Plush slippers look best when they're fresh. Here's a simple, gentle routine for airing, spot cleaning and drying, so your favourite pair stays soft and clean for longer.
CloudKicks Team
Streetwear comfort, done right
Plush slippers are at their best in the first few weeks: bright, soft and fresh. The trick is keeping them that way. Knowing how to clean slippers properly, and gently, makes all the difference, because plush doesn't respond well to heavy-handed scrubbing, soaking or blasts of heat.
This guide covers a simple routine for any plush slipper, from weekly airing to spot cleaning, drying and brushing. One rule comes before everything else: always follow any care instructions supplied with your pair. Where they differ from the general advice here, they win.
Why plush slippers need a gentle touch
Plush is all about the pile, the soft raised surface that makes a slipper feel cosy the moment you pick it up. Rough handling flattens it, mats it or leaves it looking tired. Too much water takes an age to dry out, and direct heat can leave the surface feeling rough.
That's why the best approach is little and often. A few minutes of care each week does more than the occasional deep clean, and it's far kinder to the plush.
Start with prevention: keep them indoors
The easiest way to keep plush slippers clean is to stop them getting dirty in the first place, and that means keeping them indoors. Pavements, gardens and car parks bring grit, mud and damp that work their way into plush and are hard to shift.
CloudKicks are designed primarily for indoor comfort, and items showing signs of outdoor wear aren't eligible for return unless faulty. Keep a pair of trainers by the door for going out and save your slippers for the house. We cover this in more detail in where (and where not) to wear your CloudKicks.
A few other habits help:
- Wear socks. A layer between your feet and the inside of the slipper keeps it fresher for longer.
- Keep food and drink at a safe distance. Easier said than done on movie night, but tea and plush don't mix.
- Use an indoor doormat. A mat just inside the front door catches whatever gets tracked in on outdoor shoes before it reaches your slippers.
Air them out regularly to keep slippers fresh
Airing is the simplest habit there is, and it does more to keep slippers fresh than anything else on this list. Slippers that go straight from warm feet into a cupboard never get the chance to dry out properly.
- Once or twice a week, leave your slippers somewhere airy for a few hours. A bright spot by an open window is ideal.
- Stand them upright, rather than on their sides or stacked together, so air can reach the inside.
- Don't leave them baking in strong sun all day. Long exposure can fade bright colours.
- Give them a day off now and then. If you wear them all day, every day, a rest lets them dry out fully.
No products, no effort, and it makes a real difference to how fresh they feel.
How to clean slippers: spot cleaning step by step
For everyday marks, spills and scuffs, spot cleaning is the way to go. It's gentle, targeted and avoids soaking the whole slipper. Here's how to clean plush slippers without overdoing it.
- Brush off loose dirt first. Use a soft, dry brush to lift crumbs, dust and fluff from the surface. Wetting loose dirt just pushes it deeper.
- Mix a mild solution. A little mild soap in a bowl of lukewarm water is plenty. Avoid bleach, strong detergents and harsh chemicals.
- Test first. Dab a small, hidden area and let it dry to check the colour and texture stay as they should.
- Dampen, don't soak. Dip a clean, soft cloth in the solution and wring it out well. You want it damp, not dripping.
- Blot, don't scrub. Press the cloth onto the mark and lift, working from the outside of the mark inwards so it doesn't spread. Scrubbing roughs up the pile and can make a mark bigger.
- Rinse with plain water. Go over the area again with a fresh cloth dampened in clean water to lift any soap.
- Blot dry. Press a dry towel onto the area to soak up as much moisture as you can.
On a CloudKick, the white details need the most attention, because the chunky white rope laces and the white honeycomb mesh-look side panel will show marks first. Treat them exactly the same way, with a gentle dab rather than a scrub. The same goes for the colour-pop lace loops and the black oval badge on the tongue: dab around them, don't grind at them.
Drying: slow and natural wins
How you dry plush slippers matters as much as how you clean them, and heat is the enemy here.
- Air dry at room temperature. Leave them somewhere airy and let them dry naturally, however long it takes.
- Keep them away from radiators, heaters and direct heat. Resist the urge to speed things up. A hairdryer or a spell on the radiator can leave plush feeling rough.
- Skip the tumble dryer. Unless the care instructions supplied with your pair say otherwise, keep plush slippers out of machines altogether.
- Help them hold their shape. Stuff them loosely with kitchen roll or a clean, dry cloth to soak up moisture from the inside, and swap it out if it gets damp.
- Make sure they're fully dry before you wear them. Damp plush is where freshness problems start.
Brush the pile to bring the plush back
Once they're completely dry, the plush might look a little flat in places. That's normal, and it's easy to fix.
Use a soft brush (a clean clothes brush works well) and gently brush the pile in one direction, then lightly against it to lift it. Short, gentle strokes are all you need. Do this after every clean, and every now and then as part of your routine, and your slippers will keep looking soft and fresh.
Your simple plush slipper care routine
- Every day: keep them indoors and wear them with socks.
- Every week: air them out and give them a quick brush.
- As needed: spot clean marks with a damp cloth and mild soap, blotting rather than scrubbing.
- After cleaning: dry naturally away from direct heat, then brush the pile.
- Always: follow any care instructions supplied with your pair.
Little and often: that's the whole secret. If you're still choosing a pair, our guide to what actually makes a slipper comfortable covers care alongside fit and cushioning.
And if your pair arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, contact us within 48 hours of delivery with your order number and photos, and return shipping is covered. The full details are in our returns policy.
