Dirt and stains can make your suede accessories look less than their best, so it’s important to put in a little extra effort for their maintenance. Find out how to clean suede and get rid of all types of stains from this type of leather.
Whether you’re having trouble with cleaning uggs, other suede shoes or even suede furniture, find out how to get rid of even the most persistent stains and keep this leather looking well for a long time.
Clean Suede With the Right Utensils
When you buy suede shoes or accessories, you should also make sure you have everything your need to clean them properly. The most important utensils for cleaning suede are a suede cleaning brush, that has two types of bristles, soft and metal, and a suede eraser.
While the suede eraser can be replaced with crepe rubber, a rubber cleaning stone or even an emery board for the most persistent mud stains, you should always have a suede brush. The suede brush is very important to lift the nap of the leather and restore its original aspect. The right way to use is always in the direction of the fibers. Going back and forth will damage the suede.
How to Clean Water Stains Off Suede
Some of the most common stains that affect the look of suede are water stains, the reason why you shouldn’t wear stain shoes in bad weather. Whether your suede got completely wet or just parts of it did, you can prevent any staining by cleaning it properly.
Start by protecting the inside of the shoes, with an old towel, before spraying them evenly with water. The key to removing water stains is to scrub the edges of any stain. You can also blot when with a damp cloth to clean the stains.
Once you’ve gotten rid of any visible marks, let the suede dry in a well ventilated place, away from any sources of heat. If you try to dry them quickly, you’ll end up with more water stains.
How to Clean Wet Stains Off Suede
When you’re dealing with a colored liquid, it’s important to act fact. You’ll need a soft cloth that absorbs liquids well. Press it over the stain to get the moisture out as quickly as possible. Keep using try parts of the cloth to absorb the moisture from the suede. Once you’ve got it out, leave the suede to dry naturally.
If you don’t have any absorbent cloth, you can use paper towels, but they may leave paper residue behind. Don’t try to get all the shredded bits of paper off your suede shoes or jacket, simply let it dry away from any heat and then treat the problem as a dry stain.
How to Clean Dry Stains Off Suede
When you discover dry stains on your uggs or other suede accessories, reach for the suede brush and suede eraser, but make sure you also have access to either fine sandpaper, an emery board or even a nail file in case the stains prove to be difficult.
Start by rubbing the stain with the soft cloth, which can help with dirt stains while also helping restore the natural nap of suede. Before using a suede eraser on the stain, test how your suede reacts to it on a small patch in a less visible area.
If you can’t get the stain out with just the suede eraser, bring out the more abrasive surface, whether it’s an emery board or a nail file and rub in the direction of the natural fibers. Finish with the suede brush to restore the nap.
Ugg boots cleaning kit
How to Clean Oily Stains Off Suede
When you’re dealing with greasy stains, the best way to treat suede is to apply talcum powder or cornstarch on the stain and let it dry for at least 8 hours, preferably over 12. The powder will absorb the oil from the leather and make cleaning up much easier.
Before you start cleaning it with a suede brush, make sure the stain is moist. Blotting with a soft cloth and warm water is the simplest way to tackle the problem, but steam works better. Try using a steam iron over the stain before using the suede cleaning brush.
How to Clean Suede – Extreme Edition
If you’ve got chewing gum stuck to suede, the freezer with fix the problem with no effort on your part. Simply freeze the suede item for a few hours and the gum will harden and come off much easier.
Use white vinegar to remove stains caused by road salt lines and rubbing alcohol on a small cotton ball to get rid of ink stains.
If these simple tricks fail, don’t try to scrub more forcefully, simply take the suede item to a professional cleaner.
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