Yesterday’s run was a wet and wild event. Surely, those who joined the One Run, One Family, One La Salle Fun Run (OROFOLS) at the Fort had their shoes and socks soaked by the rain. But before you wash those shoes and drying them at the back of the refrigirator, here are some tips on how to clean them and keep those well-loved shoes in good form.

Washing
1. Do not machine wash or dry your running shoes. Hand wash them with commercial shoe care products or a common household detergent. You can use a soft brush to take off those stubborn mud and dirt. An old toothbrush should be soft enough for the scrubbing. Make sure to keep the old toothbrush away from the new ones and inform the owner that you used it somewhere else to avoid impending conflict.
2. Take out the lace and the insole when washing. Scrub on the lace. Some don’t recommend scrubbing the insoles in order prolong its life and avoid damaging the shoes. But if it is necessary, use a soft brush and scrub gently.
3. Rinse the shoes well before drying them up.

Drying
1. Do not dry shoes in a clothes dryer. This protects both the shoes and the dryer.
2. Never dry the shoes too close to a heat source to accelerate the drying time. Try to place them at a distance instead.
3. Drying the shoes under the sun is best way to dry them and to remove the smell. But don’t expose it too long or too direct so that you wont be left with dried and crispy shoes afterwards.
4. One tip for a fast dry time is to stick bundled up old newspapers inside the shoes. Take the insoles out first, and stick the newspaper in. Try changing it after a few hours to further speed up the process.

Taking care of the smell
1. Rinse the shoes with a disinfectant like Lysol to kill those odour-causing bacteria.
2. Spinkle some baking soda or a foot powder when its almost dried up or before using them again.
3. The faster it dries up, the better. Try using the newpaper trick in drying them up.
4. Try carefully peeping inside of the shoes. Maybe some household pests have made it their sanctuary after leaving your shoes to dry for a long time.

It is a common practice for runners to keep more than one pair of running shoes. The other pair will be handy to keep you on the road while the other one is still drying up. You don’t want to let a wet shoe stop you from running.