Your trainers look (and smell) like they've been through a war zone. Mud caked in the soles, mystery stains on the uppers, and that funk coming from inside that no amount of airing out seems to fix.

You could toss them in the washing machine and hope for the best, but that's a gamble with your favourite pair. Good news: there's a better way.

This guide walks you through safe hand-cleaning methods for how to clean trainers properly, when machine washing actually makes sense, and a few shortcuts using sneaker cleaning erasers that cut your cleaning time in half. Let's get those trainers looking fresh again.

Gather your supplies before you do anything else. You don't want to start and then have to run around and find something that "will do", you want to start with something you know will work. Here are the supplies you'll need:

• Soft-bristled brush

• Microfibre cloth

• Mild soap or dish detergent

• Bowl of lukewarm water

• Paper towels for drying

• Old toothbrush for seams and tight spots

• Cotton swabs for edges and crevices

• Mesh laundry bag (if you're planning to machine wash)

A few optional tools can speed things up considerably when you're cleaning athletic footwear. Professional shoe cleaning kits work well on rubber midsoles and outsoles when you want to skip the scrubbing. For mesh uppers, fabric sections, or grimy laces, sneaker cleaning solution lets you drop everything in and let the solution do the heavy lifting.

Neither is strictly necessary, but they cut your cleaning time down when you're dealing with stubborn buildup or just don't feel like putting in elbow grease.

Work from top to bottom. Start with the uppers, then move to the midsoles, and finish with the outsoles. This order keeps you from dragging dirt back onto areas you've already cleaned.

The other rule that matters: keep your cloth or brush damp, not dripping wet. Too much water weakens glue, warps shape, and can leave water stains on certain materials. Controlled moisture is the whole game here.

Mix a small amount of mild soap or dish detergent into a bowl of warm water. Dip your microfibre cloth or soft brush into the solution, wring it out well, and work in small sections across the upper.

Wipe away the soapy residue as you go to prevent streaking. Be gentle. Knit and mesh fabrics can snag or pill if you scrub too hard, and leather or synthetic finishes can lift or scuff under heavy pressure. Light, consistent strokes get the job done without wrecking your shoes.

The rubber midsole band is where scuffs and yellowing show up first. Use a slightly firmer brush here since rubber can handle more pressure than fabric. Work the brush into textured areas where dirt likes to settle into grooves.

Wipe the surface dry immediately after cleaning because leftover residue can haze over or attract new grime within hours. For stubborn marks that won't budge with soap and water, white shoe cleaners cut through the buildup faster than scrubbing and leave a cleaner finish on white or light-coloured rubber.

This is the shortcut method. Not a replacement for a proper deep clean, but perfect for maintenance between washes or when you need your trainers looking decent in ten minutes.

SneakERASERS work best on rubber soles and midsoles, especially white areas where scuffs and yellowing show up fast. For fabric and mesh sections, SneakERASERS SOAK handles what a damp cloth can't lift on its own.

Dampen the sponge slightly and start with the white side for everyday dirt and light scuffs. Short, controlled, gentle swipes work better than grinding it into one spot.

For tougher marks or areas where you want a gentler touch, flip to the orange side and ease up on the pressure. Wipe the rubber clean with a microfibre cloth after each pass. Keep going until the surface looks even and the grime stops transferring onto the sponge.

When the uppers need more than a quick wipe, SOAK pulls out the deeper grime trapped in mesh and fabric weaves. Apply the solution with a cloth or soft brush, working in small sections so you're not soaking the whole shoe at once.

Blot excess moisture with a clean, dry cloth as you go. Let the shoe air-dry completely before you wear it again. Putting damp trainers on your feet is a fast track to odour problems.

Go back over the edges, toe bumper, and heel rim. These spots collect scuffs that are easy to miss on the first pass. Do one final wipe across all the surfaces you cleaned to pick up any loosened dirt before it settles back in.

Let everything dry fully, then re-lace and drop the insoles back in. Rushing this part undoes half the work you just put in.

These two parts make or break the fresh factor. You can scrub the rest of the shoe perfectly, but dirty laces and funky insoles will still make everything look and smell off.

Pull them out before you start cleaning anything else. Treating them separately gets better results than trying to clean them while they're still attached.

Soak laces in warm soapy water for ten to fifteen minutes, then work out the grime with your fingers or a soft brush. For white laces that have gone grey or yellow, SneakERASERS SOAK lifts out embedded dirt that a basic rinse won't touch.

Insoles need a gentler approach since most aren't built to handle a full soak. Wipe them down with a damp cloth and mild soap, scrubbing lightly on any visible stains.

Let both air-dry completely before putting them back. Reassembling while anything is still damp traps moisture inside and creates the exact mildew smell you're trying to get rid of. For quick, effective cleaning of hard-to-reach areas, instant cleaning wipes work perfectly for spot-cleaning insoles and laces.

