Dishwasher shoes are an internet hack: put the dirty pair on the top rack, run a cycle, take out clean shoes. Can you wash shoes in the dishwasher? You can close the door on them, but we found no shoe maker that recommends it, and Crocs names dishwashers among the things that can shrink or warp its shoes. Clean them by hand instead; the cleaning part takes less time than the cycle.
The care guidance quoted here is from the shoe makers themselves. SneakerSalt is not affiliated with any of them.
Why people try it
The idea comes up most with shoes that look like they could survive it: cycling shoes with stiff plastic soles, foam clogs, rubber sandals, white gym trainers. A dishwasher has jets, detergent and hot water, so it seems like the obvious tool for something hard and dirty. People who try it report both outcomes: some get a clean pair, some get warped foam or a sole lifting at the toe, and there is no way to know in advance which one yours will be.
The problem is that "looks like plastic" is not the same as "made to take heat". Many of these shoes are glued, made of molded foam, or both, and those are the two things the makers' warnings are about.
What a dishwasher cycle does to a shoe
A dishwasher combines hot water, a detergent made for plates and pans, and on many machines a heated drying phase. None of the shoe makers' care pages we read mentions dishwashers except one, but their warnings about heat and detergent cover every part of that cycle:
- Glue. ASICS says excessive heat "will also damage the glue of your shoes and cause them to come apart." Scott Sports says temperature and laundry detergent damage the bond between sole and upper.
- Shape. Nike says dryer heat "can deform a pair of shoes". A heated drying phase is the same kind of heat, aimed at a shoe sitting on a rack.
- Foam clogs. Crocs says dishwashers, hot washing cycles, extreme heat and hot cars can shrink or warp its Croslite material, and that every style should be air dried only.
- EVA and cork. Birkenstock warns that its cork footbeds and EVA soles "can be damaged by exposure to concentrated heat or extreme temperatures." That covers the all-plastic sandals people put on the top rack.
- Leather and suede. Both are water-sensitive. Nike says suede absorbs water, which can set stains into it rather than lift them out.
We will not give you a dishwasher temperature or a damage figure, because no source has measured either on shoes. The point is simpler: every maker that writes about heat says keep it away from the shoe.
Shoe by shoe
| Shoe | Dishwasher? | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Crocs and foam clogs | No (Crocs) | Mild soap and cold water; air dry. |
| EVA sandals, the "plastic" Birkenstock type | No (Birkenstock) | Wipe clean; air dry slowly away from direct heat. |
| Rubber flip-flops | No | Havaianas: soak a few minutes in soapy water, scrub with a soft sponge, rinse, air dry. |
| Running and gym shoes | No | Brooks and ASICS rule out even the washing machine. Brush, then hand-clean the upper. |
| Cycling shoes | No | Nobody we found recommends it. Follow the maker's care page. |
| Leather shoes and white leather trainers | No | Dry brush, then a surface clean of the upper. |
| Suede | No | Dry brush and eraser; keep water to a minimum. |
How to get the same result by hand
What people want from the dishwasher is clean shoes with no scrubbing. Done by hand, the job is shorter than a dishwasher cycle and needs no heat:
- Dry brush everything. Outsole, midsole and upper, with the mud already dry. Nike starts every clean this way.
- Laces out. They can go in a mesh bag on a cold, gentle washing machine cycle, or in a bowl of soapy water.
- Mix a mild solution. Warm water with a little mild laundry detergent or hand dish soap. Nike warns that a strong dish-soap mix can discolour some materials, so keep it weak.
- Brush the soles, then the upper. A soft brush throughout, gentle on knit and mesh, and no hard scrubbing on leather.
- Blot instead of rubbing. A microfiber towel pressed on the upper, as Nike suggests.
- Air-dry at room temperature. Paper inside, no heat. Nike says many shoes take at least eight hours.
For uppers that are only dirty on the surface, there is a shorter route with no water at all. SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam goes on with two pumps, waits ten seconds and wipes off dry, and it is rated excellent on white leather, canvas, mesh and knit and rubber midsoles. It has not been tested on Croslite or on all-EVA sandals, so for clogs and foam sandals use mild soap and cold water as the makers say.
If the pair is canvas and dirty through the weave, our washing machine guide covers when the drum is a fair option. White leather has its own routine in how to clean white leather sneakers.
Can I use dishwasher soap to clean shoes?
Hand dish soap, well diluted, is part of Nike's method. Dishwasher detergent is a different product, made to be used inside a machine on crockery. None of the shoe care guides we used mention it, so we would not put it on a shoe. Use a few drops of ordinary washing-up liquid or mild laundry detergent in warm water instead.
If you meant shoes for working as a dishwasher
"Dishwasher shoes" also means the shoes people wear to work a restaurant dish station, and that is a different search. We do not sell shoes, so we will not recommend a pair. What we can say is how to clean them without the machine you work at. Kitchen floors leave grease as well as water, and on grease the advice is to absorb it before you wash it: cover a fresh spot with cornstarch or talc, then brush it off. On rubber soles, a common tip is a dish-soap solution and a brush. On leather uppers, Nike uses a mild dish-soap solution and no hard scrubbing. Then let them dry at room temperature, away from the heat of the dish station.
Questions people actually ask
Will a dishwasher clean shoes?
It may well get the dirt off. The issue is what the heat and detergent do to the glue and foam on the way, which you only find out afterwards.
How do I dry shoes after washing?
Stuff them with paper, take the insoles out, and leave them somewhere with moving air, away from radiators and direct sun. No tumble dryer and no dishwasher drying cycle.
How do you clean dirty sneakers without washing them?
Dry brush first, then a no-rinse surface clean: foam, ten seconds, a dry cloth. Knit uppers take a soft touch; our mesh and knit guide covers it.
Does Dawn dish soap clean shoes?
Diluted dish soap is part of Nike's general method for uppers and soles, though not for suede. Use only a few drops in warm water; Nike says a strong mix can discolour some materials.
Leave the dishwasher for the dishes: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam, $24, free shipping, brush and cloth in the box, and if it doesn't clean your shoe, keep the bottle.
