How and how to clean a suede jacket at home: remove stains from dirt and grease

If you follow the basic rules for washing suede jackets, you can easily return the products to their original neat appearance without damaging them:

To maintain the shape of the jacket, be sure to use hangers..
Drying should take place in natural conditions , and if we are talking about a room, then it should be ventilated, and there should be no heaters near the clothes.
Suede does not like prolonged contact with water , so the washing process should be quick.
The water temperature should not exceed 35°.
It is recommended to use a special cover for washing.
Suede items are washed separately from others..

Brush selection

The hardware store sells a special double brush for cleaning suede. One side is covered with rubber or rubber fingers, the other with hard bristles. It is advisable to purchase just such an item for cleaning a suede jacket. Costs 300-400 rubles.

You will also find more budget-friendly types of products:

regular clothes brush;
kitchen sponge with a hard top layer;
school eraser;
old toothbrush;
fine-grained sandpaper.

Small stains on a suede jacket can be cleaned using white bread crumbs.

Features of removing complex contaminants

For each type of stains and dirt on suede material, there are effective cleaning methods.

Oily stains

Potato starch effectively cleans oily areas. Sprinkle it on the stains, leave it for 20-30 minutes, and then brush it off.

Worn places

For shiny and worn areas, vinegar is better suited. Take a 9 percent product (5 tablespoons) and pour it into half a glass of water and mix. Dip a piece of soft cloth or cotton wool in this composition and treat problem areas. After this, go over the product with a damp cloth and leave to dry.

Dye

If paint accidentally gets on the product, aviation gasoline will help correct the situation. Gently wipe off the dirt with a cotton swab dipped in the chemical, periodically replacing it with a clean one. After treatment, the item should be aired in the fresh air.

Unpleasant smell

To get rid of the unpleasant smell from things, use activated carbon, and mustard powder is no less effective. The gauze is folded in several layers and the selected product is poured into it. Wrap this bag in a jacket and leave it for a day. During this time, the powder will absorb unpleasant odors.

Sweat

Table vinegar removes the smell of sweat. For a glass of water you need 5 tablespoons of the product. The liquid is poured into a spray bottle and the suede jacket is treated. After this, they hang it on the balcony or outside.

Ink

Ink stains are classified as difficult to remove. In this case, use a regular school eraser, which is used to wipe away the dirty areas.

You can also use fine-grained sandpaper for this purpose.

How to clean a suede jacket from dust and dirt?

The best remedy for dust is a regular vacuum cleaner. Simply run the nozzle over the surface of your suede jacket.

You can clean shiny areas with a brush, and remove small spots with an eraser.

Always rub the product against the direction of the pile, otherwise you will only press dirt into the suede.

A steamer will help you quickly get rid of old stains. It is enough to treat the surface for 3-5 minutes. If you don’t have a steamer at home, it doesn’t matter; water vapor from a boiling kettle will do.

To clean dirt from a suede jacket, use the following home remedies:

a piece of soap;
ammonia;
vinegar.

Soap is an option for getting rid of fresh dirt. Rub the suede jacket with a dry piece, especially in the collar and sleeve areas. Then go over the surface with a wet brush. Blot with a dry sponge.

Did not help? Try a tougher method.

Prepare a solution of water and ammonia (5:1).
Dip a kitchen sponge in the liquid and squeeze thoroughly.
Rub the dirty areas.
Now dissolve 2 tablespoons of vinegar in a glass of water. Soak a cotton pad in the resulting liquid.
Treat the surface of the suede jacket. Blot wet marks with a paper or terry towel.
Hang the item to dry on hangers.

If a suede jacket is exposed to rain, it must be dried before cleaning.

Wash by hand

Hand washing, when done correctly, is as effective as a washing machine, and at the same time it is much safer for such delicate fabric.

