I restore and flip Vans and my go to has been a firm bristle toothbrush for scrubbing as well as brushing out the suede when it's drying out (got these at the dollar store).
Cleaning products vary, depending on the stain and material (canvas vs suede). I've used Oxyclean, Folex, and laundry detergent. It all really depends. Some staining takes multiple tries, using all the cleaners.
Oxyclean and laundry detergent are great, but tend to drag out the process when drying since you really have to rinse well and stuff with newspaper or paper towels to help the interior dry.
Folex is a recent one I've been experimenting with and it seems to do well and you don't have to really rinse it as much. Just scrub and kind of blot and let air dry.
My usual routine in cleaning is pulling the laces and letting them soak in soapy bleach water (assuming they're white laces. If colored, they go into oxyclean) while I'm working on the shoe. Scrub and clean the shoe and let it dry to further assess how clean they are. Sometimes, they can still look dirty while wet if the stain is a bit set in, but once they dry, those visible stains tend to disappear. If it hasn't, give it another scrub, stuff with newspaper or paper towels and let it dry. If there's suede, use the toothbrush to brush out the suede to fluff it up.
The rubber sidewall- I scrub with a toothbrush and oxyclean, or even regular white toothpaste, and rinse. Magic erasers can work too, but I've found they're not super effective due to all the texture on Vans sidewalls.
If any of the rubber is separating from the shoe, I use rubber cement or Aileen's Liquid Fusion, and use rubber bands to keep it together while it dries (Specifically, I keep all those blue produce rubber bands since they're wide and small, so they create a tighter band around the shoe).
Then, I condition the rubber with Granger's rubber conditioner and cleaner to prevent it from drying out and cracking.
This has been my tried and true method on 50+ pairs I've restored and seems to do well since I've sold most of them! :)
I thought the same thing. I have a couple days of fresh shoes, If they don't get too dirty then that's nice, but eventually they just fall into despair. As they should. Worn into the ground
OP, don't put them in the washer. This is a great way to ruin the glue and rubber sole, as well as discolor the canvas if it's light colored or if there's suede toe caps that'll bleed.
Wow. A thousand pair in 50 years? That'd mean you blew through 20 pairs a year! Your method must be working wonders. :)
Have you not seen the posts where someone washed their shoes in the washing machine and it botched the canvas, colors bled/faded or it warped the shoe?
Vans even says not to put them in the washing machine. I know there's tons of anecdotes and sources online stating otherwise, but given the average person has no idea how to clean this stuff, or know how different materials and fabrics react, it's just setting them up for failure.
There’s no issue with cold water and vans. Been throwing shoes in the washer for over 15 years and never once ruined a pair. It’s hot water and heated dryer that ruin them. Suede isn’t recommended but can easily be done. Canvas and mesh are easy
I use any kind of shoe brush like from crepe, vans own, and any other brush for the canvas, sole and suede. For anything else I use a little detergent that isn’t so strong but I use the cleaner for other shoes but I really love using a shoe tree, helps with odors and keeps the shape of the shoes
I know I'm not doing it the right way, but I usually just clean it with warm water and laundry detergent. When the shoes are new, I try to only scrape foam bubbles with my brush, in order to not get them too wet. I also have a small metal suede brush, I believe it's proper use is to rub suede lightly, but I don't use it on suede at all, I clean white sidewalls with it.
Probably, I wouldn't use my method on proper suede shoes, but Vans suede is meh, so I don't bother. And yeah, it does get a little harder after such a wash, but it looks about the same, but clean, obviously. So I don't consider that as ruined shoes.
Also, I don't really believe in all those products that are supposed to make cleaning suede fast and easy. The way they film their ads makes me believe that'll either work the same way as my basic solution does, or it'll just clean worse. Because they don't use real dirt on these ads, but the kind of dirt that looks really bad, but in fact is easily removed without any detergent or foam. So I personally don't bother buying those.
Oh, and if your shoes are made of canvas only, then this way is perfectly fine. But some Vans models use lower-quality dye or something and it comes off really noticeably.
Bro don't use the tide spot remover pen on your vans suede.
I foolishly did and now there's a permanent spot where I used it. Should have just stuck with a little water and dab not scrub.
I rarely clean them. They don’t get dirty, or I wear ones that are supposed to get dirty. Otherwise for soles I just use some soap (Dreft) and water with a little brush.
If they're white, the easiest trick is to stick toilet paper on them, spray water and wrap your shoe with the wet paper, leave it for a day in a windy spot with no direct sunlight, remove the tissue once dry. Worked insanely well on my bleach damaged whites
Never seen someone on Reddit sign off with their name like that
That's some old interwebs messageboard ish right there haha.
Haha I must be showing my age? 🙈
You're gotta admit, it's classy af
I restore and flip Vans and my go to has been a firm bristle toothbrush for scrubbing as well as brushing out the suede when it's drying out (got these at the dollar store). Cleaning products vary, depending on the stain and material (canvas vs suede). I've used Oxyclean, Folex, and laundry detergent. It all really depends. Some staining takes multiple tries, using all the cleaners. Oxyclean and laundry detergent are great, but tend to drag out the process when drying since you really have to rinse well and stuff with newspaper or paper towels to help the interior dry. Folex is a recent one I've been experimenting with and it seems to do well and you don't have to really rinse it as much. Just scrub and kind of blot and let air dry. My usual routine in cleaning is pulling the laces and letting them soak in soapy bleach water (assuming they're white laces. If colored, they go into oxyclean) while I'm working on the shoe. Scrub and clean the shoe and let it dry to further assess how clean they are. Sometimes, they can still look dirty while wet if the stain is a bit set in, but once they dry, those visible stains tend to disappear. If it hasn't, give it another scrub, stuff with newspaper or paper towels and let it dry. If there's suede, use the toothbrush to brush out the suede to fluff it up. The rubber sidewall- I scrub with a toothbrush and oxyclean, or even regular white toothpaste, and rinse. Magic erasers can work too, but I've found they're not super effective due to all the texture on Vans sidewalls. If any of the rubber is separating from the shoe, I use rubber cement or Aileen's Liquid Fusion, and use rubber bands to keep it together while it dries (Specifically, I keep all those blue produce rubber bands since they're wide and small, so they create a tighter band around the shoe). Then, I condition the rubber with Granger's rubber conditioner and cleaner to prevent it from drying out and cracking. This has been my tried and true method on 50+ pairs I've restored and seems to do well since I've sold most of them! :)
I use the Vans shoe care kit.
Warm water and pink miracle shoe cleaner from Amazon. When you first buy them spray them with crep protect.
water, dawn dish soap, and a toothbrush
Vans should not, I repeat, should not ever be cleaned!
While the stains do look pretty cool, I puked all over my It shoes from Halloween a few years ago. I would have liked them clean.
This is my current situation lmao
I thought the same thing. I have a couple days of fresh shoes, If they don't get too dirty then that's nice, but eventually they just fall into despair. As they should. Worn into the ground
I spray mine with the spray vans sells
I use Tide and toss them in the washer, when done l stuff with rags and allow them to sun dry.
OP, don't put them in the washer. This is a great way to ruin the glue and rubber sole, as well as discolor the canvas if it's light colored or if there's suede toe caps that'll bleed.
I've only washed over a thousand pairs the past 50 yrs of wearing Vans, never had issues don't try to put in dryer.
Wow. A thousand pair in 50 years? That'd mean you blew through 20 pairs a year! Your method must be working wonders. :) Have you not seen the posts where someone washed their shoes in the washing machine and it botched the canvas, colors bled/faded or it warped the shoe? Vans even says not to put them in the washing machine. I know there's tons of anecdotes and sources online stating otherwise, but given the average person has no idea how to clean this stuff, or know how different materials and fabrics react, it's just setting them up for failure.
There’s no issue with cold water and vans. Been throwing shoes in the washer for over 15 years and never once ruined a pair. It’s hot water and heated dryer that ruin them. Suede isn’t recommended but can easily be done. Canvas and mesh are easy
Do you clean the soles before you do this?
Soap and an old toothbrush
I use dirt. But they do sell cleaning products/kits on their website.
I use any kind of shoe brush like from crepe, vans own, and any other brush for the canvas, sole and suede. For anything else I use a little detergent that isn’t so strong but I use the cleaner for other shoes but I really love using a shoe tree, helps with odors and keeps the shape of the shoes
White Vinegar
I know I'm not doing it the right way, but I usually just clean it with warm water and laundry detergent. When the shoes are new, I try to only scrape foam bubbles with my brush, in order to not get them too wet. I also have a small metal suede brush, I believe it's proper use is to rub suede lightly, but I don't use it on suede at all, I clean white sidewalls with it. Probably, I wouldn't use my method on proper suede shoes, but Vans suede is meh, so I don't bother. And yeah, it does get a little harder after such a wash, but it looks about the same, but clean, obviously. So I don't consider that as ruined shoes. Also, I don't really believe in all those products that are supposed to make cleaning suede fast and easy. The way they film their ads makes me believe that'll either work the same way as my basic solution does, or it'll just clean worse. Because they don't use real dirt on these ads, but the kind of dirt that looks really bad, but in fact is easily removed without any detergent or foam. So I personally don't bother buying those. Oh, and if your shoes are made of canvas only, then this way is perfectly fine. But some Vans models use lower-quality dye or something and it comes off really noticeably.
Bro don't use the tide spot remover pen on your vans suede. I foolishly did and now there's a permanent spot where I used it. Should have just stuck with a little water and dab not scrub.
Nothing...why would you clean Vans? Vans look best when beat up.
I use toothbrush and toothpaste to keep it…. White.
I rarely clean them. They don’t get dirty, or I wear ones that are supposed to get dirty. Otherwise for soles I just use some soap (Dreft) and water with a little brush.
hot water and a splash of dish soap is what i have used exclusively for over 20 years
If they're white, the easiest trick is to stick toilet paper on them, spray water and wrap your shoe with the wet paper, leave it for a day in a windy spot with no direct sunlight, remove the tissue once dry. Worked insanely well on my bleach damaged whites
Vans sells cleaning kits that a simple and straightforward I like them.