Care Instructions

SILK:   To care of your gorgeous 

See Slouchers Silk Care Here  

Slouchers Slippers:

Need to clean them?

Sheepskin is a natural product, and it is important to be gentle.  So, deal with each cleaning requirement individually.

First and foremost, 'Do not wait’.

If you allow a stain or mark to sit for days or sometimes just hours, you are going to struggle to remove this. Follow our guide below as soon as possible.

1. Spot Clean - Outer suede.  (The green way)

There are spray cleaners that are a great standby.  We will talk about them later under cleaning the whole slipper

However, you may not have a spray cleaner to hand and greener methods are sometimes preferable.  Use one of the following methods to attack an accident or mark as soon as you need to.

Vinegar:
Put 1:1 ratio white vinegar to water in a small bowl.  Using a clean white cloth, put a small amount of the vinegar mix on cloth, squeeze almost all out and then very very lightly rub the spot or stain over the top in gentle strokes, making sure not to wet the slipper with the mix. If you need to rub more vigorously to remove the spot, be sure to not harm the nap, so be precarious as you go. Once the stain is gone, your slippers will retain a slight vinegar smell until it dissipates over the next day or so.

Eraser:
Yes, any white undyed eraser may be all you need to remove a spot or stain. A good quality chunky plain white eraser is a good idea in your shoe care box anyway.  Important: Do not use a novelty/child’s/coloured eraser, ever as they will transfer dye colour to your slipper. Simply rub over the stain only in the direction of the nap one stroke at a time initially to ensure this is working as you want it to.

2. Spot Clean - Inner Shearling

To clean a spot on the interior of your slipper, you can use a very mild detergent, for example one made for wool is perfect or even a gentle natural hair shampoo.  Have 2 small bowls.  In one place about half a cup of water and a spoonful of the chosen detergent.  In the other, clean water.  You need a clean white cloth.  Dip the cloth partly in the detergent mix and gently blot the area that is soiled... do not rub it around, it will not be necessary and just like natural hair, you don't want this getting too messy. Then, rinse the mark away by using a fresh clothe dipped in the water only and squeezed out and blot.  Repeat several times to lift the detergent and mark. Blot away the excess water with a clean dry towel. Be careful to not allow the water to soak through the suede.  It is worth taking your time with this.

3. Clean the Whole Slipper

Firstly, please note:  Never ever immerse your Sheepskin slippers in water or put into the washing machine.  We know there are companies that say this can happen... but this is a seriously bad idea. Instead, It is recommended that you invest in a cleaner that is specially designed for cleaning your sheepskin slippers as using something else may shorten their lifespan. If this is not possible, our next in-line choice for you would be a specialist wool detergent or a natural gentle shampoo.

Important tip:  Use far less detergent than you think you need.  A teaspoon in a litre of water is more than enough.  Remember, getting the soap out again is important.  You can't do that with a very sudsy solution.  The detergent should barely colour the water.

Using a soft cloth or very soft brush dip into the water and slide over the surface gently.  Allow to dry away from heat naturally.

Applying a special cleaner:  Use a recognised brand. Follow the instructions. Use a small cloth or soft fabric to apply the cleaner, making sure to rub every corner inside of the slipper. Be sure to use only a small amount of the cleaner or you will not be able to rinse this thoroughly. Once finished cleaning the inside of your slippers, rinse the interior with clean, cool, or tepid water until all of the soap is removed. When finished cleaning, sit them on a clean dry towel and let them air dry.  You can do this in a warmer rather than colder room but not close to heat like a radiator or on a heated airer.  Never dry in direct sunlight as this may cause fading.  It is worth giving them time.  Once dry, give them a cuddle as some areas may feel a tiny bit stiffer than previous but they will relax again assuming you have followed the instructions.

Deodorise your slippers

Most people will never need to worry about this because sheepskin is natural and will work with any moisture or changing temperatures. However, people with hard working feet often wear sheepskin slippers because the numerous natural health benefits.  However, these hard working feet often go through a lot of temperature and breathing issues and consequently can result in odour, even the cleanest of feet can do this.   If your slippers are picking up on this a little more than you would like them to there are various ways to deodorise them:

• Baking soda is a great product to use, bicarbonate is similar... mix it up with a little essential oils or even a nice scented talc too and pop a couple of spoonfuls into old socks and then pop the socks into the slippers overnight. Remove socks and shake the slippers to ensure no residue is left  and even consider making a new mix regular and using the socks each night if the problem is severe.
   
• Buy some fruity, fresh or similar teabags... yes, sounds a little odd but they also work.  They will emit a natural scent and also draw any unpleasant odours away.
   
• On a sunny day leave outside.  the UV rays will kill any bacteria and help remove any odour.  This works well when the problem is faint.
   
• Cleaning sprays and powders may help - there are products especially for such issues but ensure they are suitable for sheepskin wool items.
   
• Orange / lemon peel is very good also.  The natural oils help soak up bacteria and smells.  Just a slice is often enough...  pop it on a single square of toilet paper to avoid it touching the sheepskin as the oils shouldn't be able to soak into the wool.
   

In addition to the above choices it is wise if this is a problem for you to just ensure your feet are properly dry after showering before wearing. 
 

General Maintenance - Two products worth considering:

1. Protective Shield Spray
A great idea that could add years of life to your new slippers is to apply a protective coating to the outer surface. You should choose a stain-and-water-resistant shield that is designed specifically for use on sheepskin, suede, or leather.  They are comprised of a non-silicone rain repellent designed to repel water. Your slippers will be shielded from water spotting as well as being more resistant to soiling. However, it is important to note that once sprayed you should allow the full amount of time indicated on the can to allow to dry.  After that, your slippers will wipe down much easier with a damp cloth.

2. Brush
Using a special suede brush occasionally to remove loose or surface dirt and dust from your sheepskin slippers is something you will rarely need to do but will perk them up a little periodically. Although not designed for outside wear, we all use them to go into the garden etc especially in the summer and this will add to the need for this.  Using a suede brush, simply follow the nap of the suede, lightly and gently. Rinse the brush after every use.

How Long Can I Expect My Sheepskin Slippers to Last?

A quality pair of sheepskin slippers will last you a good length of time in the same way good shoes do.  Remember however that slippers are something you are probably wearing every day and they do take in some hours, so worn regularly they will not last forever, just as shoes won't.  In general, you do not wear your best shoes daily.  Your best shoes may cost quite a lot of money and although even expensive sheepskin rarely costs as much, we do compare slipper prices similarly, and so we want a similar lifespan. This is comparative.  If you wore your best suede shoes and your sheepskin slippers for an equal amount of time each day, the lifespan is similar.

Having more than one pair is actually a good idea.  Here at Slouchers of course we all wear them.  Many of us have more than one pair.  Often a light colour and a darker colour and basically match them to our lounge-wear, especially at the weekend when callers are likely and we care how we look.   After all, they do look great in all your outfits.  They look equally great in a skirt or dress as they do in your jeans, loungers, gym-wear, capri's or tracky bottoms.

You can almost hear your feet say 'Ahhhh.... thank you!'