Your Jordans are your pride and joy.
After all, you shelled out a fair amount of your hard-earned money to get them. You don’t want to walk around with them looking dirty (or worse, fake)! But even as you obsess over them, it can be hard to keep them clean without causing damage.
If you’re wondering how to clean Jordans, you’re in luck: we’ve put together some best practices to keep your kicks looking like you just took them out of the box.
Here’s What You’ll Need
In an ideal world, you bought a sneaker cleaning kit when you bought your Jordans. These kits are designed to give you clean shoes without damaging them, and you can usually get them from the same place you bought your kicks.
If not, have no fear! Just grab some shoe cleaner, which you can find online from a variety of places. If you’d rather know how to clean Jordans with household products, you can also use a paste of equal parts baking soda, warm water, and vinegar. Keep in mind, though, that it may not be as effective as commercial products
You’ll also need a soft brush, like an extra-soft toothbrush. If you have serious dirt to dislodge, or if you have leather uppers that can take a little more scrubbing, you can also grab a harder brush like a hairbrush made of natural hair. Last but not least, grab a clean cloth—ideally microfiber.
How to Clean Jordans
While learning how to wash Jordans should never involve throwing them in the washing machine, there is one part of your shoes you can toss in with your laundry. Put your dirty shoelaces in a pillowcase to avoid tangling, and toss them in with your next load of clothes. If you prefer, you can also hand wash them with a little soap.
Most of the time, your Jordans’ insoles will be removable. Handwash them gently with your shoe cleaner, or with dishwashing soap and hot water. Use your soft brush as needed to scrub away any dirt. A microfiber cloth can help you dry them while removing any leftover grime.
Let your shoelaces and insoles dry, and get ready to clean the uppers.
Grab either your shoe cleaner or the dish soap and water mixture. Stuff a balled-up sock into your shoe to help it keep its shape, and use your soft cloth to scrub any dirty or discolored areas. If necessary, you may need the soft or hard brush for set-in dirt—but take care not to ruin the material of your shoes.
Again, use the microfiber cloth to dry them.
The last part of cleaning Jordans is the soles. Here, you can feel free to scrub with more force to dislodge dirt. Dry brush them first before working with the soap mixture or cleaner. You can also try a household magic eraser sponge for certain stains.
Take Care of Your Shoes
Now that you know how to clean Jordans, you only need a little time and attention to detail to get ready to show them off again. Following this low-cost cleaning routine on a regular basis can help you keep your clean Jordans looking like new. Just remember to be as gentle as you clean!
For more fashion and lifestyle tips, check out our other posts!