Wash and care for them—slippers for everyday use

Slippers are worn inside the home.
Whether you keep a separate pair for home and for the office,
or reach for them when welcoming guests or traveling for business,
slippers actually get more use than you might think.
Precisely because they're something we use casually every day,
proper care is essential if you want them to last a long time.

Have you ever actually cared for your slippers?
Nowadays slippers are made from all kinds of materials,
but depending on the material, washing them can sometimes be difficult.
It's worth checking whether hand-washing is possible before you buy.

This time, we've picked out the following slippers available at ZUTTO.

・Renudo　Felt Slippers Amore
・fog linenwork　Linen Slippers
・Le dd　Slippers Le dd DREAM

Each of these three brands' slippers is made from a different material, but all can be cared for at home.
Let's take a look at how to care for each one.

Slippers made of wool that wrap your feet in warmth.
At ZUTTO, Renudo's
Felt Slippers Amore are a longtime favorite.
Their knitted design leaves a strong impression, and they come in a wide range of colors.
With plenty of thickness, they hold up reliably even with daily use.

These are a pair of Felt Slippers Amore used daily for one season.
If you look closely, you can see a faint layer of dirt on the surface.
Some slight fraying has also appeared along the seams of the fabric.

When you hear "made of wool," you might worry whether it's okay to wash them.
Normally, knit products shrink and stiffen tightly when they get wet.
This phenomenon is called felting, and it's one reason why knit products
sometimes cannot be washed with water, in order to prevent this from happening.

However, since Felt Slippers Amore are already felted,
they're less likely to stiffen or shrink even when washed with water,
which is what makes them possible to care for at home.

Wool is relatively resistant to getting dirty,
but since the soles of our feet sweat even in winter, once the season when you wear them most has ended,
it's a good idea to give them a thorough cleaning.



■Washing Felt Slippers Amore

We recommend hand-washing Felt Slippers Amore.
*Using your washing machine's "hand-wash mode (dry mode)" is also fine.

1. Soak the slippers in lukewarm water, add a small amount of neutral detergent, and wash by gently pressing.
2. After washing, rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
3. Run the washing machine's spin cycle briefly, or wrap the slippers in a towel to remove excess water.
4. Reshape them and dry in the shade.

 

Also, since Felt Slippers Amore are designed to hold their three-dimensional shape,
please handle them gently when hand-washing.
When drying, rolling up newspaper and placing it inside the slippers can help,
but please be careful, as the newspaper ink may transfer onto the fabric.

Wool is easily damaged by direct sunlight, so please dry the slippers in the shade.
Make sure to dry them thoroughly to prevent mold and odor.
Also, Felt Slippers Amore are delivered in a brown packaging bag.
This bag is also handy for storage.
Once the slippers are fully dry, you can place them back in this bag,
or store them somewhere free of dust until the next season.
For long-term storage, it's even better to take measures against moisture and insects.
 

Made from the fibers of a plant called flax,
these are the Linen Slippers from fog linenwork.
Their crisp texture at first gradually softens over time,
making them an item you can enjoy watching change.

On the left is a new pair, and on the right is a pair of Linen Slippers after two years of use.
 
The Linen Slippers are also hard at work in the ZUTTO office.
After years of use, the upper part has become quite soft and relaxed in appearance,
and the color has faded slightly as well.

Linen is said to be the most durable of all plant fibers.
With excellent quick-drying and water-absorbing properties, it's also a reliable material
that can be used for a long time with proper care.


■Washing Linen Slippers

We recommend washing Linen Slippers using your washing machine's
"hand-wash mode (dry mode)."

1. Place the slippers in a laundry net, put them in the washing machine, and
select the hand-wash mode (dry mode).
Use a small amount of neutral detergent.
2. Since shrinking can easily occur, spin for only a short time.
Alternatively, wrap them in a towel to remove excess water.
3. Once spun, reshape the slippers and dry them in the shade.

Linen is easily damaged by friction, so always wash it inside a laundry net.
Please avoid using bleach, as it can cause uneven coloring.
After spinning, be sure to smooth out any wrinkles before hanging to dry.

Made from synthetic fibers (polyvinyl chloride and polyester),
these are the Slippers Le dd DREAM from Le dd.
With a design that looks as though the fibers have been knitted together,
these slippers are notably lightweight, thin, and breathable.

This pair has been used for about six months.
You can see slight fading in color, and the part that touches the sole of the foot
has become flatter compared to when it was new.

They are naturally breathable and treated with an antibacterial, anti-mold finish.
We give them a bit of care whenever we happen to notice they need it.


■Washing the Le dd DREAM Slippers

Since the Le dd DREAM slippers are made of synthetic fiber,
you can wash them in a regular washing machine without any worry.
They're also resistant to UV rays and heat, so it's nice that you can dry them in the sun as well.

1. Put the slippers in the washing machine and wash them on the normal cycle.
There's no need to put the slippers in a laundry net, and water temperatures up to 40°C are fine.
Since the slippers themselves are lightweight, they may float on the surface of the water, so submerge them in the water before washing.
2. Spin-dry on the normal cycle as well.
3. Once the spin cycle is finished, place the slippers somewhere in the sun and let them dry thoroughly.

Le dd's slippers are resistant to UV rays and heat,
so being able to dry them in the sun is another appealing point.
Leave them out in the sun for about an hour, and they'll dry in no time.
Also, please note that putting them in a clothes dryer may cause them to melt,
so please avoid using a dryer with these slippers.

We actually tried washing three different types of slippers,
and each one showed characteristics unique to its material and shape.

Renudo's felt slippers, Amore,
hold their shape firmly and don't easily lose their form even after washing,
though because the fabric is thick, it takes a bit longer to dry.
Even so, knowing that this thick felt protects your feet from the cold
is reassuring, and this is also a pair of slippers whose texture didn't seem to change much
even after being washed with water.

The linen slippers from fog linenwork
shrank by about 1 cm after being washed with water, which is a characteristic of linen.
Linen is also a material whose texture changes the more you use it.
The way it gradually softens up and molds to your feet is an appeal you won't find in other materials.
Since you can tell it's a natural material yet surprisingly durable,
it's a pair of slippers you'll want to keep using as time goes on.

Le dd's slippers, the Le dd DREAM,
dried in no time at all,
true to their reputation for quick-drying performance.
Fresh out of the wash, the color came back vividly, and they fit snugly to the feet as if clinging to them.
This really showed the high level of convenience unique to synthetic fibers.


This time, we picked out slippers made from three different types of materials.
Even though they're all slippers, despite having such different characteristics,
it's nice that all of them can be hand-washed.
Slippers are one of those items that are indispensable to daily life.
By taking the time to care for them yourself, you can enjoy using them for even longer.