How to clean cycling shoes?

Every bike rider needs good bike shoes. Quality bike shoes are needed both for a weekend cycling ride with the family and for professional training. But despite the quality of the bike shoes, they can get dirty with dirt and mud at any time by bike ride.

Therefore, for each cycler it is worth learning how to clean cycling shoes correctly because everyone wants to ride comfortably in clean bike shoes. The same thing applies to all cycling clothing, which will become dirty with sweat anyway while bike riding.

If you follow the correct washing routine of your shoes, your shoes will last longer, which will save you money. The lifespan of shoes directly related to how to clean cycling shoes correctly.

How to clean cycling shoes?

Process of cleaning has several main aspects that cause many questions. Firstly, is it possible to wash bike shoes in a washing machine, which drying process is suitable for cycling shoes, which soap to choose and also what is the sequence of actions for deep clean for cycling shoes.

Also, many people are afraid to buy white cycling shoes, it caused by stubborn dirt, which will be difficult to wash off with only a few tips. To clean shoes, few basic things needed: soft brush, cold water, dish soap, bucket, shoe powder or spray, towels.

Shoe cleaning can be deep or light, depending on the level of dust or mud contamination of the cycling shoes. If you have driven a few kilometers, then most likely the shoes are dry and do not have excess dirt, then you need a surface cleaning of the shoes or just wipe the shoes.

But if you have been riding for several hours in the mountains, then your cycling shoes are probably dirty, with traces of sweat, so you need to carefully scrub your cycling shoes with a soft brush.

How to clean cycling shoes in light version?

That’s a slow cycle of getting clean cycling shoes. First of all, you need a regular fragment of damp cloth, preferably cotton, and warm water to moisture the cloth. Take a damp cloth and wipe each shoe. If you prefer short rides, this is the option to get rid of light dirt. Bike shoes clean easily in such way.

When you have wiped the outside of the bike shoes, you need to wipe the inside part. Also check the insoles, they need to stay clean.

Even after washing cycling shoes, sometimes they can retain a bad smell. In order to remove this, you should put a tablespoon of regular baking soda on the insole, it will soak the unpleasant smell in the cycling shoe.

That’s how you receive clean biking shoes.

How to clean cycling shoes in deep clean process?

If you’ve got your bike shoes heavily soiled in mud and cycling shoes look terrible, then simply wiping them with a damp cloth won’t help, you definitely need soap. You need to follow a different washing routine to get clean biking shoes.

You will need a bucket. First, pour cold water into the bucket, and dish soap should also be poured into it. Stir the solution thoroughly to get soapy water. Please note that the soap should not be too harsh, as this can ruin your pair of cycling shoes.

Take a piece of cloth and dip it in soapy water, wring out excess water and wipe the shoe. You must pay attention to all parts of the shoe, especially soles, uppers, cleats, straps, buckles. You can use a soft brush, but be careful not to damage the soft parts of the shoe.

If your shoes are very dirty, then you can dip the shoes completely in soapy water, this will not worsen the condition of a pair of cycling shoes in any way, only improve. You can dip your cycling shoes in soapy water for a few minutes, then wipe off the dirt with a damp cloth to speed up the process and get clean cycling shoes.

It is necessary to carefully clean the cleats on the sole, as well as the sole itself. Often the greatest amount of dirt is on this part of the shoe. If this mud is not cleaned in time, it will harden and worsen the comfort of ride process.

For a good result, dunk the shoes in cold water, but not more than thirty minutes. After that, start washing off all the mud with wet cloth. A similar long dunk in soapy water will help get rid of stubborn dirt.

Now, finally, you can pour clean cold water. Do not use warm water, it can worsen the condition of a pair of cycling shoes. Warm water dissolves the adhesive and softens the shoe material. So only cold wash.

If you bought the insoles separately, then I advise you to pay attention to the manufacturer’s recommendations, as they can be washed in a washing machine, it will speed up the whole washing process. Or, for example, they need to be washed only with a certain type of detergent due to the nature of the material.

Rinse your cycling shoes, or you can do this under running water. It’s best to rinse your bike shoes several times and brush it again without soap. Try to remove excess of water.

That’s it, you have clean bike shoes.

How to dry bike shoes properly?

Several mistakes can be made in the shoes dry process at this stage. First of all, you do not need to dry under direct sunlight, this will ruin the material of the shoe. The same goes for the radiator, it will speed up the process but ruin a pair of cycling shoes. So remember, no direct sunlight, radiators or ovens. And forget about machine dry.

Dry your shoes indoors, they will dry just as well without direct exposure to heat. Yes, the cycling shoes will dry longer, but they will last much longer.

Also, you can wrap the cycling shoes with a dry towel, it will take the water and improve drying process. In addition, use plain paper or paper towels. But pay attention, the paper must be clean, without ink, otherwise they will stain your shoes.

Remove the insoles before drying the shoe, so the cycling shoes dry faster.

How to deodorize cycling shoes?

Finally, when the shoes are dry, you can deodorize the shoes. This process will help remove the bacteria that cause bad smell even in clean shoes. As mentioned earlier, put a spoonful of baking soda in your shoes, it will soak up a bad smell in clean shoes.

There is another option. One tsp of white vinegar should be mixed with 400 milliliters of water to apply on clean cycling shoes. Many believe that this option works than with soda. Apply this spray to your shoes, pay attention to the insoles. This spray is cheap and easy to use. There are special spray or shoe powder that sold in stores. They are applied in the same way as a vinegar.

More Helpful Info

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More Helpful Info:

• How to clean cycling shoes?
• How to choose the best boot dryers?
• What to wear cycling?
• How long do cycling shoes last?