The scheme is as follows:

Fill a basin with water with a temperature no higher than 35 degrees.
Dilute detergent with water.
Wet the jacket in water and use a soft sponge to apply the foam formed by the detergent to the areas that need cleaning.
Rinse the jacket in water . The temperature remains the same 30-35 degrees.
Gently wring out the clothes without squeezing or twisting . Excess moisture is removed with a terry towel.

Can a suede jacket be washed?

Suede is a material that does not like water. Due to prolonged exposure to moisture, clothes lose their shape, creases form on them, and the pile becomes hard.

And yet, with careful approach, a jacket made of natural suede can be washed both by hand and in a machine. After all, it is not always possible to remove old stains with a brush. But synthetic suede products cannot be washed.

Machine wash instructions:

select delicate mode;
turn off the spin and machine drying functions;
set the temperature to 30 degrees;
use products for woolen and delicate items (for example, “Vorsinka” washing powder, liquid gel).

We do not recommend machine washing a suede coat or suede raincoat, as due to the large surface area there is a high risk of shrinkage during drying.

How to wash a suede jacket by hand? Dissolve a little liquid soap in a wide bowl of water and lower the item. Gently scrub particularly dirty areas with a brush: collar, sleeves. Rinse the jacket in clean water 2-3 times to remove any remaining product.

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Suede products should not be soaked in water! Wash immediately.

Now you need to dry the item properly. Never twist a suede jacket. The correct procedure is:

Gently pull the sleeves and hem to avoid shrinkage.
Spread a wide terry towel on the table and place a suede jacket on it.
When the product dries a little, roll it into a tube and leave for half an hour.
Dry the jacket in a vertical position, hanging it on a hanger. Temperature range – 20-25 degrees.

Suede products should not be dried near heating appliances.

How to smooth out a thing if such a need arises? There are three rules here:

select the minimum temperature;
iron only from the wrong side;
use dry silk fabric as a lining for the iron.

After washing, suede items may become stiffer. Fortunately, there is a remedy that allows you to return your jacket to its original appearance. Dissolve 0.5 teaspoon of glycerin in a liter of water and lubricate the product (spray from a spray bottle).

Machine washable

Before using a washing machine, you should make sure that this option is allowed (this should be indicated on the label).

No matter how good the machine is, hand washing for suede is more acceptable.

If the label on the jacket allows you to automate the cleaning process, then you need to proceed like this:

Place the jacket in the machine and make sure there are no other things there.
Turn your jacket inside out , button up everything you can and empty your pockets.
If there is a special cover, place the jacket in it.
Decide on the detergent and place it in the drum.
Set the washing mode to “delicate” or “manual”.
Set temperature to 30°C.
Turn off the spin cycle or set it to the lowest possible setting.
Select the shortest washing time and be sure to turn off the drying.
Start washing.

How to remove grease stains?

A suede jacket is a capricious thing. Do not use chemical stain removers to clean it. Home remedies will again come to the rescue. The principle of operation of most of them is based on the fact that absorbent particles absorb fat, so the dirty mark disappears.

Sprinkle the stain generously with one of the following:

coarse salt;
talc;
crushed chalk into powder (to match the color of the jacket);
tooth powder.

To enhance the effect, you can add 1-2 drops of ammonia. Leave the product on for 2-3 hours so that it absorbs the fat. Remove the powder with a brush. To consolidate the result, wipe the treated area with a cotton pad soaked in a weak solution of vinegar (1 teaspoon per liter of water). When the jacket is dry, straighten the lint with the rubber side of the brush.

Stains on brown suede can be cleaned with coffee grounds. Apply the product for an hour and then remove with a brush.

What should you do if there is an old greasy stain on your jacket that doesn’t want to come out? Try a radical remedy - gasoline (it is an excellent solvent). First check the action on the reverse side of the product. We do not recommend using a synthetic suede cleaner.

Apply 1 teaspoon of gasoline to the greasy stain and scrub the product with a brush. Rinse off stains with water. Send the jacket outside to dry so that the pungent smell completely disappears.

