In every shoe-wearer’s life, every now and then comes a time when you simply need to wash your favorite pair of shoes. Will your Hey Dudes shrink in the dryer or not? And can you even wash them in the washing machine? I believe this is the article for you!
This relatively young footwear brand has been around since the summer of 2008 and was created with the intention of offering the world a pair of comfortable, lightweight, affordable, stylish, and extremely well-made shoes.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Hey Dudes have captured the hearts of many people and these days they can be seen properly styled by both men and women of all ages.
However, I believe we can all agree that there’s nothing worse than witnessing a perfect fashionable combination ruined by a dirty and neglected pair of shoes.
So, how can you keep your Hey Dudes clean? Is it okay to wash them in your washing machine? Will Hey Dudes shrink in the dryer? Let’s find out the answers to those questions (and much more).
Will Hey Dudes shrink in the dryer?
As with many things in life, this question has no simple answer. When I think about it, life would be really boring if everything in it was a plain “yes” or “no” matter. Don’t you agree?
Anyway, the answer to, “Will Hey Dudes shrink in the dryer?” is actually both yes and no. How can that be, you may wonder?
Well, if you put your Hey Dudes in the dryer on high heat – they will most certainly shrink. However, if you play it smart and put them in the dryer on low heat (or no heat) – they will come out just fine, retaining their original shape.
So, there you have it! Now you have the answer you were looking for. But, your journey of discovering more about your favorite pair of shoes doesn’t have to stop here.
Below, you can find some useful tips on how to properly clean your Hey Dudes, how to dry them without the fear of shrinking them, and how to actually shrink them if you need to.
How to properly clean Hey Dudes?
Before we get into specifics about washing Hey Dudes made out of different materials, we first have to point out that the best thing you can do for any footwear you have is to hand-wash them. That’s the safest option since you can better control the amount and temperature of the water used.
However, if you’re feeling a bit lazy from time to time (like I do) and you just can’t be bothered with washing your Hey Dudes by hand, I’m happy to tell you that you can throw them in your washing machine, as long as they are made out of the canvas.
Other materials such as leather, wool, and suede are not recommended for machine washing, and they’re better to be carefully taken care of by hand.
Anyway, before you opt for any washing technique, here’s what you gotta do first. To prepare your Hey Dudes for washing, make sure you remove laces and insoles.
If you don’t, laces can get tangled in your washing machine, or make your washing ten times harder (and less efficient), and insoles can get ruined in the wash due to over-exposure to water.
1. Tips for canvas Hey Dudes
Canvas Hey Dudes are the model preferred by the majority of people. They are highly versatile and very stylish and can be worn with both everyday outfits and business casual attire.
If you decide to wash them in your washing machine, make sure you always use a small amount of liquid detergent, since the powder can irritate the material. Then, set your washing machine to a delicate or light cycle and use only cold water to prevent shrinking and bending.
If however, you opt for manual washing, here’s a quick step-by-step guide.
First, make sure you brush off or remove all the big chunks of dirt (if there are any). By doing so, the whole cleaning process will be much easier later. You can use a soft bristle brush or any gentle cloth, rag, or old towel to do the job. If your Hey Dudes aren’t too dirty, you can skip this part.
Then, in a large bucket of water add a few drops of liquid laundry detergent. Stir until you get a soapy mixture. Soak a gentle cloth or old towel into the concoction and gently blot your Hey Dudes. With a bit more force, scrub the areas that need more attention.
After you’re satisfied with the results, soak a new towel in clean water and remove any soapy residue. And there you go! Your favorite pair of shoes are cleaned and ready to be dried.
2. Tips for leather Hey Dudes
When it comes to cleaning leather Hey Dudes, they can be cleaned as any soft leather shoes out there. The most important thing to remember is to use gentle detergent or even baby shampoo to be extra careful not to damage the material.
Your movements have to be gentle, as well. Make sure you’re not scrubbing too forcefully as it can cause damage to your shoes. You can also use foam cleansers specifically designed for soft leather, or even magic clean sponges, which can do the trick as well.
After you washed your leather Hey Dudes and waited for them to properly dry, you can also use Scotchgard to waterproof them, thus protecting them from over-exposure to water.
3. Tips for wool Hey Dudes
Wool is a very delicate material. Therefore, it has to be very delicately handled. So, to clean your Hey Dudes you have to be very conscious of what and how you’re doing it.
Some wool shoes can, in fact, be washed in the washing machine. As long as their tag says so, of course. But even then, you have to be extra careful not to damage them.
You have to put them in a linen bag, use a natural, wool-safe detergent that doesn’t contain any bleach or harsh chemicals, and wash them on the wool (or delicate) setting.
With that being said, we still recommend you wash your wool Hey Dudes by hand. Yes, it’s very tedious and requires more work – but it’s a safer and definitely more gentle option.
To wash them manually, you’ll need to fill your bucket with cold water and add a few drops of wool-safe or gentle detergent. Never use hot water as it can cause the wool fibers to shrink.
Again, before you submerge your shoes in this water-detergent mixture, first make sure to brush any dirt or debris off. Then, soak your wool Hey Dudes in this mixture, and let them marinate in it for 10–15 minutes, or until the detergent does its thing.
Then, take the shoes out of the soapy water and rinse them with clean water. And that’s it! All that’s left to do is to leave them to air dry, after which they’ll be ready to be worn.
4. Tips for suede Hey Dudes
When cleaning suede Hey Dudes, first you have to start by brushing them with a suede brush to get rid of any loose dirt or debris. Make sure you’re brushing in the same direction, though. Trust me, you don’t want to go back and forth with your suede brush.
If there are any stubborn water or oil stain, you can remove them by dipping a nail brush into clean lukewarm water and brushing over the stained area. Once they are cleaned, leave them to completely air dry, and use a shoe tree (or stuff old newspaper into the shoes) to retain their shape.
After they’re dry, a good step to take is to spray them with a suede protector spray. This spray will protect your suede Hey Dudes from water damage and minimize the risk of stubborn stains.
How to dry Hey Dudes without risking the shrinking?
If you follow these washing steps above, you’re already halfway there to prevent the shrinking of your Hey Dudes. All that’s left to do is to take some extra care of them while they’re drying.
Again, if you want your Hey Dudes to retain their original shape and size, never dry them in the dryer as the heat will do exactly that. Instead, leave them in some well-ventilated place to air dry on their own.
While they are drying, make sure you stuff them with some newspaper or a dry cloth, so they can collect the excess moisture while keeping the shape of your shoes. However, don’t overstuff them as that can only result in them stretching too much.
If, your Hey Dudes have shrunk during washing or drying, don’t worry. You can always stretch them by placing shoe stretchers inside. This, however, works only if you haven’t used heat on them before.
How to shrink Hey Dudes? (Yes, on purpose!)
Finally, if you want to shrink your Hey Dudes on purpose because they have stretched too much over time or during washing, here are a few tips and tricks you can try:
- Hair dryer: Wet your shoes before you use your trusty hair dryer. The direct heat from the dryer will shrink the fabric molecules.
- Stove heat: Turn on your stove to the lowest heat, place your Hey Dudes on the stovetop for a couple of seconds, and be extra careful not to melt or burn them over direct fire. This is the riskiest method, so please be careful!
- Dryer: This one was mentioned at the beginning. If you want to shrink your Hey Dudes – put them in your dryer.
- Other heat sources: sunlight, fireplace, microwave…
