How to Clean Nu-Buck Leather
Nubuck leather is closely related to suede. Suede is typically created by roughening the inside (meat side) of a piece of leather; nubuck is prepared with a similar process, but the process is applied to the outside of the leather instead of the inside. This produces a short nap of textured protein fibers, which should always be restored by brushing after the nubuck leather is cleaned. Because untreated nubuck can be susceptible to stains and soil, using a water-based leather protector is a highly recommended follow-up to any nubuck cleaning. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Lint-free white cloth
- 2 dry sponges
- Water-based leather cleaner
- Clean, dry white terry cloth towel
- Water-based leather protector
Instructions
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1
Wrap a nubuck cloth (any lint-free white cloth should do) around a dry sponge and gently rub it back and forth on the soiled portion of leather.
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2
Remove the nubuck cloth from the sponge. Dampen the sponge with water until it's flexible; squeeze out any excess water. Apply a water-based leather cleaner to the sponge and squeeze the sponge repeatedly until foam results.
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3
Rub the foamed-up leather cleaner onto an inconspicuous portion of the nubuck surface, using a circular motion, then wipe the leather with a clean, white terry cloth towel. Inspect the sponge: If the leather color rubbed off onto the sponge, stop using the leather cleaner and use only nubuck cloth to clean this particular leather piece. If the color doesn't rub off, you can continue using the leather cleaner.
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4
Clean one panel of the nubuck at a time (if cleaning furniture), or one boot at a time (if cleaning footwear). Wipe each panel or boot dry, then dry it with a hair dryer on a low setting, before moving on to the next.
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Wipe a water-based leather protector onto the leather surface, one panel or boot at a time. Dry each panel with a hair dryer set on "low" before moving onto the next.
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6
Brush the leather surface, using circular strokes, with a clean, dry sponge to help raise and even up the nap. Be aware that the nap may be worn down in certain areas of high use, such as the arm rests of furniture.
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