How to clean suede quickly and easily: simple ways to clean suede at home

Suede is a rather capricious material, which, despite being difficult to care for, has become widespread among fashionistas. Whatever item is made from it, it looks expensive and elegant.

However, if used incorrectly, a product made from such leather will very quickly lose its presentation, and not every owner knows how to clean suede correctly.

There are a number of nuances that you have to take into account in order to wear an item and enjoy it for as long as possible. After reading them in our article with photos, you will not only learn about the rules of care, but also how to return the products to a presentable appearance.

Features of the material

Suede is leather tanned using fat tanning technology. To make suede, the skins of small animals, mainly calves and goats, are taken. This material is soft and velvety to the touch.

In addition to its pleasant appearance, its advantages include the ability to retain heat, breathability, and hypoallergenic qualities.
Disadvantages: constant vulnerability to damage, susceptibility to contamination, need for careful handling.
Faux suede is a fabric that imitates tanned leather.
Compared to its natural counterpart, it is more practical and has greater wear resistance. Externally, it is not much different from the original material.

Shoes, boots, and boots made of suede are classics that never go out of style. They are comfortable to wear, pleasant to the touch, and very attractive to look at.

Let's sum it up

Suede is a beautiful material with many advantages.

The maintenance requirements are more than compensated for by the aesthetics and nobility of this fabric.

If you want your expensive Timberland sneakers or fashionable UGG boots to retain their appearance for a long time, you need to try to ensure careful care.

Causes of suede contamination

Various problems arise when wearing suede shoes. Many of them depend on the personal characteristics of a person’s gait and his habits.

Some people constantly stumble when walking or hit their feet.
Wearing jeans on suede can cause abrasions. Chauffeurs are characterized by worn areas on their heels.
Poor quality storage racks can also damage your shoes. Due to an ill-thought-out design, the front of the shoe may sink into the board, causing the appearance of the sock to deteriorate.

In winter, suede boots suffer from the reagents that litter the roads. These substances corrode suede and leave salt stains on it.

Important Tips

Before putting on new suede shoes, treat them with a special protective spray. Use the product according to the season. For winter, autumn and early spring it is better to use water-repellent sprays. They allow the suede to remain dry even on very wet roads. In addition, after the sole and upper material dry, the suede remains beautiful and fleecy. For summer shoes made of special leather, it is better to use dust-repellent compounds. They preserve the brightness of a black product and the freshness of light-colored shoes.

After treating the suede with the spray, let it sit for at least three hours and only then put on your shoes. Renew the spray layers periodically approximately once every 2-3 weeks or as appropriate.

Interesting: How to clean a greasy sofa

Caring for suede shoes

Immediately after purchase, you should treat your shoes with a water-repellent solution in several layers. It is better to do this 2-3 times with a break of 15-20 minutes.

To keep your shoes in good condition, you need to take care of them all year round.
There are creams, aerosols, and impregnations against moisture and dust on sale. Suede should be protected from rain and snow. Any processing should be carried out in advance.
If you follow these care rules, the life of your shoes will increase significantly.

If your shoes have stains, dirt, or deformations, there are ways to restore them and return them to an attractive appearance. There are many valid tips on how to clean natural suede.

Blood and wine

Another type of stain that is most likely to be found on a jacket or bag is blood or wine. They are difficult to remove even from simple fabrics, but we will give some tips on how to properly deal with stains.

The most important rule when cleaning blood is cold water. Under the influence of temperatures, the blood coagulates, then it will be almost impossible to clean it. Blot the area with a wet rag; if the stain remains and the blood is absorbed into the fibers, then make a concentrated soap solution. You can use the same products for it: washing powder and liquid soap. Shampoo will help remove wine; it is applied in the form of foam, left for 5-10 minutes, and the residue is removed with a towel.

You can use ammonia solution, it is important not to let the stains dry, they need to be cleaned within 2-3 days from the moment they appear. Colored surfaces can be cleaned with a low concentration alcohol solution, alcohol and water are taken in a ratio of 1:10, the stain is soaked, and then cleaned with a napkin.

Preparing for cleaning

If your shoes get wet after coming in from the street, the first thing you need to do is dry them. Shoe lasts are used for drying, helping the shoes maintain their shape. After walking on suede, wrinkles form, which are smoothed out with the help of these devices.

Suede shoes should be dried at room temperature. Do not use a hair dryer, radiator, heater or other artificial heat sources for drying. They make suede dry and brittle.

Dry cleaning

If possible, it is better to use the dry cleaning method, since suede really does not like to come into contact with water. A large amount of moisture causes the pile to stick together and spoil its appearance.

In case of dry contamination, it is enough to work with a brush to return the shoes to their previous condition.
To clean suede from dust, any soft brush or even a sponge will do.
Ideally, use a special rubberized brush for suede or a brush with natural bristles.
People use dry bread crust.

After brushing, it is advisable to hold the shoes over hot steam to restore the fleecy layer. Alternatively, you can use an electric steam cleaner for this purpose.

How to clean dirt from suede at home

Suede products can only be cleaned dry.
The first thing that every owner of suede shoes should remember is that this material does not like moisture, and therefore it is impossible to wash such things as boots made of leather or dermantine under the tap. Cleaning suede at home involves the following procedures:

Removing dust from the surface using a special brush.
Removing stains, if any.
Treating glossy surfaces with a stationery eraser.
Raising the pile with a special “comb” for suede.
Painting shoes.
Treatment with water-repellent agents.

It is important to know that suede should only be cleaned after it has dried. The same applies to painting shoes - you can refresh the color when the cleaned material dries.

