How to remove mould from shoes

Outside first, seriously

Spores travel. We take mouldy pairs outside, or at least out to the balcony, and brush off the loose fuzz with an old brush that is going in the bin afterwards. If there is a lot of it, a mask is not overkill.

Leather pairs

A cloth dampened in water and white vinegar, roughly half and half, worked into the seams and stitching where mould likes to hide. Then drying in shade with a fan on. Then conditioner, because vinegar strips leather and leaves it dry. People skip that last part and wonder why the shoes crack in October.

Suede and fabric

Trickier. Suede gets brushed once fully dry, then a suede cleaner. Fabric sneakers take a mild soap clean and a long, thorough dry. On light coloured fabric, mould sometimes leaves a faint shadow even after it is gone. We will say so if we think that is likely.

The inside is the real problem

Mould usually starts inside, in the toe box and on the insole, where it is dark and damp and nobody looks. Insoles come out and get cleaned separately. If the shoe still smells musty after all that, the mould is still in there.

Stopping round two

Never put shoes away even slightly damp. A few silica gel packets in the rack help. So does leaving the cupboard door open on the odd dry day, and taking stored pairs out for an hour of air once a week during the rains. Boring, but it works.