People love their Croc shoes. However, they sometimes get dirty. Whether it’s dirt, mud or an unknown substance, potential buyers might wonder: are Crocs easy to clean?
The answer is yes if you follow proper procedures. If you do it wrong, you could end up ruining your shoes. Crocs are made of crocslite, a polymer made from oil. Most substances can be easily cleaned.
That being said, the number one care tip for Crocs is to avoid heat. This includes the washing machine and hot cars. Be particularly careful with the washing machine as it’s all too easy to set the heat settings to high without thinking. Your Crocs might get deformed with such behavior.
Kids and Crocs
Anyone with kids knows their playground is everywhere. They play in dirt, sand, water and mud. This can be a huge headache for a parent. However, if your kids have Crocs this will not be an issue at all. They’re quite easy to clean.
Classic Crocs
If you have classic crocs, all you need is cold water and mild soap. That’s it. No special chemicals or anything. Crocs are low-maintenance shoes.
Set up Cleaning Area
First, choose a cleaning area. Great spaces include the sink, tub or outside. Clean this area first. You wouldn’t want dirty dishes in your sink when you plan on cleaning your Crocs in it. Some might want to avoid cleaning outside as soap can be harmful to animals and plants. If you’re concerned, buy soap that is safe for nature.
If you use your tub or sink, the faucet will be easily accessible. Cleaning outside will probably require you to use a garden hose or bucket.
2. First rinse.
A lot of the mud and dirty can be easily removed with not much work. Definitely use cool water. As previously stated, hot water can deform shoes. Remove as much dirt as possible with this first rinse.
3. Use soap
Add the soap to the bucket, basin or directly on the Crocs. Scrub it. If you want to, you can use rubber gloves. This protects you, incase there are any sharp rocks or something similar.
4. Crocs have a lot of holes over the top of the shoes. This means dirty stuff can get inside. If you’re having trouble getting this gunk out, use an old toothbrush.
5. For very hard-to-reach nook-and-crannies, a baby bottle brush can work well.
6. Do one last and final rinse with the water.
7. Air drying is the best option because it is free and does not use any electricity. Just aerate the Crocs for a few days. That should do the trick.
8. If you want to, you can shine your Crocs. Croc butter is available at many retailers. However, this is definitely not required.
After cleaning your Crocs, do you notice that they’re stinky? Crocslite is anti-odor but some substances are quite strong. You can use borax, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to take care of the bad smells.
One easy thing to do with readily available materials in most kitchens is to simply spray your Crocs with vinegar and baking soda. This will cause a chemical reaction. After a minute or so, wipe them down.
Magic Eraser
- A magic eraser can work very well. Soak the eraser sponge in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
- Rub the magic eraser over the inside and outside of the shoes to get rid of the stain.
- Use the corner of the eraser to clean in between the tread ridges.
- After you done, rinse your shoes with cold water and use a paper towel to dry it.
Bleach soak
A bleach soak is like your nuclear option. If your Crocs are very dirty, getting yellow or stained than using bleach might be needed to get the up to 100%. It should only be used on white crocs that have been already cleaned with soapy water.
Be sure to do it in a well-ventilated area or outdoors. Bleach is harmful to animals and plants.
Please note that bleach is a harmful substance. Do not touch your eyes.
- Fill large bowl with lukewarm water and add one small capful of bleach.
- Submerge your crocs in the solution and leave them for a few hours.
- Remove your shoes and rinse them thoroughly with cold water.
Can you use the washing machine?
On Croc’s website, it says yes. Interestingly, on twitter the corporate account says no! Crocs float so it might not do a good job of washing. Plus we are all creatures of habit. You might accidentally turn the nob towards “hot” and deform your shoe.
These directions are for those with classic Crocs. There are other types of Crocs out there.
Patent leather. All you need is a clean damp cloth. Alternatively, you can purchase an official cleaning product. Just be sure that its safe to use with leather. Don’t use strong chemicals like detergent or alcohol.
Metallic leather. You can use a rubber sponge (as long as its soft) or a rag that is a little wet. To restore the shine, use a leather cream and a protector spray to protect the shoe against water.
Napa leather. Dirt and dust can be removed with a damp rag. Use shoe cream or wax. Consider using a cotton brush to apply it. For application, utilize a spiral manner rather than back-and-forth.
Elastic
These types of shoes stretch well. A slight damp rag or soft rubber would be good to clean it.
Fuzzy Crocs
Unfortunately, the lining of the shoe is not removable. You can use warm (not hot) water and weak soap to remove things like debris, dirt and stains.
Wedges
The dirt can mostly be handled by a damp cloth. You should definitely not use solvent cleaners as it will destroy the glue used to bond the shoe’s sole.
Suede lambs wool crocs
Fancy! You can clean the upper part with a soft wire or plastic brush. Also, you can use impregnation spray for water repellence.
Crocs are very popular shoes. Fortunately, they’re extremely easy to clean. This makes them perfect for dirty environments.
