Can you wash felted slippers?

Dear community,

can you wash felted slippers in the washing machine after felting if they ever need to be washed?

Dear Josefa,

Yes, you can wash felt shoes. Here’s what I’ve learned from my many years of experience:

• Since felted wool doesn’t absorb odors, it’s enough to leave them out in the fresh air overnight to air them out. 
   
• I only wash felt shoes when I want them to be a little bigger or smaller. The wool fibers that have felted together form a dense fabric. However, this fabric is stretchy when wet. If you stretch the damp felted shoes over shoe lasts (in the next larger shoe size), they’ll dry to that exact size. That means my grandchildren’s favorite felted shoes always grow a few shoe sizes with them this way. 
   
• If you really wanted to wash them, you could wash them in the washing machine at 30 degrees. If the temperature were 40 degrees, they would shrink due to the heat and soapy water. So they would come out of the washing machine smaller. In that sense, you can also wash felt shoes to make them smaller.
   
• If there’s a stain, it’s enough to rub the spot in the sink—you don’t have to soak the whole shoe. 

Best regards, Ina