Can You Put Golf Shoes In The Washer Or Dryer?

Golf shoes provide valuable grip and improve your game. However, throughout your time on the golf course, golf shoes go through significant wear and tear. 

The various hazards on the golf course result in your golf shoes picking up everything from mud and sand to pesticides and foul odors. Therefore, you must clean your shoes properly and keep them in the best condition possible.  

Whether your golf shoes are leather or synthetic, it’s important to clean them thoroughly and store them properly to maintain comfort, feel, and performance throughout multiple seasons. 

If your golf shoes are caked with dirt and grime or soaked from the last rain storm you might be wondering if you can throw them in your washer or dryer to clean and dry them. 

You can put most golf shoes in the washer but you should not put them in the dryer in most cases. The dryer will normally damage the shoes or at least cause them to wear out prematurely. 

If you’re not sure how to clean golf shoes, don’t worry. This article answers all your questions, from “Can you put golf shoes in the washing machine?” to the best way to clean golf shoes.

How to Clean Your Golf Shoes

In order for your golf equipment and accessories to continue working properly, they have to be maintained and taken care of. This is no different for golf shoes, which allow you to keep your grip and keep you steady throughout the game. 

You must learn how to clean your golf shoes and remove dirt and debris from them after every round to keep them in the best possible condition.

If you’ve been wondering how to clean your golf shoes, keep on reading since I will go into both post-round care and storage tips to keep your golf shoes at their best season after season.

Post-Round Golf Shoes Care

You may not have to give them a deep clean after every round, but there are some post-round care tips you should keep in mind if you want your golf shoes to last you for more than a single season. 

Since your golf shoes can pick up everything from sand to pesticides during your round, it’s best to clean your shoes as soon as possible.

This includes wiping down the uppers with warm water and soap and removing dirt, debris, and grass from the outsole. Since some golf shoes are spiked, you also might have to unscrew and remove the spikes to get out trapped clumps.

Handwashing

You can also handwash your golf shoes using a soft brush or cloth alongside warm, soapy water. Remove dirt and soak up any excess water by dabbing the shoes with a damp cloth.  

Storage For Golf Shoes

Another important consideration is storage for your golf shoes. To keep your golf shoes in the best condition possible, always make sure to have golf shoe bags and cedar shoe trees on hand. 

Golf shoe bags may seem insignificant, but they keep your golf shoes safe during transport and when being stored in between rounds. Make sure to get a bag with ventilation since this prevents bacteria and moisture build-up.

Cedar shoe trees are also helpful in golf shoe storage since they absorb excess moisture and sweat and help maintain the shape of your golf shoes.

Can You Put Golf Shoes in the Washing Machine?

Sometimes, your shoes are extremely dirty, especially when you’ve been playing golf in the rain. Can you put golf shoes in the washing machine when you can’t clean them by hand or simply don’t have the energy to?

You can put golf shoes in the washer… as long as they’re machine washable. Read the instructions that come with the golf shoes to make sure that they’re machine washable and that cleaning them in the washing machine won’t damage them. 

Do so using the following steps:

1. Get rid of build-up and dried dirt using an old toothbrush. Brush off the dirt on the shoe and along the soles to remove the excess dirt before the golf shoes are put in the washing machine.

2. Remove the laces from the golf shoes and put both the laces and the shoes inside the washing machine.

3. Add a mild laundry detergent as well as half a cup of baking soda for deodorization. This will ensure that any foul smells from perspiration are gone when your shoes come out.

4. Turn on the machine.

Can You Put Golf Shoes in the Dryer?

Whether your shoes are soaking wet because you’ve been golfing in the rain or because your shoes are freshly washed, you may be wondering whether you can put your golf shoes in the dryer so that you can begin using them again as soon as possible.

While cleaning your golf shoes in the washing machine is fine, I would advise against putting them in the dryer or using heat sources like blow dryers on them. 

The excessive heat from a dryer will dry out the shoes unevenly and can damage both the uppers and the outsoles. Instead, to fully dry your shoes, open them up completely by removing the laces and either putting them in front of a fan or outside in the breeze to dry.

In theory, it may seem like a good idea to put your golf shoes in direct sunlight because this would ensure faster drying. However, this can also damage your shoes and so I recommend air-drying them in a shaded area instead.

Another helpful tip is using shoe trees since these both hold the shape of the shoe while it’s drying and wick away moisture. Using cedar shoe trees instead of plastic ones is recommended since these dry out the lining of the shoes as well because of their excellent absorption qualities. 

If your shoes are soaked, place crumpled up newspaper inside them to soak up excess water and then replace the newspaper with cedar shoe trees after 8-10 hours.

Final Thoughts

Investing in a pair of golf shoes can take your game to the next level by helping you with grip and improving your swing. If your golf shoes do get dirty, you no longer have to worry since you know how to clean them. 

Whether you clean them by hand or in the washing machine, be sure to follow our drying tips to ensure that your golf shoes dry out properly and are ready for your next round in no time.