Wet cleaning

Before quickly cleaning the suede, it is worth stuffing the inside with paper. This will protect it from deformation.

For this type of cleaning you will need:

Brush or sponge for suede;
Container with water;
Soap, shampoo or special suede cleaner;
Microfiber cloth or fluffy rag.

First you need to make a cleaning solution by diluting detergent in water. Then you need to moisten the brush in this liquid and wipe the dirt on the shoes in a circular motion. The resulting stain is blotted with a napkin or rag, and then steamed or treated with an eraser.

Cleaning furniture

We have learned how to deal with stains on clothes, but artificial material is also used for finishing furniture. Cleaning artificial suede should not be wet; you can use soap solutions or ammonia. A steam cleaner is perfect; it will lift the pile, refresh the fabric, and remove dust.

An artificial suede sofa can have two types of markings: W or S. In the first case, the letter will mean that the upholstery can only be cleaned with water-based products, in the second, that specialized solvents can be used. If you see a combination of two designations in the instructions, then you do not need to think about how to clean artificial suede; all means except washing will be appropriate.

Now you know the basics of caring for suede fabric. It doesn’t matter whether you bought an artificial or natural material, it requires care, then the stains will disappear quickly, and the item will delight you for a long time.

Video: how to clean any suede?

Special cleaning

To know what you can use to clean suede, you need to determine the type of contamination.

To remove salt stains, you need to use 10% ammonia diluted with water.
Starch or talc powder will help against traces of fat. It needs to be poured onto the stain and left for a couple of hours, then brushed off.
If the origin of the stain is unclear, you can use a solution of ammonia and starch, or ammonia and chalk.
The resulting semi-liquid mass is applied to the contaminated area and then removed.
After this, the shoes are dried at room temperature. Residues are cleaned off with a brush.

In all cases, it is preferable to take your shoes to a dry cleaner so that they can clean your suede boots using professional methods. Attempting to clean it manually always runs the risk of ruining the situation even further.

Traditional methods for removing stains

If for some reason you do not have the opportunity to purchase store-bought products, or you need to clean your shoes immediately, then you can put the items in order using improvised means.

Vinegar

Despite its own aggressive properties, this product has consistently proven itself as a cleaner for many surfaces. It can also be used for the velvety coating of dressed natural suede.

However, it is recommended to give preference exclusively to a product with a low acid index (not higher than 9%). If you use essence, you risk completely ruining your favorite shoes.

To achieve results, blot a lint-free cloth with a small amount of vinegar and thoroughly wipe off the stain. Do not use cotton pads - they may leave lint on the surface.

Also, do not pour too much product - the suede should be only slightly damp, and not quite wet.

Thus, having ordinary vinegar in your arsenal, you don’t have to worry about how to clean light suede. This substance is also effective for products of any other shade.

Important: do not keep wet shoes made of this leather near radiators - such rough drying will cause the material to lose its velvety quality. Let it dry naturally, even if it takes much longer. To speed up the process, you can blot wet areas with napkins.

Starch

A paste of starch and ammonia will help deal with fairly old stains on suede boots.

To obtain the product, you need to mix the components in equal proportions (two teaspoons of each) and apply the mixture to the problem area. When the composition is completely dry, it should be cleaned with a soft bristled brush.

Coffee grounds

Thanks to its rather delicate abrasive particles, coffee grounds can cope with almost any contaminant. It is enough to actively rub the mixture into the stain, and then remove the remaining grains with a brush.

True, this folk method is only acceptable for brown shoes, because the grounds tend to stain the surface.

Ammonia

Ammonia combined with a soap solution will help restore the elegance of suede shoes.

Prepare saturated soapy water and add a couple of drops of ammonia to it. Dip a sponge into the resulting product and wipe the product.

Then go over it with a clean damp cloth and then a dry cloth. Leave to dry away from artificial heat sources.

Advice: if you are afraid of soap stains in the future, dilute the alcohol with the same amount of water and perform the necessary manipulations.

Crumb

You need to use the soft part of the bread together with a brush. To begin with, you should apply bread crumbs in a circle, and then walk over the top with bristles. Repeat the steps until the dirt is removed.

Soap and powder solution

If you decide to prepare a soap solution, then you should pay attention to the level of acid-base balance. It is recommended to make a cleaning liquid from more gentle products - it can be either soap or powder, or all together.

You should wipe off the dirt without applying much pressure so that the material is not overly saturated with foam, and after drying there are no whitish stains left.

Soda and milk

This method will return the appearance of the product to its original condition.

To do this, you need to dissolve a level teaspoon of food powder in 200 milliliters of warm milk and apply the resulting “cocktail” to the surface.

After partial drying, the material is wiped with a slightly damp rag, carefully lifting the fibers “against the grain.”

Color restoration

If your black suede shoes have faded, copy paper will help bring them back to their former brightness. Brown suede can be treated with coffee grounds. It is advisable to take shoes of other colors to the workshop.

Light suede requires special care when caring.
To clean such shoes, it is advisable to create a solution consisting of water, hydrogen peroxide and ammonia.
Such shoes should be stored in a special place; you need to prepare a separate brush and sponge for them.

Such a capricious material as suede should be handled as carefully as possible. Under no circumstances should you apply the same products to it as to regular skin.

It is strictly forbidden to wash it in a machine or soak it in water. Avoid harsh metal brushes and aggressive chemical cleaning agents.

How to clean suede from salt at home

Vinegar cleaning works best on light-colored suede.
Winter shoes are often covered with white stains - these are traces of salt. You cannot clean them with a brush, so you need to do the following: