How to clean suede at home: quickly and effectively

Handy tools for cleaning suede products

To clean suede from stains, dirt, dust, use special brushes. They are sold in hardware stores and wherever you can buy suede clothing or shoes. There are two types of base for brushes:

Stiff bristles. It raises the pile and makes the item fluffier and softer.
Elastic bristles made of rubber or rubber. Designed to get rid of dirt and greasy areas.

Instead of a brush, you can use a stationery eraser if cleaning is urgently needed and there is no brush. A hard brush will be replaced by a piece of sandpaper with the finest grain.

Folk remedies

You can also clean sneakers, shoes and other shoes made of suede using traditional methods, which have proven to be cheap and as effective as store-bought products. True, you should be as careful as possible when choosing this or that product, since if you don’t know, you can permanently damage the thing.

Ammonia

To clean suede with ammonia, you must first prepare a cleaning solution based on it:

Warm one liter of water.
Grate laundry soap into the shavings.
Pour soap shavings into water and stir until completely dissolved.
Add two teaspoons of ammonia to the solution.
Allow the solution to cool.
Soak a suede care brush in the solution and carefully brush the contaminated area of the surface.
After processing, let the items air out in the open air.

Important! For strong stains, you should prepare a paste of ammonia and soda, apply the mixture to the stain and leave for a few minutes, then gently rub and rinse off the paste.

Vinegar

To return the shiny area of suede to its original appearance, prepare a solution of a liter of warm water and a tablespoon of vinegar essence. Using a soft cloth, apply the liquid to the contaminated area, gently treat, and then allow the material to dry in fresh air.

Hot steam

To clean a sofa or suede bag with hot steam, you can use a steam generator, however, if you don’t have such a device at home, you can make do with improvised means. You can fill a container with hot water, from which steam emanates, and place the item you are treating over it.

Important! For this method, the item should be held over hot water for no more than a minute.

In less than a minute, drops of condensation will appear on the surface of the suede. Next, using a suede brush, you need to carefully clean the problem areas.

Eraser

The method is applicable for light pollution. To process, carefully rub the contaminated area with a suede eraser. You can buy this product in the same shoes, but an ordinary school eraser will do.

Starch

A greasy stain from suede can simply be cleaned with starch. To do this, apply the powder to the contaminated area, leave for an hour and remove from the surface with a brush.

Soap

Despite the fact that suede leather generally only likes dry cleaning, wet cleaning is acceptable for heavily worn areas. To clean suede from severe scuffs, you need to rub the problem areas with toilet soap and then remove them with water. After letting the item dry in the open air, you should comb it with a special brush for suede surfaces.

General cleaning tips

Recommendations to follow:

To simplify the cleaning process, the suede product is treated with a water-repellent spray before first use. In this case, snow, rain or street dirt will not ruin the item forever.
Do not wash natural suede as it will warp. Artificial material is carefully washed in particularly problematic cases.
Do not overdry suede products, otherwise it will lose its appearance. The item will become lumpy and lose its softness.
The use of industrial bleaches and stain removers is not allowed.
Suede does not like moisture. After cleaning with wet methods, the product is thoroughly wiped with a dry absorbent cloth. The product is straightened and left to dry.
Colored suede of unnatural shades can only be removed from dirt using dry methods. To do this, use a suitable brush or eraser.
If there is no dirt or stains, the dust can be removed with a dry foam sponge.

Features of suede brushes, are there any differences from regular ones?

Suede brushes look similar to regular brushes, but have many differences. Often, these cleaning products have tubular rubber teeth instead of bristles, and the reverse side consists of steel teeth placed in a special order. With their help, you can not only clean dirt, but also straighten the pile, remove grease stains, and hide scratches. Sometimes a suede brush may have an additional protrusion for high-quality cleaning of seams and shoe soles.

It is not recommended to clean suede shoes with ordinary brushes. Otherwise, the pile can quickly fade, lose volume and have a matte finish.

How to clean suede from various stains

Read about: how to wash a jacket in a washing machine.

Depending on the nature of the contamination, different cleaning methods are used. The jacket or coat is wiped with a rubberized cloth or a hard sponge. On the elbow bend and in other places of the folds, wipe the different area with fine sandpaper.

Gloves are washed by putting them on hands one at a time. With your free hand, use a cotton pad to wipe the product with soapy water. It is important to treat the wrist area and between the fingers.

Oily stains

It is quite difficult to get rid of them, but it is possible. Step-by-step instruction:

Use a paper towel to blot the stained area. Do not rub to prevent it from getting larger.
Pour talc, starch, soda, salt or tooth powder onto the stain. These products absorb fat well. The crumbly substance should cover the entire stain and a little around it in a thick layer.
To enhance the effect, the bulk product is heated in a dry frying pan before sprinkling. Then the item is covered with thin paper.
You can also iron it with gentle movements over the paper to enhance it. The temperature is set to the minimum.
When the powder has absorbed the fat (usually for at least 30-50 minutes), the suede item is cleaned with a brush.

