I think many people wear slippers and room shoes every day to prevent the floor from getting dirty and to protect their bare feet.
Since you wear your slippers indoors, you don't pay much attention to how dirty they get, but in reality , dirt accumulates not only on the bottom of your slippers, but also inside them .
Since slippers are something you wear every day around the house, it is important to wash them and keep them clean.
Rie Hirashima , a mother of four and a laundry expert, will introduce you to the correct way to wash dirty slippers and room shoes.
The slippers are surprisingly dirty
Because slippers come into contact with the floor, dirt, mud, sand brought in from outside, as well as indoor dust and dirt, tend to stick to the bottom of the slippers, which is the main cause of dirt.
Also, because you wear your slippers for a long time, food and drinks may spill and stain your slippers.
If you have pets, pet hair is also included.
Surprisingly, a lot of dirt sticks to it.
Furthermore, there are many sweat glands on the soles of the feet, which can cause sweat to make your slippers smelly and dirty.
How to tell the difference between washable slippers and non-washable slippers
Even though you can wash your slippers to keep them clean, be aware that there are some slippers that cannot be washed, such as slippers made of leather. To determine whether slippers can be washed, first check the washing instructions on the slippers.
If your slippers are marked as washable, you can wash them at home. Also, there are a lot of slippers being sold under the name "washable slippers" these days, so it would be a good idea to buy those slippers.
It changes depending on the material! How to wash slippers correctly
Slippers made of plant fibers such as cotton or linen, or synthetic fibers such as polyester can be washed in the washing machine, but if they are made of wool , we recommend hand-washing them with a mild detergent .
As you can see, how to wash slippers varies depending on the material of the slippers, so here we will introduce the correct way to wash slippers for each material.
Click here if you would like to watch the video
[1] Washing slippers made of vegetable fibers and synthetic fibers | Washing machine version
If your slippers are made of washable material, the method I'm going to show you below is the easiest way to wash them and removes dirt, so I recommend this method if you don't have much time to wash your slippers.
Things to prepare
·toothbrush
・Washing net for shoes
・Detergent (linenna is recommended if you are concerned about dirt and odor)
procedure
[1] Before putting the slippers in the washing machine, spot-clean the heavily soiled areas with a toothbrush.
[2] To prevent slippers from losing their shape, put them in a shoe laundry bag and put them in the washing machine.
[3] Wash using the "hand wash cycle" using the detergent you usually use.
[4] After adjusting the shape of the slippers, hang them in a well-ventilated place to dry.
[2] Washing slippers made of plant fibers and synthetic fibers | Hand washing version
Using a washing machine is the best way to remove dirt, but to gently remove dirt without damaging the fabric of your slippers, try washing your slippers with Linenna laundry detergent.
We especially recommend hand-washing if you have slippers made of cotton, linen, or polyethylene.
Linenna's laundry detergent removes food stains, sweat from the soles of your feet, and odors from around the house, so you can keep your slippers clean.
Things to prepare
·toothbrush
·bucket
・Laundry detergent Rinenna 
procedure
[1] Clean the dirty areas with a toothbrush
[2] Dissolve one lightweight spoonful of Rinenna in 200ml of hot water and leave it on for about 5 minutes with the dirty side facing down . (It tends to float , so use a plastic bottle filled with water to weigh it down. It will stay firmly attached. Square plastic bottles are recommended as they are more stable.)
[3] Wash the slippers by pressing so that they do not lose their shape.
[4] Rinse while changing the water until there are no bubbles.
[5] Dehydrate for about 1 minute in the “dehydration mode” of the washing machine.
[6] After adjusting the shape of the slippers, hang them in a well-ventilated place to dry.
[3] Washing felt slippers | Hand washing
The felt slippers that you often see in the fall and winter are made of wool material that doesn't get dirty easily, but you'll want to wash them thoroughly at the end of the season.
Felted wool has the characteristic that it does not harden easily even when soaked in water. You can rest assured that it won't lose its shape even if you wash it at home.
Things to prepare
·towel
・Neutral detergent
procedure
[1] Remove dirt with a towel that has been thoroughly wrung out with water.
[2] Press wash using neutral detergent
[3] Spin the slippers by wrapping them in a towel, or spin them in the washing machine's "spin cycle" for about 1 minute.
[4] After adjusting the shape of the slippers, hang them in a well-ventilated place to dry.
[4] Wash down room shoes | Hand wash
Room shoes made of down material, which are popular in the winter, can also be thoroughly washed with Linenna laundry detergent, so we will introduce them here.
Things to prepare
·toothbrush
·bucket
·towel
・Neutral detergent (RINENNA Pro#ZERO)
・Laundry detergent Rinenna
・Softener (Rinenna No.9)
procedure
[1] Fill a bucket with water, dissolve a neutral detergent, and firmly submerge the room shoes before washing. (They will float, so submerge them thoroughly.)
*If you are using RINENNA Pro#ZERO, 1-2 drops from a dropper in a bucket filled with water is sufficient.
[2] Add half a lightweight spoon of Rinenna #1 to 200ml of hot water and stir thoroughly to dissolve.
[3] For heavily soiled areas, apply Rinenna cleaning solution to your toothbrush and scrub.
[4] Repeat press washing
[5] Rinse thoroughly while changing the water until there are no bubbles.
[6] Fill a bucket with water, add half a lightweight cup of fabric softener, and stir thoroughly.
[7] Put the slippers in a bucket of fabric softener and let them sink.
[8] Lightly squeeze out the water
[9] Wrap the room shoes in a towel to dehydrate them (if you have a drum-type dryer, drying them in the dryer will make them softer)
[10] After adjusting the shape of the room shoes, hang them in a well-ventilated place to dry.
[5] Care for leather babouche | Wipe and wash
Leather materials should not be soaked in water, as this may damage the texture of the leather or cause it to become hard and deteriorate. Therefore, be sure to wipe down your leather products.Things to prepare
·sponge
·towel
・Neutral detergent
procedure
[1] Soak a soft sponge in 10 times diluted neutral detergent and gently wipe it.
[2] Wipe with a towel that has been wrung out with water, making sure to hold it firmly so that no moisture or cleaning ingredients remain (be careful not to scrub too hard).
[3] Dry thoroughly in the shade. 
What is the ideal frequency to wash slippers?
Ideally, we recommend washing once a week.
Even if you can't do it every week, wash your clothes regularly, once every 2-3 weeks.
If dirt is noticeable or the smell is bothersome, try washing more frequently.
Make sure to follow the instructions on how to wash your slippers and your washing machine, and use the appropriate method for the material of your slippers.
Because you wear slippers every day, you want to keep them clean by washing them regularly. Please use this article as a reference when washing your slippers.
