Cleaning Nursing Shoes

Nurses General Nursing

Published

My new Nursing shoes were creeping me out. After a couple of weeks they'd been through nearly every kind of body fluid and I just wanted to throw them out...yuck, yuck, yuck! I didn't even want to touch them!

So a co-worker told me that she puts her leather nursing shoes in the washer with detergent and bleach, lets them agitate, double rinses, and then lets them air dry.

I was a little skeptical since they are leather and expensive, but felt I didn't have anything to loose.

Guess what. They came out beautifully and they fit better now than before!

How do you clean your shoes?

Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

My leather nursing shoes I clean with clorox but I usually wear my sneakers more often and they go in the washing machine with detergent + clorox bleach.

Specializes in NICU.

I know someone in my clinical who does this. She said she knows an older nursing student who's DOG got C-diff shortly after the girl had a C-diff patient at the hospital for clinicals. EW!

Mine get thrown in the washing machine on hot. I'm always spilling ensure on my shoes or stepping in dried pee (goes with the territory of nursing demented men--they gotta pee everywhere. Yuck.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

They can also be wiped with alcohol and then try using the Majic Eraser on areas that dont come clean with alcohol. Most athletic shoes can handle being washed in the washer.

Specializes in ICU/PCU/Infusion.
My new Nursing shoes were creeping me out. After a couple of weeks they'd been through nearly every kind of body fluid and I just wanted to throw them out...yuck, yuck, yuck! I didn't even want to touch them!

So a co-worker told me that she puts her leather nursing shoes in the washer with detergent and bleach, lets them agitate, double rinses, and then lets them air dry.

I was a little skeptical since they are leather and expensive, but felt I didn't have anything to loose.

Guess what. They came out beautifully and they fit better now than before!

How do you clean your shoes?

are you talking about leather shoes like DANSKOS? Wow! in the washing maching?!

not sure how i feel about that except mine are black, so definitely no bleach.

Ok.. this isn't really for cleaning but I have a shoe box in the trunk of my car with a can of Lysol and spare shoes in it. When I get to my car I take of my shoes and hose em down and throw them in the box! That way I am not tracking the germs into my car and home.

Specializes in PCU, Home Health.

I have a 2 month old and it creeps me out to think about all of the germs I bring home on my shoes- especially since she will be crawling around soon. I like the idea of extra shoes in the car and lysol. I already take a shower right after I get home and before I nurse her.

Do you think you can lysol all of the carpet in the house and have good results?

are you talking about leather shoes like DANSKOS? Wow! in the washing maching?!

not sure how i feel about that except mine are black, so definitely no bleach.

No DANSKOS here. I wear white leather Saucony....about $100/pr.

Since yours are black and may be more expensive it might be worth trying this on an "old" pair.

I know that I'm sold!

Specializes in Neuro ICU, Neuro/Trauma stepdown.

i wipe mine with disposable, pop up kitchen wipes. inside and out for crocs.

:lol2: lol

cant we just have disposable shoes.. hehe.. kidding.

nwei, wash it then polish it. ;)

Just did it today. I have a white leather pair of nikes or reboks. Threw them in the wash machine with bleach and detergent. Scrubbed them a bit and air dried. Like new now.

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