How should you clean your soft leather baby slippers?
With all the frolicking, baby’s soft slippers pick up dirt and their soles tend to slip. That’s why you should take good care of your pairs of leather slippers to maintain their color and shine, as well as their structure and flexibility. Leather is a natural material that is easy to maintain and should be treated with care. Robeez gives you tips on how to care for your pair of soft leather slippers to extend their life and your toddlers’ comfort.
Cleaning leather
The first step in caring for your pair of baby slippers is to clean the leather. For smooth leather slippers, simply apply a little cleansing milk or baby lotion to a soft cloth and then rub the top of the slipper in a circular motion. Repeat the process as many times as necessary until clean.
To care for your pair of suede slippers, start by gently brushing your pair with a cloth to remove dust.
Then use a crepe brush or a special suede eraser to remove any marks on the leather, then rub in the direction of the fibre, and voilà!
How should you get rid of stubborn stains?
How should you remove stubborn stains? You can generally remove stains from your leather slippers with a damp sponge, rubbing in circular motions on the outside of the slipper. If the stain persists, you can use a little soapy water made with a mild cleaner. Be careful not to get too much water on the slipper. You don’t want to soak the leather!
To remove a grease stain, we use a 100% natural technique using montmorillonite clay, or, if you don’t have any, flour. It couldn’t be easier: generously sprinkle the stain with the powder, then let sit for several hours to be absorbed by the grease or overnight if needed. Gently scrub with a brush to remove excess powder. Repeat the process if the stain persists.
Little extras
To clean and/or disinfect the inside of your slippers, simply add a teaspoon of baking soda, which will also help absorb odors. Leave it on overnight, then remove excess with a damp sponge.
To prevent future stains and dirt, you can waterproof your slippers yourself. To obtain a natural waterproofing product, just combine beeswax with a vegetable oil, such as coconut oil.
Gentle drying
After cleaning, don’t forget to air dry your slippers! Avoid placing the slippers close to any heat sources: do not use a tumble dryer, radiator or even sun-drying, as these can harden the leather. Drying the leather too fast could reduce its softness, and the slippers could lose their “barefoot” feel. This could interfere with learning to walk. Don’t forget to lay your pair of slippers flat when drying them, so that they don’t lose their shape.
Remember to moisturise the leather!
Leather is a natural material made from the skin of animals. Like our own skin, this hide needs to be moisturised and cared for properly. Poorly moisturised leather can harden over time, and lose its shine and color.
Occasionally apply a natural leather moisturiser or a little baby lotion with a cotton pad.
How should you care for soft leather soles?
Over time and as baby moves around, the leather sole of the slippers will tend to become smooth and slippery, causing it to lose its grip. Don’t panic! You can recover the adherence of the sole of your slippers with a quick and easy clean-up.
First, you need to clean the underside of the slipper to loosen the caked-on dust and dirt that has caused the fibres to stick together, and smooth the sole. To do that, moisten the sole, being careful not to soak the entire shoe. Remember that water is not good for leather! To make sure only the sole gets wet, place the slippers on a plate with a bit of warm soapy water.
Next, use a hard bristle brush, preferably in nylon (wire brushes can be too abrasive), and scrub the sole to straighten the fibres and remove the dirt. Last step: drying.
Basic rules
You can care for your soft baby slippers quickly and easily, as long as you follow some basic rules to avoid damaging or losing the quality of the leather:
No heat source
Refrain from using any source of natural or artificial heat, which discolors, dries out and reduces the adherence of the leather (leather cannot withstand any hot water, tumble dryer or iron).
No chemical stain remover
No chemical stain removers or fragrance , which are abrasive agents that damage the quality of the leather.
No large quantities of water
No large quantities of water: leather should not be soaked, even for a few moments... So refrain from machine washing.
Be gentle!
Be gentle! Leather is a natural material, so treat it gently to maintain its fineness, softness and shine... The same way you would treat your skin.
Find all the soft leather soled slippers on the Robeez website, as well as the Mini Shoez slippers for crawling and the Mini Me shoes for pre-walking.
