Even if you are relatively practical, your slipper collection can easily get out of hand and end up cluttering your home and making it look untidy. Additionally, slippers, just like any other type of footwear, need to be protected from water, dust, and the sun so that they don’t fade or lose their quality while they are being stored. As a result, finding the right place to store your slippers will not only allow your home to stay neat but also allow them to serve you for longer. Read on to find out where you can store slippers within your home
Where to keep slippers at home? There are several places where you can store your slippers.
- Your first instinct may be to keep them on the floor so that they are easier to reach, but this will only make them harder to find especially if you keep them in a pile. You may be better off keeping them off the floor altogether, but if this is your only option, at least line them nicely.
- Alternatively, you can store your slippers on a shoe rack. This is a great option if you have a considerable collection of slippers. You can repurpose an old wooden ladder or purchase a wooden pallet from your local home improvement store for this storage method.
- You can also opt to keep your slippers in over-the-door shoe organizers if you are particularly low on space. This way, you will keep your slippers off the floor and avoid clutter.
- Another viable option is to keep your slippers in boxes if you want to store them for longer. You can either keep them in the original boxes that they came in or use clear plastic containers.
Organizing your slippers can be somewhat of a pain especially if you have many of them lying around. Here are some tips on where to keep your slippers to preserve a neat and uncluttered environment in your home.
Getting your slippers ready for storage
Before keeping your slippers, there are some initial steps you should take to prepare them for storage:
Clean them first
Storing slippers that are covered with dust, dirt, and other debris could lead to the degradation of the construction of the slippers over time. This is especially true if you are storing slippers that are made from suede or leather, but this fact should not stop you from cleaning slippers made from other material types before storing them. Even if you are simply keeping them for the night in readiness to wear the next day, you will want to clean them first.
- Use a soft suede brush to get rid of dirt and debris on your suede and leather slippers. Clean these slipper types using special cleaners that are specifically made for use on these materials.
- Follow the cleaning instructions that may be provided by the manufacturer when cleaning.
Sort your slippers into categories
If you previously kept your slippers in a pile, you will need to make some changes if you want to have an easier time finding what to wear. Start by dividing your slippers into categories:
- The slippers you wear all the time
- The slippers you wear once in a while
Once you have divided them based on these criteria, categorize them even further based on where you wear them:
- Fancy slippers that you wear to events
- The more muted slippers you occasionally wear to work
- Slippers that you wear when you are at home
Get rid of what you don’t need
As you organize your slippers, you will come across a few pairs that you don’t fit you anymore or simply don’t wear as much as you used to. These are the items that are unnecessarily taking up space and contributing to clutter in your home. Get rid of these slippers by donating them to charity or disposing of them depending on their condition.
Stuff them
If you are going to store your slippers for a month or longer before you wear them again, stuff them with balled acid-free paper to help them maintain their shape. You will want to avoid using newsprint since the ink might run and end up ruining your slippers. Alternatively, you can use shoe trees to ensure that your slippers stay in top condition even when in storage. Shoe trees that are made from cedars will not only keep your slippers smelling fresh but also repel bugs. You can buy shoe trees online or at shoe stores.
Where should you keep them?
There are several storage solutions that you can use to keep your slippers:
1. Keeping your slippers on the floor
Although the floor is not the most ideal storage place for slippers, you can make it work for you by ensuring that your slippers are kept in an organized manner. Consider getting a mat that is specifically designated for everyday slippers. Keep it close to the door or the coat rack, and agree with your family members to line the slippers neatly on the designated mat whenever they are not in use. This way, everyone will know where to find the slippers since they won’t be in a messy pile. Have a separate spot that is reserved for slippers that are dirty or wet and need to dry out. This could be a mat in your entryway.
2. Use a shoe rack
If you have a sizeable slipper collection, you will need alternative storage where you can keep slippers that you don’t wear too often. A shoe rack will make it more effortless to organize your slippers along a bedroom wall or in a closet. Find a wooden or plastic shoe rack and line your slippers neatly, and after every use, put them away in their designated spots.
You can repurpose an old wooden ladder and make a unique shoe rack by giving it a coating of paint that matches that of your room. Place the repurposed ladder sideways against the wall and line up your slippers on its rungs for easy yet aesthetically-pleasing storage.
Alternatively, you can purchase a wooden pallet from your favorite home improvement store. Mount it on your bedroom wall and store your slippers by putting the tips of the slippers into the slats. This storage solution may not be ideal for expensive leather slippers as it may cause them to crease, but it should work well with other slipper types.
3. Keep them in clear shoe bins that have lids
As you might know, it is hard to pick out an item of clothing or accessories when you are not sure what you are looking at. The same goes for your slippers – you want to keep them as visible as possible. If you are storing your slippers in shoe storage bins, always opt to use see-through options that have a lid. However, if you already have shoe bins that are not clear, simply stick a picture of the slippers on the outside of the bin. This visual aid will allow you to determine which slippers to go for immediately, preventing you from tearing your closet apart and causing a mess.
4. Store them in over-the-door organizers
Shoe organizers that you can simply hang over the closet door can be quite convenient – especially for lightweight slippers that you wear within your home. However, if you have a sliding closet door, or the space you have is too limited for a standard 24-pocket organizer, opt to use a slim vertical organizer that can be tied over the closet rod.
5. Keep them in a box
If you don’t plan on wearing a particular pair of slippers for more than a month, then you are better off storing them in a box. You can keep them in their original shoe boxes or use the aforementioned clear plastic bins. Old wine boxes can work just as well if you can’t find the original box.
6. Create your own DIY slipper holders
Another storage alternative involves simple DIY. To create your slipper holders, gather a couple of wire hangers and cut the bottom rungs off. Using a plier, bend their ends into curled hooks and fit your slippers onto them.
What not to do when storing your slippers
Here is what to avoid when storing your slippers:
- Always ensure your slippers are dry – Never keep your slippers in containers when they are wet as they will end up moldy and with a musty odor. Allow them to dry completely before storing them.
- Don’t wrap your leather slippers in plastic – Suede and leather slippers should be able to breathe when in storage. Wrapping them in plastic during storage could lead to discoloration or mold growth.
- Don’t stack your slippers on top of each other – Stacking your slippers on top of one another may be a great way of making more room for storage, but with time, your slippers will lose shape as a result. Always store your slippers side by side.
Final Thoughts
The way that you keep your slippers at home could affect their construction, so you want to ensure that you store them well. Some storage solutions such as using a shoe rack may not be suitable for all slipper types, so you want to look at all options and weigh their pros and cons before picking the most suitable one for you.