Preparing for washing

It is worth considering that washing is the most radical measure. First, you should carefully inspect the item, try to remove stains with a “softer” action, and only in case of urgent need start washing. The beginning of the cleaning process should follow the following sequence of actions:

Read information labels on clothing . As a rule, all the necessary information regarding washing and useful tips for doing it are presented there.
Take a test . To do this, as a rule, a piece of fabric comes with the jacket, allowing you to conduct experiments and make sure that the clothes react adequately to water and the selected detergent. If you do not have a piece of fabric to test, you can do a test wash on a part of the jacket that is not noticeable.
Fasten all the zippers and buttons on the jacket , inspect the pockets and turn the jacket inside out.

How to clean a light suede jacket?

Unfortunately, light suede jackets may leave marks after cleaning using home cleaning methods. To make sure this doesn’t happen, use a safe remedy – skim milk. The white color is invisible on a light-colored item, and the product itself softens the skin.

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Add a teaspoon of soda to a glass of milk. Dip a kitchen sponge in the solution and squeeze out. Then gently rub the stains on the jacket until they are completely gone. Finally, rinse off any remaining product with a damp cloth and dry the product with a towel.

Using the same procedure, stains on a light suede jacket are treated with hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. Take a teaspoon of each product and dissolve it in a glass of water.

General rules for caring for suede

Since both artificial and natural suede cannot tolerate excessive moisture and friction, it is better to start cleaning while the item is not yet very dirty. Vacuum the jacket periodically using a soft bristle attachment. It is also advisable to go over the item with a clothes brush from time to time so that particles of dust and dirt do not become embedded in the material.

After processing the suede, it is recommended to either lay the item out on a flat surface or use a hanger to dry. Under no circumstances should this be done near heating appliances. Suede instantly dries out and becomes oak.

Chemicals for cleaning suede

If your budget allows, you can buy special aerosols, sprays and foams at a shoe store or online. They are universal, that is, they are suitable for caring for suede clothing, shoes and accessories (handbags, gloves).

Advantages of chemicals:

safe for suede products (including artificial ones);
have water-repellent properties;
have a pleasant or neutral odor;
They clean even heavy dirt: traces of reagents, old greasy stains.

The disadvantage is the high price. However, it is better not to skimp on cleaning an expensive suede jacket.

The following products for the care of suede products have positive reviews:

LeTech Furniture Clinic Suede & Nubuck (UK). It is a cleaning foam that removes any type of dirt and renews the appearance of the pile. Does not contain alkalis or solvents, therefore it is safe for natural and artificial suede. A 150 ml bottle costs 1090 rubles.
Saphir Omni Nettoyant (France). Available in the form of a transparent shampoo in glass bottles. The kit includes a special brush for cleaning suede. The formula includes a solvent and tensoactives. The product easily copes with old stains. The price of a 100 ml bottle is 1100 rubles.
Ecco (Denmark). A water-based foam cleaner that is suitable for all types of leather, including suede. Returns the pile a fresh look and softness. A 50 ml bottle costs 450 rubles.

General recommendations

The main rule for caring for suede products is to avoid heavy contamination. After purchasing a jacket, you must immediately vacuum it, since during the manufacturing and transportation process the clothing collects a large amount of dust.

For care, you need to purchase a special brush, one side of which is covered with hard bristles and the other with rubber bristles.

It is advisable to periodically clean problem areas with a brush to prevent the accumulation of dirt. Cleaning suede is not difficult. Do not rush and put the product in the washing machine, as it is easy to wash. You should not soak such clothes, as they can “shrink” from prolonged exposure to water.

After cleaning is completed, the product should be hung out to dry. It is forbidden to dry a suede jacket near heaters, as it will lose its original appearance.

How to care for a suede jacket?

From frequent wet cleaning, the pile of the product becomes hard, shiny areas and creases appear on it.

