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5 Facts About Cleaning Crocs You Didn’t Know (Even Your Kid’s Sticky Ones!)

Categories Cleaning, Kids

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My kids live in their Crocs all summer long. As a mom, they are one of the best shoes for kids because they are all terrain-proof. I mean, my kids play in the dirt, water, mud, sand all in their Crocs. And they easily rinse clean for ongoing play with just water.

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But after a while, the Crocs can start to look beat up and will need a deep clean. I will share with you the best way to clean your Crocs and 5 facts you didn’t know to help you make them last.

What is the best way to clean crocs?

Keeping my kid’s Crocs looking fresh all Spring and Summer long requires me to occasionally wash them every few weeks. But I normally buy them two pairs a year so they can still rock them even if I need to clean one pair.

 

The best way to clean Crocs is with mild soap and a magic eraser. It is straightforward to do, and the magic eraser will get out the deep dirt that is in the shoe.

 

How to hand wash your Crocs

  1. Prepare your cleaning area

    When cleaning your Crocs you are going to want to clean them in a sink, tub, or outside since you will remove dirt. I prefer my kitchen sink or outdoors since I don’t have a slop sink.

    If heading outdoors you will want your garden hose or a bucket to fill with water.

  2. Pre-Rinse

    You will want to rinse your Crocs off first to remove as much loose dirt as possible. You will want to use cool water. If you have fur-lined Crocs, you will want to remove the fur. Say What?! *Tip number one you probably didn’t know about fur-lined Crocs. I will explain how to remove this below.

  3. Magic Eraser

    Now you will take your Magic Eraser and begin to scrub all around inside and out. The ground in dirt will take a little more rubbing, but it should come out.

  4. Add cleaning agent

    Add soap to your water/bucket/basin or directly onto your Crocs. Before the new Dawn Platnium Powerwash came out, I would add regular dawn or natural dish detergent soap to my water. But now I spray directly on my Crocs. The Dawn Platnium is pretty awesome!

  5. Cleaning the holes

    Since Crocs have tons of holes, you may find dirt/stuff inside. There are a few tools you can use. An old toothbrush, a straw cleaner (don’t use it to clean your straws after 😉) A pipe cleaner from your craft supplies.

  6. Cleaning the inside/Sole

    Reaching inside the Croc can be tricky as dirt does build in there, and you want to remove all germs, and bacteria from inside so your feet stay clean. I found using a baby bottle brush from the dollar store works well.

  7. Final Rinse

    Once you are satisfied with your scrubbing action, rinse your Crocs completely.

  8. Let Air dry in the shade or inside

    After you have washed your Crocs, be sure to let them air dry out of direct sunlight.

  9. Extra Step ( Shine )

    This step is a personal preference. Suppose you want to renew the shine of your Crocs once you have cleaned them. You can use the Crocs butter that is sold. You can check that out here. I personally have never used it.

    Now I will say others have used Armorial, but personally, I wouldn’t put anything chemically-based for a car on my shoes. For fear of it getting on my skin.

    However, there have been varying opinions on the Crocs butter, and some complained about the 6.99 dollar cost. People have said it doesn’t last.
    I don’t use it, especially for my kid’s Crocs which is why I say personal preference.

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5 Facts About Cleaning Crocs You Didn’t Know

  1. You can remove the inside lining of your fur-lined Crocs! Yes, it’s true. All you have to do is look for the two Croc circles on each side of the shoe. The fur is holding on because the Croc circles are actually acting as buttons. So you can easily remove the fur lining.
  2. You can wash your fur-lined Crocs! Naturally, you would wonder, well, now that the fur is out, can I wash it. The answer is yes! With a mild soap, you can wash the fur by hand and hang it to dry. AVOID putting the liners in the wash; they will lose their shape and stretch.
  3. Your Croc’s can shrink!! In extreme heat, your Crocs will actually shrink. That means do not leave them outside to dry in extreme heat. Do not place them in the dryer. And be cautious when leaving them in the hot car.
  4. You can disinfect them since foot odor typically stays at bay in these shoes because they are made with antibacterial material. But if they do get stinky, there are 3 ways to remove odor from your Crocs.
    • Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda or Borax mix a paste and water and scrub
    • Spray them with vinegar and baking soda and wipe them down
    • Use a Norwex cleaning cloth with water and spray them after with Clean Smart spray. This spray even helps with athletes’ feet. By keeping it at bay and removing up to 99% of germs.
  1. DON’T USE HOT WATER! When cleaning your Crocs, do not use hot water as this can cause them to warp. Remember, extreme heat will cause them to shrink at most, maybe warm water.
 

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Can I put my crocs in the washing machine?

So if you head over to Croc’s website, they will tell you it is safe to place your Croc’s in your machine. Personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea and here is why.

One of the reasons why Crocs are great water shoes for kids is that they float. They are made out of foam-like material. So what happens in the machine? They float to the top.

Secondly, it could cause damage to either the shoe or your machine’s agitator. So this one is another personal preference, and I would use it at your own risk! 🤷‍♀️

I want my Croc’s to last, and I need my washing machine. Like I would die without it.

So there you have it, the simple method to get your kid’s Crocs looking like new again and yours. And care tips for your Crocs that can help them last longer. The hard part is deciding on what Croc charms your kids want and how many you will actually get them.

They are so fun and you can really add personality to your Crocs

 

 

David Maola

Friday 21st of April 2023

The lining of my crocs is sewn in all around and is certainly not removable.

Lisa Van Groningen

Friday 21st of April 2023

Oh, that sucks... it seems they have a few different ones. Some do and some don't. You can still try some soapy water and use your hand to wash the fabric and air dry them.

Renee

Saturday 20th of November 2021

Thanks a bunch, fantastic information!!!

Lisa Van Groningen

Saturday 27th of November 2021

You are very welcome! Thanks for following along!!