Being a sustainable fashionista doesn’t mean simply buying clothes that will last long. It also means taking caring care of the clothes you have to ensure their longevity. With this in mind, let’s take a look at how to take care of your sneakers so that they last as long as possible.

Wipe them down

Ideally, you should give your sneakers a quick brush or wipe-down after every wear. Most of the time, there will be just a layer of dust, which you can wipe off easily. More than that and you may need a brush and cleaning solution.

Air them out

If you have been working out, sweat, moisture, and funky stuff will have lodged itself on the inside of your shoes. To stop smell and bacteria build up, you can take out the insoles and clean them with a brush to let them air separately. If you want to go a step further, remove the laces, flip the tongue over to air out the entire shoe.

Deodorize them

If your sneakers are extra stinky, you may have to go one step further and deodorize them overnight. This can include a spray that covers up the smell, or an insert that absorbs all the moisture and odor. That sounds like a lot of effort but no need to worry, you have everything you need in your cupboard to achieve this. Just soak some cotton socks in a mixture of baking soda, baking powder, and cornstarch, and leave them in your shoes while you sleep to do their magic.

Leave the washing machine out of it

They will come out clean but, over time, the material will take a beating. Also, there are so many materials on a single shoe – plastic, rubber, mesh, glue, suede – and a washing machine isn’t designed for all those different elements. The shoe might take a different shape, peel, crack; the paint might come off.

Store them at room temperature

Once you’ve done all your cleaning, the last thing you want to remember is to store your sneakers at room temperature. The heat can make your shoes lose their shape, while the cold can lead to cracking and breaking later on.