Sneaker shampoo review: how good is «Freshe Treter»?

When my shoes get dirty, I usually machine wash them at 30 degrees. However, this does tend to damage adhesives, seams or other parts. This is where the trainer shampoo «Freshe Treter» comes into it.

I tested the shampoo on my family’s shoes ad it did well. The product relies on tried-and-tested cleaning agents and markets them as «smart vibrancy technology».

What's inside the bottle?

The explanation on the bottle is in German and reads something along the lines of: «It’s physics. The powerful active ingredients use smart physical principles to dissolve dirt through targeted micro-vibrations.» A look at the ingredients reveals the usual suspects are at play. Including anionic surfactants and non-ionic surfactants. They’re found in many everyday products. The detergent substances reduce the surface tension of the water, making it easier to wet objects and fabrics. At the same time, they dissolve grease and dirt. The shampoo also contains phosphates, which act as water softeners and prevent dissolved dirt from settling again.

These active ingredients make up less than 25 per cent of the ingredients. The rest is lumped together as fragrances and preservatives by manufacturer Reuter Cleaning Solutions. To me, the shampoo smells fresh without being too in your face.

Sure, there are physics at play in the bottle; after all, it’s the surfactants that ultimately dissolve the dirt on your shoes. However, this isn’t as mind-boggling as advertised on the packaging. Unless there’s a secret substance in the mixture. Besides, not all surfactants are biodegradable. Plant-based surfactants, for example, are more environmentally friendly than those made from crude oil. Unfortunately, the bottle doesn’t reveal which surfactants are in it.

How does the cleaning work?

The cleaning process happens in four steps. First, you need to remove any coarse dirt. Then generously spray the shoes with shampoo. After leaving it to sit for two minutes, lather the shampoo using a sponge or brush. The last step is to wipe off the dissolved dirt with a cloth.

The bottle doesn’t specify how much a «generous» amount is. From testing the product, I know that your shoes should be very damp, but not wet. The instructions are more specific when it comes to application time. However, I soon figured out that it doesn’t take two minutes. In fact, if you wait two minutes and only start brushing then, the shampoo won’t foam. Thirty seconds is plenty for it to act. This was confirmed by my colleague Oliver Fischer, who also tried the shampoo.

The result

I tested the shampoo on my son’s sandals from last year. They were put away in a wardrobe last autumn without being cleaned. At first glance, they’re not particularly grimy. But sand and dust are deeply engrained in the fabric. I treat the right sandal according to the instructions and leave the left one untreated for comparison.

The sandal doesn’t look like new after cleaning – because it’s not – but certainly cleaner. The colours also look brighter again, and the deep-seated dust is gone.

The before-and-after effect is particularly visible with strong colours and on white shoes. Smooth surfaces such as leather or imitation leather are easier to clean than fabric. This is quite apparent in Oliver’s shoes, for example.

I also tested the sneaker shampoo on other things than shoes and sprayed the back of the passenger seat of our family car. My oldest kid always manages to rub his dirty shoes on it. The cleaning effect is significantly smaller here, which is probably down to the fabric surface.