Yes, bowling shoes are sanitary. Bowling alleys take great pride in the cleanliness of their facilities, and that includes their shoes.
Bowling shoes are cleaned with a disinfecting solution after every use, so you can rest assured that your next pair has been thoroughly scrubbed and disinfected before they get to you.
Bowling shoes can be sanitary if they are cleaned properly
Bowling shoes are a source of concern for many people. You can rent them at your local bowling alley, and they’re the only type of shoe you can wear on the lanes.
The question is, are bowling shoes sanitary?
Let’s say you go to a bowling alley with some friends, and you decide to bowl a game or two. You approach the counter to rent some shoes as everyone else does so you don’t have to walk in your socks.
You take off your regular shoes and put on the rented ones.
A few rounds later, it hits you: “No one cleans these things! How do I know what diseases I could be getting from these?”
That’s a valid concern – after all, germs can spread easily between people through contact with contaminated objects like those bowling shoes. And if you have a weak immune system or diabetes (both conditions increase your risk of infection), that could make it even worse.
Read: Can You Wear bowling Shoes as Regular Shoes?
There are several ways to clean bowling shoes
- If the upper of your shoe is dirty, you can clean it with a damp cloth.
- The pins on the bottom of your soles are there to prevent slipping, but they also have the unfortunate side effect of trapping dirt and grime between them and the sole.
- To clean this area, spray with disinfectant, wait a few minutes while it works (following instructions on the disinfectant packaging), then wipe away with a damp cloth.
- Bowling shoes have laces that tie at the front and which come into contact with your fingers as well as other people’s feet when you loan them out. Soaking them in disinfectant for 15 minutes will sanitize them effectively.
- Alternatively, replace them – most bowling shoes come with two pairs of laces in different colors or patterns so you can choose whichever looks best to complement your ensemble.
- Remove insoles from shoes and wash in hot water and detergent if needed.
Upper: The upper of the shoe can be cleaned with a damp cloth
You can use a clean cloth to clean the upper part of your bowling shoes. Mix a mild detergent with warm water, and use it to clean the surface of your shoe.
Remember that you need to rinse the cloth often, as the dirt from one section can travel into other areas of your shoe if you just keep wiping with a dirty cloth.
Be careful not to saturate the upper. And make sure not to use bleach or ammonia. These products could damage your shoe’s fabric.
Sole: The sole of the shoe can be cleaned with a disinfectant
The sole of the shoe can be cleaned with a disinfectant. The disinfectant should be applied to a cloth or paper towel, and lightly wiped over the sole of the shoe.
To prevent causing damage to the bowling alley flooring, it is important that you do not apply excess water to your bowling shoes while cleaning them.
Laces: Laces can be sanitized by soaking them in disinfectant
I figured if the insides of bowling shoes can collect germs, laces can too. While that may not be the case, there is no harm in sanitizing your laces to be extra safe. You can use disinfectant or a product with a high alcohol content to sanitize your laces without ruining them.
To get the job done right, you will want to make sure that your laces are completely submerged in the disinfecting agent and left there for at least 30 minutes before rinsing and drying them out. If you aren’t using bleach, make sure that whatever cleaning product you use is safe to use on cloth!
Insoles: Insoles can be removed and washed in hot water and detergent
If your shoes have removable insoles, it’s possible to wash them.
Takeaways: Bowling shoes can be sanitary if they are cleaned properly
With all of these things in mind, we hope you can now answer the question “are bowling shoes sanitary?” The answer is yes if they’re cleaned correctly. In fact, it’s quite easy to clean a pair of bowling shoes using just soap and water!
Just make sure not to use too much pressure when scrubbing because this could damage the leather or suede on your footwear (which would then require even more cleaning). And remember: no matter how dirty these kinds of shoes might look at first glance – there’s most likely some dirt residue hiding behind those laces!
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