So that you don't have to constantly deal with dirt and grease stains, just follow 5 rules for caring for your jacket:

Regularly treat the surface with a water-repellent agent (protective impregnation).
Brush the lint with a dry brush once a week, especially in the collar and sleeve areas.
Try to remove fresh stains immediately. Don't wait for them to dry out.
Store your suede jacket in a cotton case. It perfectly protects from dust and does not interfere with air circulation.
Dry the item only in a straightened form.

Care tips you need to know

Suede products require special care and respect. Do not allow excessive soiling or staining to occur. To do this, the jacket should be regularly cleaned from dust and traces of dirt with a stiff brush.

It is recommended to treat a new item with a vacuum cleaner to remove dust accumulated during production and transportation.
For care, you need to have a special brush, one side with rubber bristles and the other with hard bristles.
For light suede, it is recommended to have a separate brush so as not to leave colored streaks.
Contaminants from suede are washed off with a sponge or brush, while the clothes are suspended. First, wipe the cuffs, elbows, collars and areas near the pockets. After cleaning, shake the clothes, straighten them and hang them to dry on the balcony or outside. Avoid exposure to sunlight and warm air from the heater. Overdried suede loses its attractiveness.
Prolonged exposure of suede items to water is not advisable. This causes things to become rigid and shrink in size.
After cleaning, it is recommended to apply a protective agent to the suede. It will protect against the accumulation of dust, the appearance of new stains and abrasions.
Urgent measures will help to avoid traces of spilled liquid. It should be blotted immediately with a towel or cotton cloth, being careful not to press it into the surface. The substance must not be allowed to be absorbed into the fibers. After drying, clean the suede with a suede eraser or brush.
To remove water stains, wipe the jacket with a damp cloth or moisten the suede with a spray bottle and blot with a sponge or napkin. Finally, fluff up the pile with a brush.
To return the bright color to black or colored suede that is faded or has traces of mold, paint of a suitable tone in an aerosol can will help. Only tint a cleaned and dried jacket without stains.
Using a water-repellent spray will protect your clothing in wet weather. After all, suede that gets wet in the rain quickly loses its properties.
Bends and creases on the sleeves formed during wearing are easily straightened out with steam. You can use a kettle spout, a bowl of water, or a steamer. Hold the sleeve over the steam for a few minutes and comb. Overexposed suede can become rough.
Any traces of blood, ice cream, milk or eggs that appear are removed with running cold water.
On white suede, yellow stains are removed with a soap solution with the addition of ammonia in a 1:1 ratio.

You need to start removing stains right away. Old stains will be difficult to remove.

Cleaning a natural suede jacket at home

Such clothes always look very elegant and impressive. But many believe that these products are not very practical because they quickly lose their rich appearance.

Don't believe it! Just learn the simple rules so that, if necessary, you can clean your suede jacket at home without wasting extra time and effort.

With proper care, it will delight you with its brilliant appearance for a very long time!

In this article:

Preparing the product for processing

Before each cleaning, first go through the jacket with a vacuum cleaner. Place it on a clean table surface. Carefully study the condition of the material to choose the right one to clean with. Prepare all necessary supplies. To clean the product at home, you may need:

a hard brush for clothes, a metal brush for dishes, an ordinary eraser;
laundry soap, wool detergent;
ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, table vinegar;
soda, salt, brewed coffee, low-fat milk;
gasoline, turpentine.

General cleaning rules

Immediately after purchase, thoroughly vacuum your clothes to remove any dust that collects on the suede during processing.
For preventive maintenance, clean the product regularly with a short-bristled brush. Treat the collar and sleeves especially carefully.
It is better not to wash outerwear, but to wash it by hanging it on hangers or laying it out on the table.
The material should not be soaked too much in water, otherwise it may “shrink”. To avoid such trouble, carefully stretch the wet item in all directions and hang it on a hanger to dry.
Do not dry wet items near heating appliances.

How to clean a suede jacket at home: instructions

The fastest places to get dirty are the collar, sleeves and areas near the pockets. They can be cleaned with a regular school eraser or white bread crumbs. Wipe off any accumulated dirt like you would erase a pencil from a piece of paper.

