All that adventure can get your sneakers dirty at times. Let me guide you through the cleaning process of your OCNS sneakers. Not the most fun thing to do, but sometimes necessary, unless you like walking around with dirty sneakers (I hope you don’t). At Komrads, we love clean and fresh shoes. Let me tell you how we take care of our OCNS sneakers.
The material used for the upper of the OCNS sneakers is Seaqual Yarn. A strong polyester yarn made from recycled ocean plastic. It is a little different from cotton, but almost the same cleaning process.
Tip: we also made a cleaning video. Watch here in case you’re too lazy to read this guide through.
Here’s what you need for a good cleaning:
- Dirty Sneakers (of course)
- A soft, clean brush
- A toothbrush
- A cloth
- Warm water
- White non-gel toothpaste
Let me say this first… don’t use your washing machine. Well, I would say it’s pretty obvious, but Komrads shoes aren’t really made to be thrown in the washing machine (just the laces though). The movement of the machine, soap and warm water weakens the shoe and it will never be the same after. So you've been warned.
Now let's get dirty, euhm clean!
If you give your OCNS sneakers some extra love, they can last you for years to come.
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Light stain on the upper?
Wipe with a dry cloth. -
Stubborn stain on the upper?
Wipe with a warm, damp cloth (not wet) and then let the yarn dry naturally. - You can remove the dirt on your soles with a damp brush.
S.O.S. tough stains
Do you have any tough stains left on your white sneakers? Take your toothbrush and some non-gel toothpaste. Brush the toothpaste over the hard stains and leave to dry in the sun for about 1 to 2 hours. The sun will bleach the shoe a bit, so for the darker colors I would advise not to put it in direct sunlight. Drying it outside is a good way to naturally and quickly dry your shoes.
Then remove the foam with a damp cloth and rinse the shoes with clear water (if necessary). Your sneakers are clean again and ready for a new battle.
Tip: you can always replace the toothpaste with 1 unit of baking soda (mixed with 1 unit of water) and follow the same steps.
Don’t forget to protect
Afterwards, don’t forget to protect your shoes again. Use a transparent spray against dirt and wet to keep your Komrads dirt-free for a longer time.
Make cleaning your sneakers a routine
Spare just a few minutes every day to brush off any dirt with a soft brush. Even when they’re not that dirty. There is an expression in Dutch that goes: prevention is better than cure. So if you don’t want your OCNS looking grubby consider cleaning them daily. It will save you trouble down the road.
Tip: If you are looking for a good and eco-friendly cleaning product we can highly recommend https://bascket.co/
Good luck!