You’ve likely spent a lot of time and effort – and possibly money – into getting the perfect pair of trainers. No doubt you’ll want to keep them looking their best. Washing trainers by hand can be hard work, especially when stains set in and they get covered in stubborn mud that won’t come out. That leaves one likely option; the washing machine. Is it okay to wash trainers in the washing machine though? Well, the good news is that many different kinds of trainers can be safely washed in the washing machine.

Today we’ll be looking at the different kinds of trainers you can safely wash in the machine and how to actually go about doing it. Your trainers will look just as good as new by the time you’ve finished cleaning them properly.

Can I Wash my Trainers in the Washing Machine?

Trainers are a little different from regular shoes. While shoes are generally made from animal materials such as suede and leather, which can’t handle the water inside of a washing machine, trainers are made from synthetic materials. They are made from polyester, nylon, and other similar materials. These materials are more hard-wearing and are better able to resist the damage caused by a washing machine.

Even so, it’s important to take note of the instructions found on the care label of your trainers. This label should outline whether or not the trainers can be safely washed in a washing machine. If the label doesn’t say that it’s okay to use machine washing, then don’t do it. Your trainers will thank you. You may also want to avoid machine washing expensive trainers, in particular running shoes. These trainers are made with technical materials that may get damaged in the wash. Once again, if in doubt just check the label.

How to Wash Trainers in a Washing Machine

Without any further ado, here is the simple step-by-step instructions for washing trainers in a washing machine;

1. Start by taking the laces out of the trainers. Give them a little bit of a hand clean by scrubbing off excess mud and dirt from them. You can do this with a wire brush or an old toothbrush. This makes things easier on the washing machine and allows the machine to effectively remove any remaining dirt and grime.
2. Ideally you should put the shoes – and their laces – in a mesh laundry bag, which is then placed inside the washing machine. This prevents the trainers from getting caught on the inside of the drum in the washing machine.
3. Washing trainers is going to be noisy given how much they’ll bang against the side of the drum. You can reduce the noise by adding some towels to the wash with the trainers. This helps reduce the impact of the trainers hitting the drum. The towels offer a layer of protection for the trainers.
4. You should wash the trainers at a cold temperature. This prevents the colors from bleeding and fading out. It’s recommended that you keep the temperature below 80F for the best results. When it comes to detergent you should use a high quality color one. Add it to the drum with a dosing ball alongside the trainers before starting the wash cycle.

How to Dry Trainers

You’ll need to dry your trainers once you’ve washed them. You may be tempted to just put them right in the tumble dryer for the fastest possible drying. That would be a mistake. The heat from a tumble dryer can do a lot of damage to your trainers. It can melt the glue that holds them together and increase the risk of breakage. It’s best to leave the trainers to air dry outside, provided that the weather is good. There’s no point in leaving them outside to dry in the rain. This also helps ensure the trainers dry at the right shape and are still comfortable to wear when they are done

It’s entirely possible to wash your trainers in the washing machine as long as you do it properly. Make sure that the trainers are suitable for machine washing by checking the label. Remove the laces and pack them away in a wash bag, and wash them on a cold cycle for best results. With a little care and attention to detail your trainers will soon like good as new!

I don’t smoke, but I have recently inherited a flat, that was used by my father, who was unfortunately heavy smoker.

The flat was very untidy and stuffed full of furniture, household items, old food and lots of other things accumulated over the years. We knew that this was going to be a challenge to clean, tidy and make this flat habitable again.

The old smoke was one of the last things that needed addressing. I’m pleased to say, that although this was not an easy process, we have managed to get rid of the old cigarette smoke smell. And here is how we’ve done it:

How to remove old cigarette smoke smell from the house

1. Thrown anything that you don’t need or can’t be hard cleaned or washed at high temperature

The smoke smell gets into everything, so if you can’t wash it or it collects dust, bin it!

We’ve thrown most of the broken furniture, odd pieces of small appliances collected over the years and pretty much anything else that could include trapped smoke smell.

We’ve also taken down any soft furnishings, like curtains, cushions and we have thrown an old carpet and anything that could absorb smoke and can’t be properly washed.