Updating the pile

Hold the jacket over the steam. At home, a kettle is ideal for this. First, steam the collar and immediately run a brush over it. Then treat the back, straighten the pile with a brush. Next - the front part, and then the sleeves. At each stage of steaming, do not forget to lift the lint with a brush!

We fight greasy places and greasy stains

Greasy areas should be cleaned with ammonia diluted in water - add 5-6 drops of alcohol to a glass of water. Instead of water, you can take low-fat milk. After treatment, rinse the area with water and dry.

Gasoline helps remove fat. Moisten the stain with gasoline and rinse with water. Repeat the procedure several times. Hang it in the fresh air to remove the smell.

If the stain is old, first scrub it with laundry soap and gently scrub away the dirt with a stiff clothes brush or wire dish brush. Then wipe with a damp cloth soaked in a solution of water and ammonia in a ratio of 1:4. Secure the result with a solution of table vinegar (add a teaspoon of vinegar per liter of water). Rinse off any remaining mixture with clean water and dry.

Cleaning shiny collars and sleeves

First, steam, using a stiff brush, remove the layer of fat. Wipe with a damp cloth, rinse with warm water

Afterwards, carefully wipe with a dry cloth. Or sprinkle with a mixture of talc and starch and leave for an hour. With the same success you can use coffee grounds (only for dark colors!), fine salt

Remove residue with a stiff brush. Treat a very greasy collar with a mixture of two parts gasoline and one part turpentine.

Wash the lining

The main rule is not to wet the front side of the jacket. The linings are made of fabric, so you can gently wash it in warm water with neutral washing powder.

Care secrets on video

Prepare the solution: add a teaspoon of soda to a glass of low-fat milk. To enhance the effect, add a few drops of hydrogen peroxide.
Soak a soft flannel or wool cloth in the solution. Wipe the problem area with it and rinse with clean water.
Blot with a dry cloth and hang immediately to dry wet areas.

Now you know how to return a suede jacket to its previous condition in order to continue to amaze everyone around you with the magnificent appearance of your favorite thing!

Material updated 08/02/2017

Basic cleaning methods

The main methods of processing suede jackets include dry cleaning, laser cleaning, and the use of professional and folk remedies.

Glycerol

This substance will ensure the softness of the product after machine or hand washing. To prevent the suede from becoming rough, take a liter of water and half a teaspoon of glycerin and mix. Dip a piece of soft cloth into the prepared product and treat the entire product. Dry on hangers.

Chemicals

If you don’t want to risk the appearance of your favorite clothes, use professional household chemicals to clean them. The most rated tools include:

Saphir Omni Nettoyant (France).
Ecco (Denmark).
LeTech Furniture Clinic Suede & Nubuck (UK).

Sprays and foams should be used after studying the manufacturer's instructions.

Dry cleaning

In cases where a suede jacket is heavily soiled, it is sent to the dry cleaner. The workers have specialized tools in their arsenal that will return the product to its original appearance without damaging the item.

Laser processing

If suede is laser-treated, care does not require dry cleaning. In this case, wet wipes come to the rescue, use them to gently wipe the product and leave it on a hanger until completely dry.

Talc or starch

Talcum powder or starch are ideal for cleaning light-colored suede items. You can use the substances separately, or you can mix them in equal proportions. The mixture is applied to contaminated areas and left for an hour. Then clean with a soft bristle brush.

Salt

If grease stains and stains appear on clothes, use rock salt. Sprinkle generously onto the resulting contamination and leave for about an hour. During this time, the salt will absorb fat deposits; all that remains is to treat the jacket with soapy water and dry it.

Coffee grounds

If a woman has a brown suede jacket in her wardrobe, use coffee grounds to clean it. Dried coffee residues are applied to the product and then brushed off.