The second method involves washing the product in a solution of detergent for woolen materials or dishwashing detergent. The liquid is diluted in water and whipped into foam. The resulting foam is applied to the dirty area in the direction of the pile. When it becomes dirty, it is collected with a dry sponge or cloth. To straighten the pile, use a brush or eraser.

Read: how to remove oil stains from clothes.

Stains from foods containing protein

Milk, a broken egg or even blood that gets on the suede must be washed off with cold water as soon as possible. Under the influence of temperature, the protein will coagulate and it will be difficult to wash the stain. Old, dried stains can only be removed with a soap solution or suede cleaner.

From drinks

Read about: how to remove paint from clothes at home.

Stains from drinks, especially bright ones from wine, are washed with warm water with liquid soap or shampoo dissolved in it. If you are afraid to clean an expensive item yourself, it is better to go to a dry cleaner. Before doing this, you can blot the contaminated area with a napkin. Before dry cleaning, you should not wash the product with chemicals yourself, otherwise even there they will not help.

From salt stains

Before cleaning, remove dust from the item. The following recipes are suitable for removing stains:

Moisten a sponge with a 9% vinegar solution and wipe the problem area. Then wipe with a damp cloth and leave to dry at room temperature.
Take a stale crust of black bread and rub the area with salt with it.
To get rid of ingrained salt, the item is held over steam, but it should not get wet. Therefore, they repeat this in several stages. The pile is lifted with a regular toothbrush.

Universal recipes

How to quickly and effectively get rid of various stains on suede:

soak a small cloth in gasoline and rub the contaminated area;
Wipe small stains with a crumb of wheat bread, a rubber brush, a special eraser for suede or an eraser;
a mixture of talc and gasoline is suitable for getting rid of greasy stains;
by holding it over steam, you can get a fresh and fluffy suede item;
Brown suede is cleaned with a brush dipped in coffee grounds, which are removed after drying.

When using ammonia

There are several ways to clean suede products with ammonia.

Recipe No. 1:

mix a glass of milk and a teaspoon of ammonia 10%;
soak a clean piece of cloth in the solution and rub the stain until it disappears;
Wipe the treated area with clean warm water.

Recipe No. 2:

Combine 30 g of regular soda with 2 tablespoons of ammonia;
apply to the dirty area with a sponge and wipe until it disappears;
rinse off the composition with warm water.

Recipe No. 3:

add 2 teaspoons of ammonia to 20 g of starch;
Treat the stain with the mixture and leave until dry;
remove with a brush.

This method is suitable for getting rid of old stubborn stains.

Recipe No. 4, whitening composition:

in 200 ml of warm water, dilute a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia;
Wipe the item with a soft cloth soaked in the solution.

This product is suitable for cleaning white and light-colored items. They cannot be cleaned with regular bleach. If you can’t get rid of dirt, you should take the item to dry cleaning.

Rules for daily care of suede shoes

Already when purchasing such a pair, sellers offer to take a protective aerosol with it, as well as a special brush for the soles. You shouldn’t refuse, because they will come in handy for cleaning purchased shoes every day and caring for them properly. This will allow you to maintain its attractive appearance longer.

Rice. 1 - Using a water-repellent spray

Before going outside for the first time, clean the suede with the rubber bristles of a brush and apply 3 coats of water-repellent spray. Such a film will not be noticeable on the shoes, but will help prevent getting wet and protect from dirt. Shoes will be easy and proper to clean, since dirt will not penetrate deeply.

Some useful tips for caring for suede shoes:

Wear it only in dry weather. If men's or women's old velor shoes do get very wet, dry them thoroughly before cleaning.
For drying, use a special shoe or fill the space inside with paper, and for light-colored shoes only white napkins are used. They need to be changed as they get wet.
After drying, clean the dirt with a stiff brush, a foam cleaner, and then go over it with a rubber brush.

Use a separate brush for each suede color. Remove dirt by moving the brush in one direction, and when cleaning the abrasion, move the bristles in different directions. To restore color, use aerosol paints. Treat the surface in advance, not just before going outside. To treat children's felt boots, special sprays are suitable, such as those used when caring for shoes at home.

How to clean different types of dirt?

Depending on the type and degree of stains, the recipes for how to clean suede shoes with or without fur differ. A special brush can be a good helper in cleaning - on one side it has soft teeth made of rubber or rubber, on the other - hard ones made of metal, on the sides of the product there are natural soft bristles.

Rice. 2 — Brush for cleaning suede shoes

The rubber part lifts the pile, eliminates grime, and the metal fights dried dirt. Do not press the brush too hard; work carefully. A more careful cleaning method is to use a crepe brush. If the tool has a side wheel, use it to clean the welt and seams. Instead of a brush, a stationery eraser is quite suitable.

Machine oil and reagents

These substances can remain on shoes after walking on asphalt. They can be easily removed with a rubber brush or eraser. Before removing stains, sprinkle greasy marks with talcum powder and scrub the surface with stiff bristles.

Whiteness, shine, fuel oil, glue and paint

Acetone can be used to remove such stains. First test its effect on an inconspicuous area of the shoe. If stains (for example, from moment glue) have already dried, carefully remove them with a knife or abrasive paper.

