How to Clean Chachos & Other Sandals the Eco-Friendly Way

Wearing Chacos in a river or in the shower isn’t enough to clean them. Follow our steps on how to clean Chacos and other sandals for that brand new feeling.

It’s not only the adventures that we take our shoes on that cause them to get dirty – our own feet are often the culprits of odors and discoloration on the footbeds of our favorite sandals, especially when we wear them barefoot. 

You may notice that all the following guides for how to clean your sandals require for baking soda. This is because it’s a natural deodorizer and can even be used to make a DIY homemade deodorant if you have some left over from this project!

How to Clean Chacos

Chacos are great for just about any outdoors activity, but when they get dirty, it can cause their trademark adjustable Z-strap to get stuck or the footbed to start to smell quite bad. Follow these steps to help restore your Chacos to their former glory.

What you will need:

• liquid soap
• fabric softener
• baking soda
• scrubbing tools – sourer, old toothbrush, nail brush
• gloves (optional)

How to clean your Chacos:

1. Shake out excess dirt and sand by tapping the soles together.
2. Fill a sink or a bowl with warm soapy water. You can even use your bath if you’re cleaning more than one pair. 
3. Add about a cap-full of fabric softener for each pair of Chacos you’re cleaning.
4. Lie the Chacos upside down and let soak for about 30 minutes.
5. Remove the Chacos from the water and sprinkle some baking soda on the top of the footbed and work it in with the scrubbing tool of your choice.
6. Rinse off the baking soda.
7. Scrub the whole shoe with the soapy water
8. Let dry in the sun!

If the straps are still stuck, it’s probably because there’s still dirt trapped in the footbed. You can flush this out using a syringe filled with the soapy fabric softened water. You might have to do this a few times to feel the results. Once you’ve loosened the straps, floss them through the shoe a few times to make sure you’ve really got all the dirt out.

While you can wash your sandals and other shoes in the washing machine, this is not always the best option for Chacos. The heat could potentially melt the glue that holds the sandal together and any dirt trapped inside them dirt could also damage the appliance. 

How to Clean Crocs

These funny looking foam clogs have seemingly made a resurgence in recent years. Whether you wear your Crocs for gardening or as part of a fashion statement, keeping them clean is important. Follow these easy steps for both normal and lined Crocs. 

What you will need:

• liquid soap
• baking soda
• scrubbing tools – old toothbrush, nail brush
• gloves (optional)
• laundry detergent

How to clean Crocs:

1. Remove any charms and place them in a bowl of water to soak while you’re cleaning your Crocs.
2. Rinse under warm water to remove any excess dirt.
3. Fill a sink or bowl will warm soapy water and try to soak the Crocs. They will just want to float on top so you may need to weigh them down.
4. Start scrubbing. Use some extra soap if necessary.
5. Rinse again and let them air dry in the sun.

To get out tougher stains, such as grass or mud:

• mix about two tablespoons baking soda with warm water until it is fully disolved
• soak a sponge in this solution and start gently scrubbing on the stain

How to clean lined Crocs:

If you have furry-lined crocs, do not soak them! Just scrub the outside with the baking soda solution mentioned above and a sponge with as little water as possible

To clean the inside,

1. Vacuum out any dirt. 
2. Create a degertent solution of about 1 part detergent and 5 parts water and mix well.
3. Pour the solution of laundry detergent over the top of the Crocs and inside the footbed.
4. Scrub with the scrubbing tool untill the detergent works into a lather.
5. Rinse several times with cold water until there are no more suds.

Set in the sun to dry or if its winter, place them near (but not on) a heat source to make sure they don’t get musty. 

How to Clean Birkenstocks

The super comfortable contoured cork footbeds of Birkenstocks can be tricky to clean as you really don’t want to damage the suede. This guide will help you clean your sandals with care.

What you will need:

• 2 parts water
• 1 part baking soda
• 1 squirt homemade dish soap 
• old toothbrush
• a couple of old cloths

How to clean your Birkenstocks:

1. Combine the water, baking soda, and washing up liquid to make the cleaning solution.
2. Open the straps and brush away any excess dirt from the footbed with a dry brush. 
3. Go back over the footbed with a very slightly damp cloth.
4. Apply the cleaning solution using the old toothbrush, scrubbing in light, circular motions. Make sure to avoid the cork exterior.
5. Leave both shoes to sit in the solution for about 5 minutes.
6. Wipe off residue with the damp cloth.
7. Pat your Birkenstocks dry with a dry cloth.

You can let your Birkenstocks sit in the sun to help them dry out. Ideally, you should avoid wearing them until they are completely dry and this can sometimes take up to 2 days.

Read more:

• Capsule Wardrobe: Minimalist Tips for a Clean Closet
• Water Conservation: 10 Tips on How to Save Water at Home
• Unclog Your Drain Without Harmful Chemicals

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Tags: Cleaning Guide Remedy