The Perils of Vanish and Laundry Detergent

There are two types of people in this world: those who treat their sneakers as disposable, and those who understand that a great pair is an investment worth caring for.

At Sneaker Pharm, we naturally believe in the latter. Yet, we see the same mistake repeated — someone has reached for the bright pink tub of Vanish or another laundry aisle heavyweight in a bid to “revive” their trainers. The result? Stiff suede and colourways that look like a bad tie-dye experiment.

So, let’s set the record straight. Laundry products like Vanish are brilliant at rescuing white shirts and bedsheets, but they have no place on your shoes. Here’s why.

Texture Trouble

Sneakers are built from materials that value texture as much as they do colour. Suede owes its charm to a soft nap that darkens and lightens with a brush. Mesh relies on breathability and stretch. Leather feels alive because of its natural oils.

When exposed to oxygen bleaches, harsh alkalines, and heavy surfactants — the backbone of laundry stain removers — those textures collapse. Suede becomes crusty and brittle, the nap clumping into stiff patches. Leather dries out, cracking where it should flex. In short: the very qualities that make sneakers a pleasure to wear are ruined.

When Suede Turns to Mush

If suede is the connoisseur’s choice of sneaker material, then it deserves respect. That soft, velvety nap is what gives a pair of Jordan 4s or New Balance 990s their understated elegance. But introduce a laundry bleach into the equation, and things turn ugly fast.

Suede is, at its core, leather split to expose the delicate fibres beneath. Those fibres rely on natural oils and structure to hold their shape. When hit with oxygen bleach and high-alkaline detergents, the oils are stripped away, and the fibres swell with moisture. Instead of drying back into supple softness, the nap collapses into a mushy, pulpy mess. Once that happens, brushing won’t save it; the fibres have permanently lost their spring.

Colour Catastrophe

If texture damage weren’t enough, the colour story is even bleaker. Sneakers rarely use the sort of industrial dye systems you find in upholstery or denim. They’re colourful, expressive, and often delicate.

Vanish’s bleaching agents don’t discriminate: they strip dyes unevenly, leaving blotches, faded spots, or washed-out tones. Black suede turns grey, bright mesh mutes into pastel shadows, and printed logos lose their sharp edges. Even “all-white” sneakers aren’t safe — optical brighteners and bleaching salts can leave streaks and tide marks, creating a patchwork finish where there should be uniformity.

Why Sneakers Need Their Own Care

Clothing and footwear live very different lives. A shirt is designed to endure the wash cycle; sneakers are constructed from glued layers, specialist fibres, and delicate finishes. They deserve products that respect those differences — cleaners that lift dirt without stripping oils, refresh fabrics without bleaching them, and protect colour rather than eroding it.

That’s the philosophy behind Sneaker Pharm. Every bottle is developed specifically for the materials you actually wear on your feet — from suede and leather to mesh and canvas. Our cleaning formula is available to purchase here - Premium Sneaker Cleaning Solution (250ml)

The Takeaway

Next time you see a tik-tok or read an online guide that tells you to use Bicarbonate Soda, Or Vanish or other laundry detergent, APPROACH WITH CAUTION. Treat your shoes like your skin because in essence leather and suede is indeed skin.