Q&A for How to Clean Birkenstocks

Your cleaning regimen is entirely up to you, but it's best to not overdo it with the brushing or washing. If you can, spot-clean your shoes whenever they get a mark on them to keep dirt or grime from building up on your shoes. It also depends on how often you wear your Birkenstocks. If you wear them every day, you may need to clean them once every 3-5 weeks. If you only break them out every once in a while, it may be 2-3 months between cleanings.

I'm a big fan of saddle soap for cleaning leather. You might rub a dampened towel in a little saddle soap, for instance, then rub that into the shoe. Whatever you do on leather, though, just don't get it wet.

If you have suede shoes, get a suede brush—you can get them at department stores or drugstores. One one side, they have little rubber bristles, and on the other side it's brass. Give the suede good, firm strokes with the rubber side to remove dirt. Then, if you need to, switch to the brass side.

You can use baking soda mixed with laundry soap and dish soap. If you add water, you will get more of it to use.

Cold water on a damp cloth will get most of the blood out, then the baking soda and water paste should get the rest out. Hot water will only make it worse.

Carefully burn the loose threads off with a lighter. Have water ready to douse out a fire if you’re not very careful. If you are a child, get your parents to help you or supervise.

I get that all the time when I stub my toe. Just take some baking powder, lemon juice, and vinegar and mix. Scrub with a toothbrush.

Using baking soda and water, scrub the footbed in a circular motion. Let it dry, and don't soak the shoes.

Wear black socks.

I used superglue on a strap that came loose from the bottom. It held for quite a while. I just reapplied when it came loose again. Tip: Don't use too much, and don't attach immediately after putting the glue on. Wait a few minutes, then attach and use firm pressure. When you're sure they are sticking well together, leave them to set overnight.

If the sole or straps are oiled, then some of it might come off on your feet. It goes away after a while of wearing and cleaning them regularly.

Saddle soap is a mild soap to clean leather. A quality saddle soap will also have oils, lanolin, or other ingredients to condition the leather. It used for cleaning saddles and other leather horse tack, but it is also good for cleaning leather shoes, belts, and bags while keeping them soft. A saddle soap without conditioners will strip out natural and applied oils in the leather, so you will definitely need to follow with a thorough coating of leather conditioner, but a light coat of leather conditioner is recommended for shoes that are outside a lot. Be careful to remove excess saddle soap from cracks and crevices so it doesn’t collect dirt or grow mold.

Use a soft, firm brush. There are shoe brushes for suede, but you could also use a new household scrub brush that is kept just for cleaning suede.