2. Wash all furniture surfaces with a strong detergent

I’ve used a strong detergent with sand to scrub down all old wardrobes and kitchen cupboards. This included scrubbing and wiping down the inside of all cupboards and also the top and the back of any cupboard or wardrobe I could pull from the wall.

3. Wash and scrub all other surfaces

In our case, this included an old linoleum, kitchen appliances, the washing machine and anything else that wasn’t already washed. I’ve used a mixture of a cream cleanser for stubborn stains and wiped down (several times!!) all surfaces with a diluted vinegar solution, made out of hot water and vinegar.

4. Wash the walls

Washing the walls with a mix of water and bicarbonate of soda helped a lot, but some of our rooms were painted with basic whitewashing paint, which started to come off as well. You can also mix ammonia and water and use it for basic cleaning.

5. Paint the walls

In the end, I’ve decided to paint the walls to get rid of the old cigarette smoke. I’ve chosen good quality paint as I really didn’t want to paint several layers or still have problems with smoke. This was the most laborious and costly solution to our problem (yes, I’ve painted the rooms myself including our 3.5m high celling’s!), but it worked! The old cigarette smoke has suddenly disappeared and instead of we’ve been left with the smell of the freshly painted room. A great improvement!

6. Boil vinegar and or put some vinegar in a bowl

I didn’t think this would work, but it did! First of all, I boiled the kettle with vinegar instead of water (this is great for getting any limestone from your kettle) and then I’ve poured the rest of the vinegar in a bowl and placed it on top of a high kitchen cupboard. This way I wouldn’t knock it over and since I can’t even see the bowl it doesn’t look so ugly (or strange when somebody comes round).

I can’t smell the vinegar much, but I can definitely smell-less smoke, so it’s a thumbs up for this solution.

I have also tried the following tips and whilst they are very effective for getting rid of smoke on a temporary basis, I still had to re-paint everywhere and scrub pretty much all the surfaces in the flat.

7. Boil some vinegar, or use it to wash affected items

Vinegar eliminates the bad cigarette smell and it also cleans well. You can use it instead of your normal cleaning product.

8. Sprinkle baking soda on affected items

The baking soda reacts with the vinegar to create a fizzing solution, which helps to clean the surfaces. It also eliminates the vinegar smell a little.

9. Fill bowls with charcoal

Charcoal also absorbs smoke brilliantly, but it might be trickier to come by. If you don’t have charcoal readily at home, skip this one and go to the next tip!

10. Coffee Grounds

Similarly like with vinegar, you can leave out bowls filled with what would be normally discarded coffee grounds. Once you make your coffee, tip the coffee grounds to a spare bowl and keep adding more coffee grounds as and when available. Place the bowl somewhere, where you can’t knock it over and leave it for at least 24 hrs or more.

11. Vanilla extract

The vanilla smell is sweet and pleasant, unlike the smell of vinegar, which is great because it also helps to eliminate the smoke smell. Simply soak cotton balls with some vanilla extract and leave it on a small plate in several places in your room. The vanilla smell will slowly disappear as the cotton balls dry out. To make the cotton balls last longer, moisten them with water or add more vanilla extract.

12 Cut up apples

Cut up few apples in half and leave them around the room. Just don’t forget to remove them or replace before they start to go off.

13 Air purifier

If you have an air purifier, switch it on and relax. The air purifier, especially if you have one with a carbon filter will do all the hard work for you and keep your room smell fresh all the time.

How to wash smelly shoes

No matter how much I try to keep my shoes clean and odour free, I still end up with shoes that are not particularly pleasant to smell. This usually happens in the summer, when it’s warm enough to wear shoes without socks. And this is, apparently, the problem!
Hot weather, combined with sweat, creates bacteria, which produces a stinky smell. Getting rid of the smell from your shoes only solves one part of the problem, because if you wear them again without socks, in heat and for a longer period of time, it will happen again.

But, I digress….

How do we wash smelly shoes to make sure the stinky smell actually disappears?

