You love the comfort and durability of your Allbirds, but you don’t love the way they smell after a few wears. The most concentrated area of sweat glands on the human body is at the bottom of your feet, so it’s no wonder that this sweat builds up and causes strong odors in your shoes. With proper everyday care and cleaning, your Allbirds can stay fresh and clean for a long time. However eventually you'll need to give them a nice deep clean in the washing machine.
Follow these instructions to safely wash your Allbirds in the washing machine:
Hand Wash The Laces And Insoles
Allbirds laces and insoles are not designed to be washed in a washing machine. Instead, remove them from the shoe and run them under water with mild soap or swish them around in a bowl or sink with some mild soap. Then simply rinse them off one last time to remove any remaining soap and lay them out to dry. It’s important to allow them to dry completely before putting them back in your Allbirds!
Wash Allbirds In The Washing Machine
With the laces and insoles removed, now it’s time to wash the Allbird shoes themselves. To avoid loud banging noises in your washing machine while they’re tumbling around, either put your Allbirds in a garment bag or add light-colored towels into the washer. We recommend using a powerful yet gentle laundry detergent such as Vapor Fresh Laundry Detergent so you can make sure to remove all lingering dirt and odors while also avoiding irritating chemicals that can ruin the fabric of the Allbirds and irritate your skin when you go sockless.
Wash On A Cold & Gentle Cycle
It’s important to wash Allbirds with cold water on a gentle cycle in order to protect the integrity of the fabric and the build of the shoe. Luckily, we designed Vapor Fresh Laundry Detergent specifically for cold water loads. On top of being better for your Allbirds, washing with cold water uses less energy, which can save you $200+ per year on energy costs!
Avoid Fabric Softeners & Added Fragrances
Allbirds and fabric softener do not go well together, so by choosing a laundry detergent that’s free & gentle you know you’ll be safe. All Vapor Fresh Laundry Detergents are free of fragrances, dyes, brighteners and softeners so it’s well positioned to extend the life of your Allbirds in the safest way possible.
Lay Out To Air Dry
Do not put Allbirds in a dryer! Even a low tumble dry can cause damage. Instead, lay them flat on a towel to dry. It can take up to two days for your Allbirds to dry completely, so be sure to wash them when you know you won’t need them for a few days. Making sure they are sitting upright will help the water evaporate up and out of the shoe. Wait until your Allbirds dry completely before putting the insoles and laces back in, otherwise you risk trapping moisture that allows odor-causing bacteria to thrive.
Help Your Allbirds Last Longer
By following these tips, you can safely wash your Allbirds when the inevitably get smelly and bring them right back to life! If you have any questions you can always reach out to us, we’re more than happy to help!
For your reference, a good how-to video as well: