How To
How to Clean Converse Shoes: A Step-By-Step Guide
Your Converse have been everywhere with you: late night gigs, coffee runs in questionable weather, and outings that definitely went on longer than planned. A few scuffs and marks? Inevitable. But when your favourite All Star Hi trainers are looking less intentionally lived-in and more genuinely in need of help, it’s time for a refresh.
The good news? Cleaning Converse shoes at home is pretty simple when you use the right method for the material – and we’ve made it even easier with our ultimate Converse-cleaning guide. Here’s how to clean classic canvas Converse, tackle dirty rubber soles, freshen up your laces, and get your Chucks back into rotation – no fuss required.
How to Clean Your Converse
Before the cleaning products enter the chat, check what your Converse are made from. Classic Chucks are often canvas, but Converse also comes in leather, suede, and synthetic finishes, and each material needs slightly different treatment.
Converse recommends testing your cleaning method on a hidden area first, such as the outside edge of the tongue. For canvas, leather, and synthetic Converse, stick to gentle hand cleaning with lukewarm water and mild soap rather than putting them in a washing machine or dryer.
What You’ll Need
- A soft shoe brush or old toothbrush
- Two clean cloths or sponges
- Mild soap or gentle washing-up liquid
- A bowl of lukewarm water
- Paper towels or plain paper
- A suede brush, if needed
Step-By-Step
How to Clean Converse Trainers
- Remove the laces
Take the laces out first – this makes the tongue, eyelets, and all those dirt-trapping corners much easier to reach.
Wash your laces separately in lukewarm water with a small amount of mild soap, gently working out any marks with your fingers. Rinse them, then leave them flat to air dry. - Brush away loose dirt
If your Converse are muddy, let the mud dry before doing anything else. Then knock the soles together outside and use a dry, soft brush to remove loose dirt from the canvas, seams, rubber toe cap, and tread.
Don’t skip straight to water – dry brushing gets rid of surface dirt before it has a chance to turn into muddy paste. Minimal effort, much less mess. - Gently clean the uppers
Mix a small amount of mild soap with lukewarm water. Dip a clean cloth into the mixture, wring it out well, then gently work across the uppers.
For canvas Converse, clean a small section at a time using light circular motions. Avoid completely soaking the fabric – you’re aiming for damp, not drenched.
If you’re cleaning leather or synthetic Converse, use the same gentle approach with a damp cloth and mild soap and use a second clean, damp cloth to remove any leftover soap once you’re done. - Clean the rubber toe caps and soles
That instantly recognisable rubber toe cap looking a little less fresh? Time for its glow-up.
Dip an old toothbrush or soft brush into your cleaning mixture and gently work around the toe cap, rubber sidewalls, and outsole. You can use slightly more pressure on durable rubber areas than you would on the upper, but there’s no need to go full scrub mode.
For lighter pairs, including white Converse All Star Hi, cleaning the rubber separately can make a big visual difference without overworking the canvas.
Wipe everything down with a clean, damp cloth afterwards. - Leave to air dry
Stuff your Converse loosely with paper towels or plain paper – PSA: avoid printed newspaper inside pale shoes, as ink may transfer – to absorb excess moisture and help them keep their shape.
Leave them to air dry naturally at room temperature in a well-ventilated space. Skip the washing machine, tumble dryer, and other intense heat sources – Converse advises against machine washing and drying its shoes.
Once everything is completely dry, put the laces back in. Fresh Converse energy = restored.
How to Clean Suede Converse
Got a suede pair? Put the soapy water down – suede needs a little more TLC.
Start when the shoe is completely dry, then use a suede brush to gently lift surface dirt and restore the texture. Work carefully rather than aggressively scrubbing, and follow the instructions of any specialist suede cleaner you use.
The main rule is to keep excess moisture to a minimum – and if you’re ever unsure, check the care information for your specific pair before cleaning. OG energy deserves proper treatment.
Converse Cleaning FAQs
Converse says no – the brand recommends cleaning canvas, leather, and synthetic trainers by hand with lukewarm water and mild soap, and specifically advises against machine washing or drying.
Start by brushing away loose dirt, then gently clean the upper with diluted mild soap and lukewarm water. Clean the rubber toe cap and sole separately with a soft brush, then wipe away remaining soap with a damp cloth. Avoid reaching straight for harsh cleaning products and be sure to test anything you use on an inconspicuous part of the shoe first – especially on bright white or colourful pairs.
Remove the laces and hand wash them separately in lukewarm water with a small amount of mild soap. Gently work out dirt, rinse thoroughly, then leave them flat to air dry before relacing your trainers.
There’s no one-size-fits-all schedule – it depends on how often you wear them and where they’ve been. Brush away obvious dirt whenever it appears, and give them a more thorough clean when marks begin building up.
Festival weekend? Probably sooner. Mostly coffee runs and lecture halls? You can keep things pretty low-key.
Refresh Your Converse Rotation at schuh
Consider your Chucks are officially ready to get back out there. And if all that cleaning has reminded you there’s room for another pair in the rotation, we get it. Keep the OG energy going with the full Converse collection at schuh, stick with an iconic Converse All Star Hi, or switch things up with the retro appeal of the Converse Chuck 70.
High tops, low tops, pristine, or perfectly worn-in – you do you, and schuh does shoes.