How to Wash Slippers

A good pair of slippers is a bit like an adult safety blanket. We get attached to them. We don't want to let them go for impostor slippers simply because they’ve gotten old and—to be honest—a bit grimy. Fear not! Regardless of the material, you can easily clean your slippers and extend the life of them.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Washing Cotton Slippers

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    Consider machine washing them.[1] Cotton is one of the most common slipper materials. Just like cotton clothing, all cotton slippers will be washing machine safe.[2]
    • Use warm (not hot) to make sure you don’t shrink the slippers. Use a gentle cycle that won’t bang them out of shape.[3] If you want to toss them in with the regular wash, use a washing machine bag like you’d use for a sweater.[4]
    • Use a low heat setting to dry. You can also allow them to air dry.[5]
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    Fill your sink with warm, soapy water. If you don’t want to risk machine washing those slippers, then you can hand wash cotton slippers.[6] Use a stopper and fill your sink with warm, soapy water. A small dose of a mild laundry detergent will do.[7]
    • Hand-washing detergents will instruct you how much to use.
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    Drop the slippers in and agitate them. You want to make sure that the soapy water saturates the material. Use your fingers or a gentle cloth to scrub the inside lining to penetrate the grime.[8]
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    Let them sit. The soap solution won’t hurt the cotton. Give the slippers a good ten minutes to soak after you give them the mild scrub.[9] You’ll see the soapy water changing colors as it leaches out all the funk.
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    Rinse the slippers. After the slippers have soaked, go ahead and let the water out of the sink. Turn the faucet on at about the same warm setting as before and give the slippers a thorough rinse.[10] Squish the slippers as you rinse like you would to get excess soap out of a sponge or luffa.
    • You can refill the sink with clean water to rinse them. Let them soak for ten minutes. You can also rinse them under the running faucet for two or three minutes to get all the soap out.
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    Remove the excess water. Don’t actually wring the slippers. This can misshape them. Instead, press down on them at several points to remove the excess water.[11]
    • You can also squeeze them in a towel to absorb the excess water.[12]
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    Let them dry. Set the slippers aside to air dry.[13] You can also use a warm setting on a blowdryer to dry them out.[14]
    • A blowdryer will also fluff the soft, cottony insides of the slippers.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Washing Suede Slippers

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    Wipe with a towel. You cannot machine wash or hand wash suede slippers by submerging them. If you spill something on the suede, use a clean towel to blot and wipe at the spill.
    • If the suede is waterproof, then you can use a damp towel to wipe at the spill. If not, stick with a dry towel.
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    Use a suede cleaning kit.[15] If the spill can stain the suede and you know the towel treatment alone will not suffice, then use a suede cleaning kit on the exterior. A suede cleaning kit will come with a stain eraser and a small, stiff suede brush with which to work in the eraser.
    • A suede brush, nail file, or soft-textured sandpaper can also remove mud or scuff marks. This will also return the nap texture to the suede.
    • Once the exterior of the slippers is clean, consider applying a suede-safe waterproofing spray to make cleaning them easier in the future.
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    Use a baby wipe on the interior. Baby wipes allow you to scrub out the slippers without wetting the suede. This works for both cotton and fleece-lined interiors.[16] Baby wipes are low in moisture and have a mild detergent.[17] Use a couple of them to work the inside of the slippers until you stop seeing the grime staining them.
    • You can alternatively dampen a washcloth and dab just a drop or two of wool detergent or another mild soap such as baby shampoo on the washcloth before using it to scrub the soft insides of the slippers.[18]
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    Use a clean damp washcloth to wipe out the detergent. Once cleaned out, use a clean, damp washcloth to wipe out the insides. Remove any leftover detergent. Baby wipes are mild enough that this might not be necessary, but it will be if you use the couple drops of wool detergent or baby shampoo.[19]
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    Allow them to air dry. You do not want to apply heat to suede slippers, so you’ll simply have to give them plenty of time to air dry before you wear them again.[20] Wads of newspaper are actually a great way to absorb moisture without using heat, so you can stuff the insides with balled up newspaper to help dry them out more quickly.[21]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Washing Leather Slippers

