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
Natural suede is made from the skins of sheep, wild goats or deer by fat or formaldehyde-fat tanning. The main features of the material: softness, velvety surface, resistance to high temperatures. Suede products look presentable, expensive and elegant. Stylish boots, boots, and shoes allow you to create interesting looks while providing maximum comfort to your feet. In terms of durability, quality suede shoes can last more than 10 years with proper use and proper home care. To improve the properties of the material, special sprays, impregnations that protect against water, dyes and reducing agents are used.
The main disadvantages of suede are its high maintenance requirements and sensitivity to moisture. It's best to save your fancy suede shoes for dry weather. Moisture can deform them, make the surface hard, and ruin the color.
Maintenance and Prevention
After each wearing of shoes, you need to clean the suede from dirt and store it in a dry place. You can stuff crumpled newspapers into your shoes or boots. They will help absorb excess moisture and also allow the shoes to maintain their beautiful shape. Shoe inserts made from cedar wood are also good for this.
Suede protection sprays are also available to effectively seal the fibers and prevent stains from penetrating into the surface of the shoe.
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Basic cleaning rules
Immediately after purchase, suede shoes are cleaned with a special brush and treated with a water-repellent aerosol. This will help preserve the color of the products, make cleaning easier, and extend their service life. Caring for suede requires following simple basic rules:
- Do not soak or wash the product under high pressure water, or use solutions with a liquid base. Machine washing can permanently damage the material. Dry cleaning is optimal, as well as minimal spot wetting with a damp sponge.
- Splashes and any other contaminants are removed only after the shoes are completely dry. Otherwise, the substance will penetrate deeper into the material and form a stain, which will be very difficult to remove.
- The fleecy surface is easily painted, so you should purchase separate tools for dark and light shoes.
- The material requires preventive maintenance. It is necessary to regularly treat with special means and clean the pile.
Suede shoes, shoes and boots should be stored in a place protected from direct sunlight.
Do not soak or wash the product under water pressure
Splashes and dirt are removed after the shoes are completely dry
Use separate tools for shoes of different shades
Regularly treat with special products and clean the pile
Removing salt stains
First of all, you need to try to remove as much salt as possible using a suede brush. Then, using a soft cloth, carefully rub a small amount of white vinegar into the surface of the shoe where the salt remains, then blot again and allow to dry completely.
Gently smooth the suede. If there is too much salt, the procedure may need to be repeated.
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Required Tools
Professional products for removing dirt from suede are sold in shoe stores. You can safely trust them to take care of soft pile. For complete care, brushes, erasers, and mesh sponges are useful. Modern brushes are equipped with teeth made of rubber, rubber, crepe or soft metal. All of them are designed to gently “comb” the fibers without harming the surface. Processing is carried out with gentle movements, against the pile . The most practical and functional are double-sided devices, complemented by various grooves. On one side there are metal bristles, on the other there is a rubberized or rubber surface.
You can clean shoes with an eraser, but you must use it against the direction of the pile in order to lift and remove dirt. Otherwise, the dirt will only be absorbed deeper. New white rubber bands are suitable for maintenance. Dust and hair are removed with adhesive clothing rollers.
A special toothbrush can be replaced with a toothbrush that has been better used, since it will become sufficiently soft.
Products for removing stains from suede
Brushes and sponges
Erasers
Toothbrush as an alternative to a special one
Cleaning methods taking into account contamination
The material is quite capricious and demanding to care for, and needs to be treated with care. Before cleaning suede shoes, it is necessary to assess the volume and type of contamination. It is also important to consider the color of the product.
Dust and dirt
Natural suede should be cleaned after each use, as dust microparticles settle on the surface. If you regularly remove minor fresh dirt, you won’t have to take drastic measures; dry cleaning is quite suitable.
A brush with hard teeth will help get rid of dust and dirt. The problem area is wiped in only one direction until it is completely clean. Movements must be careful and careful.
The most effective way to remove stubborn dirt is steam treatment. Before cleaning dusty suede, you need to properly prepare it. It is necessary to walk over the surface with a brush or sponge moistened with soapy water. Steam treatment of suede shoes at home is carried out in accordance with step-by-step instructions:
- Water is being filled into the kettle. You will need a lot of steam, so the container is completely filled.
