It’s quite difficult to imagine your life without slippers, especially in the cold season. However, like any other clothing, such a wardrobe item gets dirty over time. At the same time, to clean it, most housewives prefer washing in automatic mode. Let's figure out how to wash slippers in an automatic washing machine so that they don't fall apart.
How to wash slippers in a washing machine
It is impossible to refuse indoor slippers, especially in the cold season.
Since slippers are used quite intensively by household members, they wear out faster and become dirty more often. And if your item has “outlived its usefulness,” you simply throw it away. In the case of contamination, you can do without radical methods. Such products often require basic cleaning. Washing will be the most reliable way to get your slippers in order. And here a completely logical question arises: how to wash slippers? And most importantly, how to do it correctly so that they do not spoil? Sometimes it is quite easy to deal with stains on house shoes by washing them by hand. But over time, slippers lose their appearance, and manual cleaning becomes ineffective. What to do? Throw it away or maybe use a washing machine? In this article, we will try to give answers to the main questions that arise in such a situation.
Is it machine washable?
Opinions about washing shoes in an automatic washing machine are contradictory. Some people believe that shoes and a washing machine are incompatible things. By throwing a product into a drum, you are guaranteed to ruin the item or equipment, and in the worst case, both. Is everything so clear? Let's figure it out.
Naturally, there is a risk of ruining the item or damaging the washing machine. But it is quite possible to minimize it. Below are recommendations for washing slippers in an automatic machine.
What shoes should not be washed?
- Avoid washing poor quality slippers in the machine. If they are poorly stitched, or the sole is poorly glued, it is not advisable to use a washing machine to clean them. You may be left without the slippers themselves. There is also a risk of damaging equipment. Particles of thread or cardboard can easily get into the tank and clog the pump. This also applies to shoes that have holes, damaged soles, etc.
- Products containing fur and leather are also not suitable for use in the car. This applies to both slippers of the appropriate decor and any other footwear products (fur boots, shoes).
- Products with a varnished surface cannot be washed either. There is a high probability that such a thing will not withstand mechanical stress.
Preparatory stage
After a thorough inspection of the slippers, they must be properly prepared for loading into the drum. To do this, try to clean the sole from lumps of dirt, grass, and other debris. This will protect your equipment from possible damage.
It is important that all decorated clasps and rivets on the product are well attached. Reliable fastening guarantees the integrity of the item.
Before loading, the products should be placed in a special laundry bag. You can use a regular pillowcase. This manipulation will improve the quality of washing and help soften the contact of shoes with the drum.
It is important not to overload the drum with quantity. Overloading the drum can damage the washing machine. The best option is no more than 4 pairs of slippers.
It is better to choose a powder with a gel consistency. Use a small amount. This will make the rinsing process easier and more efficient.
Selecting temperature and mode
Correctly set temperature and mode of the washing machine are the main components of the entire cleaning process. But you should also choose them based on the material of the product being washed.
So, the temperature should not be higher than 40 degrees. Less is better. For felt slippers - 30 degrees. If the water temperature is higher, felt shoes will shrink two sizes.
There are several acceptable modes. You can select the “Shoes”, “Hand Wash” program, or the “delicate” operating mode.
It is important not to forget to turn off the spin function. For slippers, it is not necessary to use the spin function. The exception is felt products. The spin cycle can be set for 15 minutes, but no more.
How to dry laundry
The drying process is as important for products as cleaning. Dry your slippers properly! Do not use a hair dryer, heater, or radiator. All you need is paper. Wrinkle it up and place it inside the slippers. The paper will remove excess moisture and help maintain the shape of the item. The last thing you need to do is place the slippers in a warm place and wait until they dry completely.
Now you know how to wash indoor terry slippers correctly without causing damage to them. And as you can see, the washing procedure using an automatic machine does not require any complex actions. The main thing is to take into account all the nuances, do not neglect the recommendations, and remember about proper drying. Then you can quickly and easily achieve the desired results. And caring for indoor shoes will no longer be a grueling and painstaking task.
Rules for drying slippers after washing in the machine
So, after the car, our favorite slippers are clean, but wet, since they were not wrung out. Now we have the next task - to organize proper drying.
It is best to take several sheets of paper, crumple them and put them in slippers. This way we will help the shoes get rid of moisture faster and retain their shape.
Slippers with paper inside are placed in a warm and well-ventilated place, where they will remain until final drying.
Some consumers try to dry felt slippers with a hairdryer to speed up the process, or send them to the radiator of the heating system.
It is not recommended to do this, because accelerated drying can cause the shoes to lose their shape.
How to wash slippers in a washing machine
House shoes experience enormous loads during their use. Slippers are susceptible to dust accumulating on their surface and are actively affected by sweat and moisture. All this leads to the fact that house shoes acquire an unsightly appearance and an unpleasant odor, while maintaining their integrity. It’s a shame to throw away such slippers, so many housewives wonder whether they can be washed.
Such shoes allow you to feel the comfort and coziness of your home.
Which slippers can be washed?