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    Use a leather-safe soap. You should only treat the exteriors with products designed for leather shoes. This includes non-enzyme liquid soaps designed for leather products. You can use the same leather shoe cleaner you would use on other leather shoes to remove dirt and scuffs.
    • If the insides of the slippers are leather, use the same process to clean the interior.
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    Shine them with a soft, cotton cloth. After cleaning them with a leather cleaner, let them sit for approximately five minutes. Then shine the slippers with a clean, soft, cotton cloth.
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    Apply a leather shoe conditioner. To keep leather slippers soft and moisturized, apply a leather shoe conditioner after cleaning. The leather will absorb a natural conditioner easier than synthetic ones. Apply the conditioner as directed to help them age better.
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    4
    Use baby wipes to clean out the insides of the slippers. For fleece-lined slippers, use the same process as with fleece-lined suede slippers. Namely, baby wipes, which are low in moisture and contain a mild detergent.[22] Use a couple of baby wipes to scrub out the inside of each slipper until the wipe is no longer discoloring from the grime.
    • You can alternatively use a mildly damp washcloth with just one or two drops of wool detergent or baby shampoo to scrub out the insides of the slippers. This method requires using a second damp washcloth to remove any excess soap afterward.
  5. Image titled Wash Slippers Step 17
    5
    Allow the slippers to air dry. You don’t want to apply heat to leather slippers. You will need to give them time to air dry. As with the suede slippers, you can use a wad of newspaper inside the slipper to help draw the excess moisture out of the lining, which will hasten the drying process a bit.
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Expert Q&A
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  • Question
    What are some mistakes to avoid when washing suede slippers?
    Marc Sigal
    Marc Sigal
    Shoe Care Specialist
    Marc Sigal is the Founder of ButlerBox, a dry cleaning and shoe care service based in Los Angeles, California. ButlerBox places custom-designed, wrinkle-resistant lockers in luxury apartment buildings, class A office buildings, shopping centers, and other convenient locations so you can pick up and drop off items 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Marc has a BA in Global and International Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
    Marc Sigal
    Marc Sigal
    Shoe Care Specialist
    Expert Answer

    Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

    Don't put them in the drier. That will definitely ruin them. Also always make sure to use a brush. A suede brush or some sort of soft, medium-bristle brush will both work very well. Suede's a very expensive fabric in some cases, so I would actually recommend consulting a local dry-cleaning leather expert to clean the shoes.
  • Question
    What should I use to clean my slippers if I don't have a brush?
    Marc Sigal
    Marc Sigal
    Shoe Care Specialist
    Marc Sigal is the Founder of ButlerBox, a dry cleaning and shoe care service based in Los Angeles, California. ButlerBox places custom-designed, wrinkle-resistant lockers in luxury apartment buildings, class A office buildings, shopping centers, and other convenient locations so you can pick up and drop off items 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Marc has a BA in Global and International Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
    Marc Sigal
    Marc Sigal
    Shoe Care Specialist
    Expert Answer

    Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

    If you don't happen to have a brush handy, an old toothbrush works great.
  • Question
    How do I wash cashmere slippers?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    I would suggest rinsing them out in the sink, and then laying them out on a towel to dry after gently squishing the water out of them. Never wring, hang, or put your cashmere stuff in the dryer.
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Warnings

  • The tag on your slippers might have specific cleaning instructions. Always check the tag for instructions to avoid harming your slippers.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • If the tag doesn’t have cleaning instructions, base your cleaning method on the material.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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References