- The liquid is brought to a boil.
- Under the stream of steam coming out of the spout, the product is placed with the sole up and gradually moved until it is completely processed.
- After steam treatment, the surface of suede shoes is intensively cleaned with the hard side of the brush, always in the same direction.
- When all dirt is removed, the boots dry naturally.
When cleaning shoes with steam, precautions must be taken . To protect against burns, gloves are worn on your hands. Processing is carried out quickly - too much moisture combined with high temperature can lead to deformation of the product.
Walk with a brush soaked in soapy water
Steam your shoes
Brush with the hard side of the brush, in the same direction. Dry naturally
Stains
To remove complex stubborn stains, use a solution prepared from 100 g of milk, half a teaspoon of soda and ammonia. The components are thoroughly mixed and rubbed into the stain with a cotton pad or soft sponge. You need to wash off the composition with a barely damp sponge, rinsing it repeatedly and squeezing it well.
You can clean dark suede with diluted ammonia in a concentration of 1:4 with water. A cotton pad is soaked in the mixture, lightly wrung out and applied to the stain. After drying, the pile is treated with a brush.
Gasoline is suitable for removing grease stains. It is applied in a thin layer, the material is sprinkled with talcum powder on top and left for an hour. Then the surface is treated with a stiff brush.
Stubborn stains can be easily removed with fine-grained sandpaper. Only the area of contamination should be treated, and this should be done without much effort. Before cleaning suede boots at home with sandpaper, you need to check whether it leaves dark streaks.
To remove stubborn dirt
For dark suede
To remove greasy stains
Stubborn stains can be removed with fine-grained sandpaper
Removing Waxy or Sticky Stains
Make sure your shoes are completely dry and then place them in the freezer for at least 3 hours. Using a stiff plastic spatula, credit card, or plastic comb, try to scrape off as much wax or other sticky substance as possible. Then simply smooth the suede with a terry towel or toothbrush.
If there is a greasy stain left after the wax, you can clean it with ammonia diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5 or use vinegar.
What to do if suede is shiny
Starch is used to restore the original appearance of a glossy surface. It is sprinkled on problem areas, and after 30 minutes the residue is removed with a fluffy brush. If there are severe abrasions, you can mix starch with ammonia to the consistency of a liquid slurry and gently rub the product into the damaged areas.
If there are a lot of shiny areas on your shoes, steam treatment will help. Do not allow excessive moisture; the brush can only be used after the boots are completely dry. The procedure helps restore the structure of the pile and refreshes the color.
You can thoroughly clean suede shoes at home with a milk-soda solution. It must be rubbed into the shiny areas, then washed off with a damp sponge. The product is not used for dark products, as it leads to the appearance of whitish spots.
Washing suede shoes at home is prohibited. Even if the area of contamination is large, dry cleaning and surface treatment of the material with liquid solutions are used, without soaking the base.
A mixture of starch and ammonia
Milk-soda solution
How to properly care for suede boots
Proper care is the key to preserving suede shoes for several seasons. When choosing suede, you need to study the set of recommendations and prohibitions.
It is forbidden:
- wash suede boots under water, wash them, wet them excessively with any of the solutions;
- comb the material against the grain;
- wear suede boots in snowfall or pouring rain;
- use bleach powders;
- scrape off dirt with metal objects;
- dry the product in front of a fire or heater.
Can:
- wash your boots with soapy foam or a damp sponge soaked in the selected composition;
- steam treat shoes;
- comb the pile daily;
- regularly spray with moisture impregnation;
- dry at room temperature;
- wear in dry sunny weather.
It is necessary to comb the pile daily
The nuances of cleaning light-colored shoes
Light suede boots get dirty much faster than dark models and require more frequent and careful cleaning. The surface is easily painted, so it is recommended to use colorless products. The rule also applies to tools: sponges, brushes, rags, sponges.
A safe solution for removing stains from white shoes is a milk solution. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and a few drops of hydrogen peroxide to a glass of slightly warmed milk. Apply the solution to the stains with a sponge or sponge. Before you clean boots from stains in this way, you need to make sure that the composition does not leave streaks. An hour before the main cleaning, you need to wipe a small area of the surface from the inside.
A mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water in a ratio of 1:5 is no less effective. The contaminated area is treated with this solution; if necessary, the procedure is repeated several times. Remaining liquid is removed with a sponge. After drying, suede shoes are cleaned with a stiff brush.
To update the color and remove gray plaque, the following method is used. Dried dirt particles are removed with a brush, then the surface is wiped with a clean white eraser (not colored), sprinkled with chalk or talcum powder. It needs to be driven into the surface with gentle patting movements. When the powder darkens, clean it off and add new one. The procedure must be repeated until the stain is completely removed.
Use colorless products
Purchase separate tools for light-colored shoes
Milk solution
A mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water
Wipe the surface with an eraser, sprinkle with chalk or talc
Street dirt: grass, snow, earth
Street, non-greasy dirt is the simplest type of dirt. This type of contamination also includes any other organic substances: vomit, blood, wine, sauces, food.
Fresh stains should be immediately blotted with any paper napkin and, if possible, covered with any absorbent. Then let it dry and clean with a brush or eraser.
If the dirt is colored and deeply ingrained, then you need to use vinegar, citric acid or hydrogen peroxide. For difficult cases, acetone is suitable.
The best ready-made products
Special products have been developed for cleaning suede boots at home. They will not damage the material and will help remove contaminants of various origins. The list of the best compositions included:
- Salton Expert Antisol. Eliminates stains that remain due to exposure to reagents, the product is ideal for residents of large cities. It has a pungent odor, so treatment should be carried out in a well-ventilated area.
- Aerosol Dividic. It helps not only to clean suede shoes from dirt, but also to refresh the color and restore the structure.
- Salton foam cleaner. A universal product for complete care. Apply evenly to the surface and do not require rinsing.
- Renovateur restorative balm. Used to renew color and gently cleanse. Simply apply a small amount to the surface and rub in gently.
- Cleaning foam Salamander Professional Combi Cleaner. The innovative formula with lime oil has a delicate effect on capricious materials, removing stains, stains, and water marks.
- Spray restorer Silver Premium 3 in 1. Designed for durable, uniform coloring and protection of the material from stains and dirt.
Using high-quality suede shoe cleaning products ensures not only reliable removal of dirt, but also gentle care. As a result, the material is not exposed to aggressive influence of negative external factors and retains its presentable appearance for a long time.
Salton Expert Antisol
Aerosol Dividic
Salton foam cleaner Renovateur restorative balm
Cleaning foam Salamander Professional Combi Cleaner
Spray restorer Silver Premium 3 in 1
Preventative care
To extend the life of suede products, it is necessary to ensure proper regular care. Before going outside for the first time, shoes are treated with a water-repellent spray. The product creates an invisible film on the surface that protects against abrasive microparticles and the negative effects of external factors.
Before the first and each subsequent spraying of the composition, suede shoes are cleaned. To do this, use a soft cloth or brush. The aerosol should be applied to the raised pile. After processing is completed, the products are placed in a well-ventilated room for 10 hours to dry. If used frequently, the procedure should be repeated weekly.
After each return from shoes, it is necessary to wipe off the accumulated dust particles with a soft flannel cloth or a special brush. Even with proper care, the color may become more faded over time. It can be easily restored using special aerosol dyes for suede. In order for the shade to perfectly match the original color, it is recommended to purchase the product at the same time as the shoes.
Treat with water-repellent spray
Wipe away dust particles with a special brush
To restore color, use special aerosol dyes for suede.
Removing ink
It is advisable to blot fresh ink with a clean, dry towel. Any remaining stains can be removed using rubbing alcohol. To do this, apply it to a towel or cotton swab. However, you should be very careful, as alcohol can cause the dyes in colored suede to fade or bleed.
If the stain still remains, you should carefully rub the stained area with very fine sandpaper or soft steel wool. You can also use a special eraser to clean suede, which helps remove heavy dirt.
This cleaning method may cause abrasions on the suede. To restore the beautiful appearance of your shoes, you need to apply a coloring agent to the entire surface of the shoes.