Bitumen, shoe polish and tar

Sprinkle starch onto greasy stains and wash with water and soap to remove any residue. Repeat in several stages, do not wet the shoes too much. Then dry and apply a colorless impregnation to protect against moisture.

Wax, candle, resin and paraffin

Remove the dried stain with a knife or place the shoes in the freezer - this will cause the wax to freeze and chip off. Then combine 10 g of wine alcohol, 35 ml of ammonia and 50 g of purified gasoline. Soak a cotton pad in the mixture and remove any remaining paraffin.

Rice. 3 — Removing paraffin from suede

Juice, champagne or vomit

Sprinkling baking soda can help get rid of spilled drinks or vomit on your shoes. Wait for the stain to dry and brush it off. Clean light-colored shoes with a soda-milk solution (1 tbsp per liter). After 2 minutes, wipe with a soft cloth.

How to clean after rain or snow?

Exposure to water may leave stains on suede shoes. Combine equal parts of warm water, ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, soak a cotton pad in the mixture and rub the stain. If your shoes are dark, you can simply rub away the stains with an eraser.

Grass, plaque and blood

Streaks and traces of them can be removed with a gentle solvent - a special nail polish remover without acetone. Rub the stained area first with a dry and then with a clean, damp cloth. For best results, treat the stain from the edges to the middle.

Solid oil

Wash off a greasy stain from fuel and lubricant on winter or summer shoes with a soap solution or dishwashing liquid, for example, “Fairy”. Or wash it with hydrogen peroxide, and then scrub it thoroughly with a soft brush.

Rice. 4 — Means for cleaning grease stains

Coffee and soot

Dark stains on white shoes can be removed with soda or milk solution, or bread crumb. It is especially important to clean up your light-colored summer shoes before putting them away for the winter. If stains appear on dark shoes and nubuck material, you can rub them with nail polish remover that does not contain acetone.

How to remove scuff marks?

You can eliminate bald spots on suede and return the shiny surface to normal using a special spray. It is sold in professional stores and is applied from a distance of 20-25 cm. To refresh the color of dark shoes, use coffee grounds; for white shoes, use talc. Apply the product to the surface, remove excess with a dry soft cloth.

How to remove grime and odor?

Greasy shoes can be saved with a 9% vinegar solution. Wipe your shoes with it, then go over the dirty areas with an unpleasant odor with a rubber band. After airing, you can safely put on an updated pair of shoes.

How to clean dried dirt?

You will be able to clean very dirty shoes from heavily ingrained dust only after the wet pair has dried. It will be necessary to wipe the contaminated areas with a soap solution with ammonia (1:5), rinse the contaminated surface with cold water and remove the residue with a dry cloth. It is important to completely remove all traces of cleaning products. If there is heavy dirt, use professional products to remove stains from the pile - cleaning foam, aerosol.

Rice. 5 – Foam shoe cleaner

How to clean from dust?

Dusty, shiny and worn shoes can be updated with your own hands. To do this, you need to wipe the suede with a solution of milk and soda (a teaspoon of powder per glass of liquid). Then sprinkle with fine salt and wipe with a weak solution of vinegar (1:4). Rinse off any remaining product with water.

How to remove shoe polish?

Immediately sprinkle the greasy stain with talcum powder and remove the residue using purified gasoline and then a soap solution. If dirt remains, use an eraser or a special stain remover. After this, comb the pile with a brush.

How to wash suede

Before washing the sheepskin coat, the lining is slightly stripped from the bottom and on the sleeves. Things made from this material are washed quickly, do not soak and do not rub for a long time. Sleeves and collar can be brushed.

Dry the product at room temperature, in some cases in air. Do not dry near radiators or heaters, or in direct sunlight.

It's not always easy to care for suede items. With some effort, you can enjoy it for many years to come.

General care recommendations

When you decide to clean suede on your own, before using any cleaner you need to test it on an inconspicuous area of the item. And:

Suede products should only be cleaned dry or wet, but not too wet. Full contact with water will cause the material to warp and harden after drying. Items made from natural suede cannot be washed.
Stains should be cleaned during the daytime and in good lighting. This will allow you to notice all the pollution and their boundaries.
Clean with brushes or sponges without much effort and completely remove any cleaning agent used.
Do not use salt to remove stains on dark colored materials. This may affect its color.
Treatment with a special water-repellent agent before the first and subsequent use of the product will protect it from rain, sleet and splashes from passing cars.
After wet cleaning, suede clothing, shoes or accessories should be thoroughly wiped with a soft, dry cloth and dried, having first straightened it well. Drying should be done avoiding the proximity of heaters, radiators and other heat sources.

Faux suede can be washed in a washing machine on the most delicate cycle and at a temperature of no more than 30°C. Do not spin or dry. Do not squeeze or twist the item. Dry, smoothed by hand, on a non-fading sheet (terry towel) or on a hanger with sloping shoulders. Just let the water drain.

photo: depositphotos.com/evgenyataman, Ha4ipiri