Can You Wash Hey Dudes in the Washer: Complete Guide for Homeowners

Hey Dudes feel like they were engineered to get dirty. Lightweight, breathable, and slipped on without a second thought, they pick up coffee spills, grass stains, and mystery smudges within a week of purchase. So can you wash Hey Dudes in the washer without turning $65 shoes into shrunken, warped ghosts of themselves? Yes, with specific prep and settings. Hey Dude officially approves machine washing, but the right technique is the difference between shoes that come out looking new and shoes that come out permanently disfigured.

The Short Answer

Hey Dude shoes can be machine washed on a cold, gentle cycle with mild detergent, with insoles and laces removed first. Air dry only; never use the dryer. This applies to most models including Wally, Wendy, Welsh, Britt, Carly, and Thad. Leather and suede variants have different rules (spot clean only).

Before the Washer: Essential Prep

Throwing Hey Dudes straight in the wash is how they get damaged. Proper prep takes 5 minutes:

1. Remove the insoles (pull them straight out; they are not glued)
2. Remove the laces entirely
3. Knock loose dirt, grass, and debris off the outside
4. Scrape any dried mud off with a soft brush (old toothbrush works)
5. Pre-treat visible stains with a dab of dish soap or OxiClean
6. Place shoes inside a mesh laundry bag or zipped pillowcase

The mesh bag is non-negotiable. Raw Hey Dudes bouncing around a washer drum will hit the agitator or drum wall hundreds of times and damage both the shoes and potentially the machine.

The Right Washer Settings

Use these settings every time:

• Water temperature: Cold, always. Hot water shrinks the canvas and warps the soft sole
• Cycle: Delicate, hand wash, or gentle
• Spin speed: Low spin
• Detergent: Mild liquid detergent, about half the normal amount
• Extras: Add a couple of old towels to the load to reduce banging

Skip fabric softener. It coats the canvas fibers and can leave residue. Skip bleach on colored Hey Dudes. For white Wendy models, a small amount of oxygen-based bleach (OxiClean) is fine but avoid chlorine bleach, which weakens canvas fibers.

Washing Insoles and Laces Separately

The insoles are the most critical part of a Hey Dude. They feature the memory foam and the texture you feel when walking. Abuse them in the washer and you ruin the comfort that makes the shoes worth buying. The safer method:

1. Mix 1 tablespoon of mild detergent in 2 cups of warm water
2. Dip a microfiber cloth, wring out well
3. Wipe both sides of the insoles thoroughly
4. Rinse by wiping with a clean cloth and fresh water
5. Air dry flat, away from direct heat

Laces can go in the washer inside a small lingerie mesh bag along with the shoes. For white laces that have yellowed, soak in OxiClean solution for an hour before washing.

Drying Hey Dudes Correctly

This is where most people fail. The dryer is forbidden territory. The heat melts the adhesives, warps the soles, and shrinks the canvas. Correct drying:

• Stuff the shoes with rolled-up paper towels or newspaper to hold shape
• Set them in a well-ventilated spot, not in direct sunlight (fading risk)
• Change the stuffing after 2 to 3 hours when it gets saturated
• Expect 12 to 24 hours for full drying
• Put insoles back in only when completely dry

A fan pointed at the shoes speeds up the process significantly. A dehumidifier in the same room helps during humid weather. Sunny windowsills cause color fading in canvas; indoor drying is better.

Frequency: How Often Is Too Often

Hey Dudes hold up to washing better than most canvas shoes, but the canvas and the rubber bottoms still fatigue. For normal wear, wash only when the shoes look or smell dirty. Every 4 to 8 weeks is typical for regular wearers. Washing weekly wears them out in months rather than years.

Between washes, wipe spot stains with a damp cloth and a drop of dish soap. Sprinkle baking soda inside overnight to absorb odors. A little maintenance extends time between full washes substantially.

What About Leather and Suede Hey Dudes?

Do not machine wash these variants. Models like the Britt Perforated Leather or the Thad Woven are not washable in the traditional sense. For leather Hey Dudes:

1. Wipe with a damp cloth and a small amount of saddle soap
2. Buff dry with a clean microfiber cloth
3. Condition with leather conditioner occasionally

For suede Hey Dudes, use a suede brush and suede eraser. Water damages suede, so never soak. Waterproofing sprays (Kiwi Camp Dry or Crep Protect) applied when new prevent most staining.

Common Washing Mistakes

These errors come up constantly in online complaints about washed Hey Dudes:

• Using hot water (shrinks canvas by 5 to 10 percent)
• Leaving insoles inside (foam deforms and collapses)
• Drying in the machine dryer (soles warp, glue fails)
• Using fabric softener (residue buildup, discoloration)
• Skipping the mesh bag (shoe damage, machine damage)
• Washing new shoes too soon (manufacturer’s finish washes off)

Wait at least 10 to 20 wears before the first wash on a new pair. The factory treatments that give new Hey Dudes their slight water resistance and color vibrancy take a hit in the washer.

When Hand Washing Beats Machine

For shoes that are only slightly dirty, hand cleaning beats machine washing. Fill a sink with cool water and mild soap, use a soft brush on visible dirt, rinse, and air dry. This method preserves the shoes longer and achieves similar results for light soiling.

Machine washing makes more sense when the shoes are truly grimy, have been worn at the beach or through mud, or have sweat-saturated interiors that need a deep clean.

Final Take

So yes, can you wash Hey Dudes in the washer is a real thing, and you can do it without ruining them. Cold water, gentle cycle, mesh bag, no dryer, insoles and laces separate. Follow that routine and you can keep a pair looking clean for years. Cut corners on any of those rules and the shoes tell on you within the first wash.