Milk with baking soda

To remove stains on a product, use a mixture of milk and baking soda. They are combined in such proportions to form a paste and rubbed into contaminated areas. After this, remove the residue with a cotton swab and comb the pile with a rubber brush.

Ammonia and hydrogen peroxide

To get rid of stains on things, use ammonia or hydrogen peroxide. Mix them in a concentration of 1 to 4 and treat problem areas. Periodically take a new piece of cotton wool or a soft cloth as it becomes dirty.

Petrol

When more gentle cleaning methods do not bring the desired result, it is the turn of aggressive chemistry. Aviation gasoline and purified turpentine are mixed in equal proportions and applied to the dirt. In a few minutes there will be no trace left of the stains. Before using such substances, carry out a test on an inconspicuous area so as not to damage the product.

Ammonia with starch

An effective composition against greasy conditions is ammonia with starch; the components are used to make a liquid paste, which is applied to the dirty areas. After some time, rinse with clean water and blot with a towel.

Steam

If you hold the item over the spout of a boiling kettle, the pile will rise and straighten, and the item will look like new. After the procedure, go over the jacket with a soft brush.

Soap solution

For fresh stains and dirt, a soap solution of 72% product is sufficient. They are passed over the jacket, washed off with warm water and left on a hanger until completely dry.

How to prepare the product for cleaning

To understand how and with what to clean a suede jacket, determine the degree of contamination and prepare the product. Remove all items from your pockets, shake the jacket and hang it on a hanger. Inspect the sleeves, collar, lining. Mark the most severe stains that require local treatment.

Before you begin removing stains, rid the surface of dust and dried raindrops. To do this, use a vacuum cleaner or a crepe brush, which is specially made for nubuck and suede.

It is recommended to use a crepe brush to clean suede.

Regardless of the tool you choose, act carefully: do not scrub too hard, use a vacuum cleaner at low power. Otherwise, you will damage the pile and deform the jacket.

To remove stains and comb lint, prepare a double-sided brush with bristles and rubber pads. You will also need soft rags, sponges, and a spray bottle.

How to remove grease on the collar and other areas

Several methods help to clean a suede jacket at home from traces of grease.

A solution prepared from 6 drops of ammonia and a glass of water will help restore greasy areas to their original appearance. You can replace water with skim milk. Wipe the affected area with the composition and a cloth. Rinse with water and dry the item.
It is recommended to wipe old traces of grease with a dry piece of laundry soap. Afterwards, use a stiff clothes brush or a metal scraper for cleaning dishes. Start by wiping the affected area with a damp sponge moistened with ammonia solution (1:4). Then treat with a weak vinegar solution, which is prepared from 1 tsp. vinegar and 1 liter of water. Wash and lay out clothes to dry.
Oily marks on suede can be successfully removed with gasoline at home. It is enough to apply it to the print and rinse the composition with water, repeating 3-4 times. Leave clothes in an open space to ventilate the smell.
It is recommended to steam shiny areas on the collar and sleeves over a container of boiling water, for example, over a kettle or using an iron. Then remove the fatty deposits with a brush. Wipe the area with a damp cloth and blot with a dry cloth.
Steam works well to lift lint on clothes. Start steaming from the collar, then move to the back and front, and end with the sleeves. You should immediately brush the steamed area with a special rubber brush for caring for suede to straighten the pile.
Use fine-grained sandpaper to successfully remove greasy and wrinkled pile. It is enough to walk the cloth over the surface several times.
A 2:1 mixture of gasoline and turpentine cleans a very greasy collar well. After this, be sure to ventilate the item.
Fatty areas are sprinkled with powder made from equal measures of starch and talc. It can be replaced with fine salt. Leave to act for 1-2 hours and clean with a coarse bristle brush.
Starch or corn flour will help remove scuffs and sweat stains. Problem areas are sprinkled and left for half an hour. Then the powder is cleaned with a brush.
It is recommended to combine starch with a few drops of ammonia and gently rub the resulting slurry into the suede. Remove the residue with a brush.