time as the sneakers;
When washing a white pair, you cannot use detergents for colored items.

In any case, it is advisable to avoid machine washing. If you have the opportunity to clean your sneakers manually, don’t neglect it. After the sneakers New Balance will dry out, it is better to treat them with water-repellent impregnation. This will help protect the athletic pair.