  1. ↑ Marc Sigal. Shoe Care Specialist. Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.
  2. ↑ http://jezebel.com/how-to-keep-your-sweaters-and-slippers-clean-and-pill-f-1460309508
  3. ↑ http://jezebel.com/how-to-keep-your-sweaters-and-slippers-clean-and-pill-f-1460309508
  4. ↑ http://jezebel.com/how-to-keep-your-sweaters-and-slippers-clean-and-pill-f-1460309508
  5. ↑ http://jezebel.com/how-to-keep-your-sweaters-and-slippers-clean-and-pill-f-1460309508
  6. ↑ http://jezebel.com/how-to-keep-your-sweaters-and-slippers-clean-and-pill-f-1460309508
  7. ↑ http://jezebel.com/how-to-keep-your-sweaters-and-slippers-clean-and-pill-f-1460309508
  8. ↑ Marc Sigal. Shoe Care Specialist. Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.
  9. ↑ http://jezebel.com/how-to-keep-your-sweaters-and-slippers-clean-and-pill-f-1460309508
  1. ↑ http://jezebel.com/how-to-keep-your-sweaters-and-slippers-clean-and-pill-f-1460309508
  2. ↑ http://jezebel.com/how-to-keep-your-sweaters-and-slippers-clean-and-pill-f-1460309508
  3. ↑ http://jezebel.com/how-to-keep-your-sweaters-and-slippers-clean-and-pill-f-1460309508
  4. ↑ Marc Sigal. Shoe Care Specialist. Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.
  5. ↑ http://jezebel.com/how-to-keep-your-sweaters-and-slippers-clean-and-pill-f-1460309508
  6. ↑ Marc Sigal. Shoe Care Specialist. Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.
  7. ↑ https://www.thehairpin.com/2012/01/ask-a-clean-person-stanky-slippers-ganky-humidifiers-and-manky-uggs/
  8. ↑ http://jezebel.com/how-to-keep-your-sweaters-and-slippers-clean-and-pill-f-1460309508
  9. ↑ http://www.justsheepskin.com/cleaning-and-care.aspx
  10. ↑ http://www.justsheepskin.com/cleaning-and-care.aspx
  11. ↑ Marc Sigal. Shoe Care Specialist. Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.
  12. ↑ https://www.thehairpin.com/2012/01/ask-a-clean-person-stanky-slippers-ganky-humidifiers-and-manky-uggs/
  13. ↑ http://jezebel.com/how-to-keep-your-sweaters-and-slippers-clean-and-pill-f-1460309508
  14. ↑ https://www.thehairpin.com/2012/01/ask-a-clean-person-stanky-slippers-ganky-humidifiers-and-manky-uggs/
  15. ↑ https://www.thehairpin.com/2012/01/ask-a-clean-person-stanky-slippers-ganky-humidifiers-and-manky-uggs/
  16. ↑ https://www.thehairpin.com/2012/01/ask-a-clean-person-stanky-slippers-ganky-humidifiers-and-manky-uggs/

About This Article

Marc Sigal
Co-authored by:
Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
This article was co-authored by Marc Sigal. Marc Sigal is the Founder of ButlerBox, a dry cleaning and shoe care service based in Los Angeles, California. ButlerBox places custom-designed, wrinkle-resistant lockers in luxury apartment buildings, class A office buildings, shopping centers, and other convenient locations so you can pick up and drop off items 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Marc has a BA in Global and International Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. This article has been viewed 258,917 times.
40 votes - 78%
Co-authors: 10
Updated: September 16, 2021
Views: 258,917
Categories: Footwear | Cleaning Shoes
Article SummaryX

To wash cotton slippers, put them in the washing machine on a warm water setting so they don't shrink. Alternatively, combine warm water with a mild laundry detergent and scrub the slippers in the water with a cloth. Then, soak the slippers for 10 minutes, rinse them with clean water, and air dry them. If you're washing suede slippers, wipe them with a towel since water can damage the suede. You can also get rid of mud by rubbing the slippers with a suede brush or nail file. To learn how to clean leather slippers, read on!

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