Different materials need different handling. The universal rule is gentle pressure and minimal water.

Every trainer has glue, stitching, and structure that can weaken or warp if you overdo it with moisture or scrubbing. Know what your shoe is made of before you start, and adjust your approach accordingly.

Start with a barely damp microfibre cloth and wipe down the surface. Only add mild soap if there's visible dirt that won't lift with water alone. Leather doesn't love moisture, so work quickly and don't let water sit on the surface.

For the rubber midsole and outsole, SneakERASERS handle scuffs without any risk to the leather above. Just keep the sponge away from the leather itself since it's not a conditioner or leather care product.

Once everything is clean and dry, finish the leather with a proper conditioner or protectant to keep it from drying out and cracking. This method works well for most types of leather footwear maintenance.

These fabrics snag and pill easily, so soft tools and light pressure matter more here than anywhere else. Use a soft brush or cloth with mild soapy water for surface dirt.

When the mesh has deeper grime worked into the weave, SneakERASERS SOAK pulls it out without the aggressive scrubbing that damages fibres. Keep moisture controlled by working in small sections and blotting as you go.

Let the shoe air-dry completely before wearing. Damp mesh traps odour fast and can stretch out of shape if you put weight on it too soon. For detailed guidance on mesh footwear care, check out our guide on cleaning mesh athletic shoes.

Canvas and synthetics handle cleaning better than most materials, but they're not invincible. Use a soft brush with mild soapy water on the uppers and wipe away residue frequently to prevent streaking.

SneakERASERS speed up midsole cleaning on these shoes, especially when you're dealing with white rubber that's picked up scuffs and discolouration.

Avoid soaking the whole shoe, even though the canvas feels like it could take it. The adhesives holding everything together and the internal structure can still weaken or warp with too much water.

Sometimes, but not always. Fabric, canvas, and synthetic trainers can usually survive a machine wash if you do it right. Leather trainers should never go in. The heat and agitation will dry out the material, crack the finish, and weaken the glue holding everything together.

Even with machine-safe materials, there are risks: shape distortion, sole separation, surface damage, and moisture trapped inside that breeds mildew. Hand cleaning with a mild solution and SneakERASERS on the midsoles gets similar results with less risk and often takes the same amount of time once you factor in drying.

Pull out the laces and insoles first. Clean these separately since they need different treatment anyway. Put the trainers in a mesh laundry bag or an old pillowcase to protect them from banging around the drum.

Use a cool wash cycle around 30°C with a gentle detergent. Skip the spin cycle if your machine lets you, or set it to the lowest speed available. High spin puts stress on the shoe structure and can warp the shape.

Never use the dryer. Let them air-dry at room temperature, stuffed with paper towels or newspaper to absorb moisture and hold their form. For comprehensive footwear cleaning techniques that work for various shoe types, our complete shoe cleaning guide covers everything from athletic shoes to dress shoes.

Air-dry at room temperature. Heat from radiators, direct sunlight, or tumble dryers can warp soles, weaken glue, and cause layers to separate.

Stuff the shoes with paper towels, newspaper, or clean rags to absorb moisture from inside and help them hold their shape while drying. Replace the stuffing once or twice if the shoes are especially wet.

Don't wear them or put the insoles back in until everything is completely dry, including deep in the toe box. Trapped moisture is how mildew and odour problems start.

Dirt left to sit gets harder to remove. Grime works its way into fibres and rubber over time, and what would have wiped off easily after a few hours becomes a scrubbing project a week later.

Do a quick wipe-down after you wear them, especially if you've been somewhere muddy or dusty. Deep-clean before stains have a chance to set rather than waiting until the whole shoe looks rough.

Store your trainers only when fully dry and rotate between pairs if you can to give each one time to air out between wears. Keep SneakERASERS somewhere accessible for fast midsole touch-ups so maintenance stays easy. Use SOAK for mesh and fabric sections, regular SneakERASERS for rubber.

One method doesn't fit all materials, and matching the right tool to the right surface keeps your shoes looking better longer. Different types of athletic footwear may require specific care techniques, so whether you're dealing with running shoe maintenance or general sneaker care, always match your cleaning method to your shoe material.

Your trainers were grimy, scuffed, and probably starting to smell.

Now you know the safest way to clean trainers properly: gather your supplies, work top to bottom with controlled moisture, and let everything dry completely before wearing them again. Gentle methods protect the glue and stitching that hold your shoes together, which means they last longer and look better over time.

For faster results, split your approach by surface. SneakERASERS handle rubber midsoles and outsoles where scuffs build up fastest. SOAK takes care of mesh, fabric, and laces when they need more than a quick wipe.

Pick one pair today and clean them. Then keep up with quick touch-ups after wear, so dirt never gets the chance to set in.