How to Clean Suede and Sheepskin Slippers

These are my absolute, all-time favorite slippers. And it all happened because my husband went on a business trip.

You see, for Christmas one year I bought my husband a pair of suede and sheepskin slippers in a dark chocolate color. Then we went on a trip for a week. While he was gone, I tried on his slippers and discovered how wonderful they are. After a few days, I started to worry what would happen when he came home and wanted to wear his own slippers that I was not fully in love with.

I had no choice but to go out and buy myself a pair. What a great decision!

Why do I love them?

1. Most importantly, they are warm.

Sheepskin lining, suede uppers, and a full sole keep my feet's natural heat from escaping out onto a cold floor. From November to April each year, I have very cold hands and feet, so extra-insulating slippers are a necessity for me.

2.These house shoes are comfortable.

My shearing slippers have a wide fit that allows my feet to move freely even when wearing my thick wool socks.

3. My suede and sheepskin slippers are durable.

I wear these slippers almost all day, ever day from November to April. And they are durable. With some minor maintenance, I am sure I can get ten years of wear out of these slippers.

When your slippers need some attention, don't be tempted to toss them into the washing machine.

Doing so can cause the suede to dry out. Not only will your shoes become stiff and uncomfortable, they might crack right open!

There are two main ways for taking care of dirty suede slippers:

1. ERASER METHOD

As odd as it seems, an eraser works well to clean spots off suede shoes. Most any eraser will work-- one from the end of a pencil or a square eraser that's a bit larger. Don't use those extremely cheap novelty erasers that have lots of dyes because some of that color may transfer onto your suede.

2. VINEGAR METHOD

Apply a small amount of vinegar to a clean cloth and rub the stains or spots lightly. Don't destroy the nap of the suede, but do rub vigorously enough to remove the stain.

Of course, your slippers may have a slight vinegar smell for a few days, but it does wear off eventually.

Do not soak the slippers in vinegar. Just rub a vinegar soaked cloth onto the trouble areas.

If you clean your slippers in this way every year before you store them in the spring, you can keep them looking good for many, many years of wear.

If you wear your slippers in the kitchen like me, you may find that some stains will not come out at all. For example, oil stains are almost impossible to remove.

Of course, preventing stains in the first place is easier than cleaning your shoes. So spray your new or newly cleaned suede and sheepskin house shoes with a coating of water proofing protectant.