The easiest way to clean the standard Crosslite Crocs is to handwash the outside using some mild detergent like dish soap and use a scrub brush for the outside. For extra credit, you can also use a Mr. Clean magic eraser. The linings can be thrown in the washing machine in a laundry bag on the delicate cycle.
Keep on reading and we go more into depth and give you six tried and true ways to clean your Crocs!
At first, you say you’re only going to wear your Crocs at work, but they feel so good that they creep into your home life. Soon enough you’re wearing them in your garden as well, but, it’s okay, you tell yourself; this is a private space; you wouldn’t be caught dead wearing them in public.
The very next weekend, you’re wearing them on a night out, laughing it up at everyone else suffering through a torturous evening in high heels.
Crocs are just so dang comfortable, you don’t want to ever take them off, but if you don’t give them a good clean soon, you’ll have mushrooms growing out from under your feet, so let’s discuss the best ways to get them looking (and smelling) good as new.
Crosslite Crocs
Method 1. Washing Machine
This is the easiest yet most dangerous way to go about cleaning your Croslite Crocs. The fear is that the temperature of the water in your washing machine could warp the closed-cell resin structure, destroying the comfortable fit.
The folks over at Crocs themselves seem to be torn whether it’s a good idea or not. In one breath, they state that as long as you use a gentle cycle and keep the temperature down, they should be just fine, but in the next, they say that you should only ever handwash them — we’re getting mixed signals here, Crocs!
If you’re feeling brave (and lazy) enough, you can give this a try, but you’ve been warned. I accept no responsibility for Crocs that come out of the washing machine looking like some sort of hideous Cronenbergian nightmare.
Method 2. Hand Washing
Choosing to play it safe? Cool, let’s take this step by step.
Step 1. Spot Clean
Take a damp cloth, apply a small amount of mild soap, and gently buff away any heavily soiled areas on those spongy clogs of yours.
Step 2. Rinse
Next on the agenda is a cold shower. Simply rinse your Crocs under the cold faucet to clean off the top layer of residue.
Step 3. Soak
Grab yourself a decent-sized bucket or a large, old mixing bowl, fill it with warm (not hot) soapy water, submerge your beloved Crocs, and leave them to soak for a couple of minutes.
Step 4. Deep Clean
I recommend using something like a scrub brush to clean the majority of the clog, but you may want to use a toothbrush to scrub the harder-to-reach areas and the ventilation holes in the toebox.
Once scrubbed, take your clogs out of the bucket and give them a rinse to see if you’ve removed the dirt. If not, keep on scrubbin’! You can use something like the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to tackle particularly stubborn stains, but remember to wear gloves, as it’s basically a bar of bleach.
Step 5. Rinse
Time for another cold shower.
Step 6. Air Dry
All Crocs need to air dry naturally. Keep them away from fires, radiators, and excessive sunlight. Croslite is a non-absorbent material, so it should dry pretty quickly.
How To Clean Your Crosslite Crocs Linings
Got some of those cushy Crocks with fluffy linings? Nice, here’s how you clean them.
Step 1. Remove Them
All Crocs linings are removable to make cleaning easier.
Step 2. Throw Them in the Washing Machine
Pour in some laundry detergent, choose a delicate cycle, set the temperature to cold, and that’s that. If they’ve gotten particularly nasty, or you want to wash them with a full load to reduce water waste, you can put them in a mesh laundry bag and crank up the ferocity of the cycle, but the temperature must remain the same.
Step 3. Air Dry
Hang your linings to air dry for about 48 hours, perhaps giving them a light brushing to prevent the fibers from sticking together and toughening up.
Canvas Crocs
Step 1. Spot Clean
Just as you would with a pair of Croslite Crocs, take a damp cloth, apply some mild soap (dish soap is fine), and buff away the stains in the dirtiest part of the shoe.
Step 2. Soak
Fill a bucket up with warm (not too hot) soapy water and give your canvas Crocs a moment to soak.
Step 3. Scrub
Use a toothbrush or a standard soft-bristled scrub brush and gently work out the stains in the canvas.
Step 4. Rinse and Sponge
Unless you want bubbles to fire out from your footwear with each step, it’s time to rinse all that soap off your shoes. Use a sponge to manually remove the suds if you want to speed things up a bit.
Step 5. Air Dry
Before you leave your canvas Crocs to dry naturally, dab them with a dry cloth to soak up as much excess moisture as possible.
Leather Crocs
Step 1. Spot Clean
Take a damp cloth or sponge and gently wipe away the dirt and debris.
Step 2. Restoration
Apply some natural leather conditioner to rehydrate your shoes and prevent cracking. If your upper is crafted from high-quality Napa leather, use a cotton brush and work the conditioner into the shoes slowly with circular motions.
Heels and Wedges
Step 1. Scrub the Footbed
Apply some mild soap to a damp rag and give the footbeds a once over. Then, take another rag, wet it, and wipe away the suds.
Step 2. Spot Clean
Use your damp soapy rag to wipe the dirt and debris from the heels or wedges, then rinse them or use another damp cloth to get rid of the suds.
Step 3. Air Dry
Leave them to air dry. It should only take an hour or two.
Suede Crocs
Suede Brush Massage
Suede needs to be kept dry at all costs, otherwise, it can lose its soft, velvety feel, but how do you clean them without water, right? Well, actually, all you need is a suede brush.
Use gentle, circular motions and brush away build-ups of dirt and debris. That’s all there is to it! If the insides have gotten a little stinky, sprinkle some baking soda on the footbeds, then give them a scrub with a damp rag.
Summing Up
I reckon that about covers all bases. The key takeaway here is that you should tailor the wash to the type of Crocs you wear, and as a general rule of thumb, use either cold or warm water, unless, of course, there’s suede involved. Good luck!
