How to Clean Suede

Suede is a lovely material - warm, soft and cuddly. Too bad it's such a terrible beast to clean. In general, have suede garments professionally cleaned. This can be costly but the most effective way to ensure the safety of your fabric. If you must clean your own, follow these guidelines.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Shoe Shining/cleaning Kits
• Paper towels
• Leather Cleaning Kits
• Washcloths
• Leather Protection Sprays
• White Vinegar
• Suede Brushes

1. 

   Rub suede gently with a bath towel to restore some of its nap.

2. 

   Remove dry stains and marks from suede by gently rubbing a pencil eraser on the affected area. For wet stains lay a papertowel on top of stain to absorb most of the liquid. Do not apply any kind of stain remover or other products, especially if you want to have it professionally cleaned. This can interfere with the cleaning process.
   

3. Brush with a suede brush.

4. 

   Apply a small amount of white vinegar to a lightly dampened cloth as a last resort for cleaning suede shoes.

5. Gently rub the surface of the shoe with the cloth, then allow it to air dry.

6. Remember that stains on leather and suede should be professionally treated. This is always the best option. You never know how the leather was treated during the making of your fabric and what will happen if you try to clean it yourself.

Tips & Warnings

• Pre-treat suede with a leather protection spray before use.
• Leather and suede garments should be professionally cleaned at least every two years. Drop off your garment during the season you are not using it. This will guarantee that your garment is ready when you need it.
• Note that suede shoes treated with white vinegar may have a mild odor after cleaning.

[jimsmith]

on 8/27/2009 This article is wrong. It says: Pre-treat suede with a leather protection spray before use.

Just what "leather protection spray" do you recommend? If you visit the 3M Scotchguard web site, says you should not use Scotchguard Fabric & Upholstery spray on suede.

"We do not recommend using on rugs, carpets, suede, plastics, or vinyl."

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scotchgard/Home/Applications/Apparel/Do-It-Yourself/Fabric_Protector/

[writebecause]

on 8/19/2009 To avoid what happened to Cleanfreek, Call 866-944-3749 This toll free number will help you find the best cleaners in your area

[writebecause]

on 8/19/2009 To avoid what happened to Cleanfreek, Call 866-944-3749 This toll free number will help you find the best cleaners in your area

[paintedsky]

on 2/9/2009 my friend has wax spots on her favorite suede boots. Are there any sugestions for removing the wax?

[cleanfreek]

on 11/15/2008 I just sent my suede jacket to the drycleaner and it came back $41.00 later with the same spill on the back that was there when I brought it in. As a last ditch effort I threw the jacket in the washing machine on gentle cycle, cold water with a small amount of detergent. After washing it a few times I threw it in the dryer on low heat/gentle cyle with a dryer sheet, pulled it out when it was 80 percent dry and left it to hang dry and it is perfectly clean and can be worn again. The garment label states 100%leather cleaning by specialist only. I was willing to risk washing it because it could not be worn with the spill.