Washing shoes in a washing machine

The best way to wash shoes is in a washing machine, but you need first to check that your shoes are O.K with heat and that they can be washed. Some cheaper brands have shoe seams glued rather than sewn, and hotter washing machine setting might damage glue. If in doubt, check with the shoe manufacturer.
Generally speaking, you can safely wash fabric trainers and synthetic materials, but I would be careful about washing anything with real leather. Hot water often makes the leather to shrink, which is going to destroy your shoes.
To wash your smelly shoes, remove the shoelaces and the insoles and place everything in an old pillowcase and tie it with a string (or use a wash bag instead). Add some other washing, like dirty trousers, towels or something that you don’t mind getting close to your stinky shoes!
If you are washing your shoes for the first time and you are not sure how well they can take the wash (and high temperature), run the washing machine on a shorter program (synthetic material or woollen programme) with 30-40 C. Programme with anything around 50 min -1.5 hr is a good start.
Use just a washing powder (or a washing liquid), but never a fabric conditioner as this might clog up the fabric material on your shoes.
Once you know that your shoes can take the washing machine treatment, you can run them through a programme with 60C temperature. The 60C temperature is much better in getting rid of the bacteria, which creates that horrible shoe smell.
Leave your shoes to air dry in a warm place before you wear them again.

Washing your shoes by hand

Since not all shoes can be washed in a washing machine, washing by hand is another good option of how to get rid of the smell from your shoes.
Like with washing machine wash, remove the insoles and shoelaces and leave everything to soak in a bowl of medium-hot water and some washing powder (or washing liquid). If you are travelling or don’t have a washing powder at hand, you can also use normal soap (just slice or grate a little bit of soap into the hot water), shower gel or shampoo.
Leave everything to soak for 20 min or so. After that, start washing your shoes by rubbing them together or use a soft brush to get rid of any dirt. Make sure you wash the inside of your shoes and the insoles, which is where the bacteria and what produces that horrible smell.
Rinse several times with clean, warm water to make sure that all soap has been rinsed off. Leave to dry on the sun or in a warm place until completely dry.

Washing smelly shoes by sponge method

Some shoes, such as expensive running shoes, technical shoes, real leather or nubuck shoes, are not suitable for long contact with water. This makes it slightly trickier to wash them, but it’s not completely impossible. The best way to wash such shoes is to use a wet sponge lightly soaked with washing liquid and to wipe and dab the shoe with the sponge. Since we are trying to remove the smell from our shoes, concentrate on the inside of your shoes, making sure you don’t wet your shoes too much in the process. Rinse the sponge clean and keep dabbing and sponging your shoes until they look clean and outdoor free. Don’t be tempted to use too much washing powder or liquid as you’ll need to spend even more time to rinse and clean the shoes with a sponge with clean water. Leave to try naturally.

How to prevent your shoes from getting smelly again

Now that your shoes are beautifully clean let’s have a look at how to prevent them from getting smelly again!

Wear socks with your shoes

I know how tempting it is to wear shoes without socks, especially in the summer. It looks so much cooler and why wear the extra layer of ‘clothes’ when it’s so hot, right? Well, you might be surprised how comfortable it’s to wear socks with your shoes even in summer, and if you choose the right pair of socks, they will even look pretty cool!
The best styles include running or gym socks, which have a low cut style but are made to withstand long days and hard workout.

Don’t wear the same shoes every day

Not wearing the same shoes every day works, because the shoes have the chance to recover, dry and naturally neutralise any odour.

Treat your shoes with baking soda

Baking soda is a very useful cleaning product, and it can also neutralise stinky smells. The easiest way to use the baking soda is to sprinkle it to your shoes when you take them off in the evening. Leave them overnight or even longer and let the baking soda to do its magic. The baking soda powder will absorb moisture from your shoes and neutralises the smell too. Make sure you tip all the baking soda from your shoes before you wear them again.

I’ve recently taken over looking after an old flat in Prague and I think overall, we’ve been lucky, that the flat is structurally sound and most of the work that needs to be done is considered ‘cosmetic’.

We are on a very tight budget, so we are always thinking about how to keep stuff first before replacing it. One big issue is the kitchen linoleum floor. It’s been put down back in the 1960s and considering that it has been there for nearly 60 years, it’s not even scratched, and nothing is peeling off! The only problem is that it’s discoloured as it hasn’t been deep cleaned regularly. You can clearly see where the main traffic through the kitchen was and the difference in colour is huge!

