Frequent dancing can quickly soil canvas ballet shoes, which require proper care to maintain their appearance and durability. It’s easy to clean these shoes, using a little tender loving care on your part. You can choose to hand-wash your canvas ballet shoes, or you can machine wash them. If you decide to machine wash, it isn’t necessary to launder them alone. You can add them to a load of delicates, if desired.

Set the washing machine on the delicate cycle and fill it with cold water. Never use hot water on these shoes.

Place the ballet shoes into a lingerie bag if your washer doesn’t have a delicate or gentle cycle. Add mild hand-washing detergent to the water in the washer.

Launder the canvas ballet shoes gently. Remove them from the washer before the spin cycle begins. Spinning could damage your shoes.

Spread a towel over the top of a clothes drying rack and set the canvas ballet shoes right side up on the towel. Allow the shoes to air dry thoroughly. Do not put them in the dryer.

Sprinkle a little baking soda inside the ballet shoes to freshen them after they’ve dried completely. Let them set for 24 hours; then shake the excess baking soda out.

Fill a basin with cold water. Add mild hand-washing detergent according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Immerse the canvas ballet shoes in the cold soapy water. Pat them gently to help saturate them with the solution and let them soak for about 10 minutes.

Gently squeeze soapy water through the canvas fabric. This will help to lift dirt from them.

Drain the soapy water from the basin. Rinse it well, and refill it with cold water. Rinse the canvas ballet shoes in the clean water by immersing them, patting them and gently squeezing water through them. Do not wring them. Continue rinsing the shoes until the water is clear when squeezed from them. You’ll probably have to do this several times.

Set the canvas ballet shoes right side up on a towel spread over a clothes drying rack. Let them set and air dry completely. Never put your shoes in the dryer.

Freshen the thoroughly dried shoes with a little sprinkle of baking soda dropped into them. Shake excess baking soda out of the shoes after allowing them to set for about 24 hours.