A washing machine bag for shoes is a zip-up mesh or padded laundry bag that holds the pair while the drum turns. It keeps the shoes together and contained. What it does not do is make machine washing safe for a shoe whose maker says no, and most makers do say no. Use one only when the care label already allows the machine.
Shoe makers' care pages are quoted below. SneakerSalt is not affiliated with any of them.
What a shoe laundry bag can and cannot do
Bags are sold to stop shoes knocking around the drum. That is a reasonable thing to want, especially since Nike points out that bulky sneakers can damage the washing machine. But we could not find a single source that tests whether a bag protects the shoe itself, and it is worth being clear about why that matters.
The damage the makers describe comes from four things, and a bag changes none of them:
- Water. Mesh lets water through; that is how the shoe gets washed. The soak is the same in a bag as out of one.
- Detergent. Scott Sports says temperature and laundry detergent damage the bond between sole and upper. The American Cleaning Institute says detergents and agitation can damage many leathers and adhesives.
- Heat. Temperature is the other half of Scott Sports' warning. ASICS, which tells people to avoid the washer, concedes only that "a cold cycle will probably not do too much harm."
- The spin. Brooks says the spin cycle can degrade the material, and rules out even the machine's hand-wash setting.
So a bag is a tidiness tool, not a safety one. Our washing machine guide goes through what the drum does to each part of a shoe; this page sticks to the bag.
Which shoes can go in the machine, bag or not
| Shoes | Machine? | What the maker or source says |
|---|---|---|
| Allbirds | Yes | Wool or delicate cycle, cold water, in a linen bag or pillowcase. |
| Nike sneakers | Not recommended | "Nike does not recommend washing shoes in the washing machine." |
| ASICS, Brooks, New Balance, Vans | No | All four advise against it. |
| Leather and suede of any brand | No | The ACI and Nike both advise against it. |
| Canvas and knit | Check the label | The care label decides, not the bag. |
| Sheepskin boots | No | UGG: "Hand wash only. DO NOT use a washing machine." |
| Rubber flip-flops | No | Havaianas says they should never go in the washing machine. |
| Laces | Yes | Nike puts them in a mesh bag on a cold, gentle cycle. |
Laces are the one job a small mesh bag is genuinely made for. Insoles are a different matter: the sources we used clean them by hand, and Nike says to use the same steps as for the outside of the shoe.
How to use a shoe washing bag
If your pair's label allows the machine, this is the method Allbirds gives, with the bag doing the job it is good at:
- Brush off the mud first. Allbirds says to remove excess dirt before washing. Let wet mud dry, then brush it off outside.
- Take out the laces and insoles. Laces go in a small bag of their own. Insoles get cleaned by hand.
- One pair per bag, zipped shut. Tuck the zip pull under its cover if the bag has one, so it cannot snag.
- Cold water, wool or delicate cycle. No warm setting. Heat is what the glue objects to.
- A small amount of mild detergent, no fabric softener. It goes in the drawer or drum as usual, not inside the bag.
- Air-dry for at least 24 hours. Out of the bag, stuffed with paper, away from heat. No tumble dryer.
Choosing a bag
Shops sell three broad kinds: plain mesh laundry bags, padded or quilted shoe bags, and bags lined with soft microfiber. Since nobody has tested any of them on shoes, choose on practical grounds:
- Size. Large enough for one pair without folding the heels or bending the toes.
- Zip. A full-length zip with a fabric cover over the pull.
If you want one today, most supermarkets and homeware stores keep mesh laundry bags in the laundry aisle. If you only wash a pair once a year, a pillowcase knotted at the top is the free version; Allbirds lists it as an alternative to a bag.
When a bag is the wrong question
Many pairs people want to put in the washer are not filthy through the fabric. They have a grey film on the upper and dirt on the midsole, and that layer comes off without water. SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam goes on with two pumps, sits for ten seconds and wipes off with a dry cloth, and the pair is wearable straight away. It is rated excellent on canvas, mesh and knit and white leather, and good on suede and nubuck with a blot-only method.
Where the machine still makes sense is canvas or knit that is dirty all the way into the weave and whose label says it can go in. Our guides to canvas shoes and mesh and knit sneakers cover the hand methods to try first.
Questions people actually ask
Can you put shoes in the washing machine without a bag?
The bag is not what decides it. If the label rules out the machine, a bag does not change that. If the label allows it, Allbirds still asks for a bag or a pillowcase, and keeping the pair contained costs nothing.
Can you wash shoes at 40 degrees?
The makers that allow machine washing say cold, and Scott Sports names temperature as one of the things that damages the sole bond. A warm wash is the setting to avoid.
Is it better to wash shoes in the washer or the dishwasher?
Neither is recommended, and the dishwasher is worse: we found no shoe maker that suggests it, and Crocs, one of the few brands that allows a gentle wash, names dishwashers among the things that can shrink or warp its shoes. If a label allows a machine, it means a washing machine on a cold cycle.
Do you put detergent in the shoe washing bag?
No. Put a small amount of mild detergent where you normally would, and the wash water carries it through the mesh. Skip fabric softener.
For the grime that is only on the surface, skip the drum: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam, $24, free shipping, brush and cloth included, and a full refund within 30 days if it doesn't clean your shoe.