But since the actual condition of the lino is very good, I’ve decided to have a go at cleaning it first, before I decide about replacing it.

So, here are my top tips on how to deep clean a linoleum floor

Ideally, this should be done once or twice a year, but since my kitchen linoleum floor hasn’t been cleaned for some time, I had to repeat the process several times.

1. First, sweep or vacuum the floor making sure that any dust, crumbles or other dirt particles are removed.
2. The next step is to sprinkle baking soda on the floor, especially in the places where you see a build-up of discolouration (dirt)
3. After that mix about 4 l of hot water, one large cup of vinegar, and a few drops of washing up liquid
4. Mop the floor with the water solution, using the scrub brush to remove stubborn dirt, or in high traffic areas.
5. After you’ve cleaned the whole floor with the special water solution, mop once more using clean hot water to remove any traces of baking soda or washing up liquid residue.

Extra tip for cleaning old linoleum floor

If your floor is very discoloured like mine, you have no option, then to get down on your knees and use a soft brush to really get rid of the build-up dirt. Apart from the water mixture mentioned above, I’ve also used cream cleaner which has a sand consistency and the combination of hot water, brush bristles and some old-fashioned elbow grease have helped to lift the dirt from the linoleum.

After any deep cleaning, you need to carry on looking after your floor to make sure you don’t get a build-up of dirt again.

General Cleaning for linoleum floor

Use a damp microfiber mop to remove dust on a daily basis

Once a week, use a soft-bristled broom or vacuum cleaner to remove any debris and dust

When needed, mop the floor using a solution of hot water, vinegar, and a few drops of washing up liquid. You can also use a specialist linoleum cleaning product, but a homemade cleaning solution works as well as anything from the shelves at your local supermarket. Make sure that you don’t flood the floor with a lot of water, linoleum is still a porous material and you don’t want the water to get under the linoleum flooring.

Millions of people are involved in car accidents every year. They can range from minor accidents, where there is minimal damage to very serious accidents involving catastrophic injuries or death.

It is important to know what to do after being in a car accident, especially if it was not your fault. The following tips will help you to deal with the situation calmly and efficiently.

Our tips will also make it clear what steps to take and when to call for specialist legal help who will be able to support you through this difficult time.

To be clear, it is best to make use of lawyers with expertise in a particular area – in this case, that would be car accidents and personal injuries. It’s also wise to select lawyers local to you as this means that they will have deep knowledge of the court system of the region.

For instance, if you’ve unfortunately been involved in an incident in Colorado, contacting a car accident lawyer Denver may be the best path forward for you. If you regularly drive or live in that region, it may be worth keeping their contact details close to hand as you never know when you might need to get in touch.

Check if anyone is injured

The first and most important step after being in a car accident is to ensure everyone is OK. If anyone has been injured or appears confused, call for emergency help immediately. Even if people look fine, they might have internal injuries, that might not be visible straightaway.

Call the Police

There are some countries that allow you to file an accident report online within the days that follow a car accident. While this may sound convenient, it is still best to have an official police report.

Police officer, present at the car accident, can give their point-of-view and explain how the accident happened or who was at fault. This could become important if the other person’s insurance company denies your claims or slows payment.

Collect Information & Evidence

You never know what’s going to be important later on, so it’s better to gather as much information and evidence as possible. Start by taking pictures of your car and the surrounding accident scene, including any close-ups.

Make sure you gather as much information as you can about the other driver and collect the names and phone numbers of any witnesses. Even if you do not feel injured or have much damage to your vehicle, sometimes internal injuries take a while to show up.

Call Your Own Car Insurance Company

Even if you were not at fault, contact your own car insurance company and notify them of your accident. They may be able to help you with a rental car or other benefits while you wait for the other person’s insurance company to begin their process of payment.

This can also help you if the other driver is underinsured or not insured at all.

Contact a Lawyer

If the other driver’s car insurance company does not accept fault or if you have been injured as a result of the car accident, consider contacting a personal injury lawyer immediately.

A qualified personal injury lawyer will handle the communications between you and the insurance companies as well as advise you on how to strengthen your case and the legal claim should it be necessary to go to court.