It doesn’t make sense to wash all house shoes, either by machine or by hand. It is advisable to restore the neat appearance of slippers only if their quality has not suffered at all during use. So, it is better to throw away the shoes or put them aside for manual cleaning if:
- it is of poor quality;
- it has parts that can come off or peel off during washing;
- its textile parts are roughly glued to the sole and can come off when wet;
- the slippers are torn or have begun to come apart;
- textile elements are frayed and threads stick out from the fabric;
- The slippers are made of artificial fur, the fibers of which constantly fall out.
The danger of washing low-quality or worn shoes is not only that after a cycle in the machine you may have to throw them away. Parts, pieces of cardboard and threads that come off and come off during processing can cause enormous damage to the functional components of the washing machine and clog the filters and drain pump of the equipment.
Women have a lot of models of house shoes
You can wash your slippers in a machine if the fabric elements and the sole are well stitched and all joints look secure.
Preliminary preparation
You will determine how to wash your slippers during a preliminary inspection. If the house shoes, their surface and seams look reliable, they can be loaded into the drum of an automatic washing machine, but if there is a risk of them coming apart or spreading, it is better to clean them in a basin manually.
Whitening
There are many ways to whiten house shoes that have turned yellow and have lost their fresh appearance. You can return things to their whiteness using improvised means or special bleaching products.
- You can bleach sheepskin dry using crushed chalk, potato starch or wheat flour of your choice. The product is poured evenly onto the fur side of the product and carefully combed out with a stiff brush.
- A mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and water (in the proportion of a few drops of the first and second per glass of water) is evenly applied to the product in a thin layer using a spray bottle.
- Fabric slippers are resistant to washing with bleaching agents.
- Baking soda will not only add whiteness, but also disinfect the product. It can be used for dry cleaning in powder form or mixed with water.
We suggest you read: How to properly wash black clothes
These simple methods will return yellowed or grayed items to their original bright white color.
How to dry slippers correctly
How to wash slippers in a washing machine
Indoor slippers often wear out faster than any other shoe. Given the nature of the fabric from which they are made, they require special washing. But not everyone wants to wash slippers by hand when there is a machine at home. Therefore, it is worth considering how to wash slippers in an automatic washing machine.
Is it possible to wash slippers in SMA?
The danger of washing slippers in a washing machine lies not in their possible damage, but in the harm to the equipment itself. Let's say you decide to wash ordinary Chinese glued slippers. When washed, they come unstuck safely, and the drum is filled with threads, cardboard and other debris. Part of this “good” goes into the filter, clogging it at best, and clogging the pump and drain pipe at worst. And some of the pieces may get into the tank and stick to the walls.
Important! Before washing your slippers at SMA, make sure they are of good quality. Washing low-quality slippers is dangerous for the machine itself.
Inspect the shoes: if the sole is glued and not sewn, or perhaps has already partially peeled off, it is better to wash it by hand. If the slippers are of high quality and you are sure that they will not fall apart during washing, you can move on to the next stage.
How to dry slippers correctly
In accordance with the rules, you need to not only wash, but also dry your indoor shoes, this allows you to maintain their shape. Typically drying is carried out as follows:
- immediately after washing, the shoes are left in an empty basin or in a sink, leaning against the walls, the bulk of the water should drain freely;
- after this, the slippers are placed on the balcony in a shaded place or left in a warm room with good ventilation;
- 50 minutes after the start of drying, crumpled paper sheets are placed inside the shoes; they will absorb excess moisture and at the same time retain the shape of the slippers;
- From time to time, the paper inside is replaced with new one, until it dries completely.
When drying, crumpled paper is placed inside the products.
To prevent slippers from becoming deformed after processing in a washing machine or hand washing, they need to be dried only naturally. You cannot speed up the process with a hairdryer; do not place the product on a radiator or heater.
Manual option
If, when examining your house shoes, you come to the conclusion that it is better to wash them by hand, follow these recommendations:
- Prepare a container with warm water and dilute washing powder in it.
- Place the slippers in the basin and wait until the soap solution completely saturates the material.
- Wait the 10-15 minutes required to soak the shoes.
- Gently scrub the contaminated areas with a sponge or soft brush.
- Drain the dirty water from the basin and use a shower head to thoroughly rinse the washed shoes.
- In order not to deform the wet product, it should be wrung out with light, soft pressure. You can't twist the slippers.
Handwash
Cleaning by hand will gently and gently remove dirt and stains from delicate materials. For washing, you will need a container of a suitable size and detergent for wool.
ARTICLE FOR YOU
How to properly wash linen and polycotton items
The process itself consists of several steps:
- the detergent composition is mixed with water;
- the temperature of the solution should not exceed 40 degrees;
- the product is soaked for one hour;
- if there are any dirt left after soaking, they need to be gently rubbed together with your hands;
- Remaining soap and dirt must be rinsed with plenty of water;
- You cannot wring out the felt; the water should drain naturally.
When wet, the adhesion of wool fibers weakens significantly. It becomes easy to stretch and deform. Strict adherence to the above recommendations will help you avoid loss of shape and shrinkage.
