Can Cleats Go in the Washing Machine?

Start with the cleat type, not the word "washable"

Soccer, baseball, football, and golf shoes may all be called cleats, but their materials and traction construction are not interchangeable. Look for the exact shoe maker's care instructions before choosing a wash method. The presence of a cleat does not supply machine-wash permission by itself.

A manufacturer may describe a route for one model or construction while advising a different method for another. Treat the product label, manual, or official care page as the controlling source for the pair in front of you.

For many field cleats, hand cleaning is the safer starting point

Maytag's current guidance for soccer, baseball, and football cleats identifies hand washing with mild detergent and warm water as the best option for the cleated shoes. It describes clearing loose debris, cleaning around the spikes, and letting the pair dry indoors rather than using a dryer.

That guidance does not turn every scuff or patch of mud into a reason to soak the entire shoe. Begin with the specific area that needs attention and follow the shoe maker's material instructions if they differ.

Do not confuse a lace-washing step with permission to wash the shoes

Maytag allows a different route for removable shoelaces: they can be placed in a pillowcase or laundry bag and washed on a cold, delicate cycle with mild detergent. That is a separate instruction for laces, not approval for the cleated shoes to enter the washer.

Separating components can make a care decision clearer. Check whether laces or insoles are removable, then follow the maker's instructions for each part instead of assuming the same method suits the whole shoe.

A mesh golf-shoe exception stays specific to that shoe

FootJoy gives a machine-cleaning process for its mesh golf shoes: remove laces and, when they are not glued in place, insoles; clean the mesh first; then use a mesh washing bag and a gentle or delicate cycle. FootJoy follows that process with air drying.

This is useful evidence that cleats are not one uniform category. It is not permission to machine wash soccer, baseball, football, leather, metal-spiked, or other cleated shoes without their own manufacturer approval.

Use this decision check before selecting a wash method

Answer these questions in order before putting any cleated shoe in a washer.

• What sport, model, materials, and traction hardware does this exact pair have?
• Does the shoe maker explicitly permit machine washing for this exact construction?
• Can loose dirt, grass, and debris be removed with a smaller cleaning step first?
• Are the laces or insoles removable and covered by separate care guidance?
• If machine washing is explicitly permitted, have you checked the maker's required cycle and drying method?

Where a shoe washing bag fits—and where it does not

If the exact shoe maker permits a machine wash, EMOZNY Shoe Washing Bags, 2 Pack can hold one shoe in each bag during that permitted wash. The bags do not decide whether a cleated shoe is suitable for a washer or change the cycle, detergent, or drying instructions set by the shoe maker.

• Do not use the FootJoy mesh golf-shoe instructions as a rule for every cleat.
• Do not treat a bag as permission to machine wash a pair the shoe maker restricts.
• This guide does not promise that any cleaning method will remove every mark, odor, or sign of wear.