Despite the beauty, elasticity and comfort of suede shoes, most buyers do not know how to care for them in changeable weather conditions. They avoid interesting models of shoes and boots, believing that with constant slush in the spring and winter roads sprinkled with chemical salt, the material will shrink and become stained. In fact, there are a number of care tricks, following which you can flaunt in beautiful shoes for a long time.
How is suede different from its substitute?
Shoes made from suede require special care. Before purchasing, it is important to learn how to distinguish an original from a fake.
The differences are as follows:
- Real suede smells like leather, while artificial suede smells like glue and paint.
- In the production of suede, proven raw materials are used.
- Shoes made from real raw materials get wet at the top. Due to swelling, water does not penetrate inside the shoes.
- Natural suede shoes do not have a fabric base.
- If you run your finger over the suede, it will change color.
- Real suede does not bend.
- The surface is characterized by porosity. It may also have minor defects.
- Products made from real suede are warm.
If you touch an unadulterated material, it will heat up to a certain temperature.
In summer time
We continue to discuss how to care for faux suede - boots are no longer needed, summer is just around the corner. It's time to get out your favorite shoes and sandals! A huge disadvantage of the warm season is a large amount of dust and dry dirt, which constantly sticks to the delicate material.
Caring for suede shoes is as follows:
- First, shake off the dust with a soft, dry flannel cloth (you can choose another lint-free cloth);
- Then soak a cloth in a weak soap solution and wipe the surface of the shoes;
- Carefully wipe off any remaining liquid with a dry cloth and leave the steam to dry naturally;
- Coat dry suede shoes with a protective spray or apply impregnation;
- Use a special deodorant to kill the unpleasant odor. Ready!
We told you in detail how to care for suede shoes - don’t you think it’s complicated? Anyone who wants to keep their favorite boots or shoes in excellent condition can handle it! Read further what canvas fabric is and what it consists of.
How to clean suede shoes
Before purchasing suede shoes, you need to buy a protective spray. Shoes need to be cleaned at home using specialized products.
Dirt from shoes is removed with a brush and a protective spray is applied. Next, the shoes need to be dried. It is not recommended to dry treated shoes on radiators. Some experts recommend applying the spray a second time and drying it again.
Experts recommend putting on suede boots when they are dry after applying the spray. Even if there is no experience, knowledge and such cleaning is carried out for the first time, the entire treatment procedure requires a day.
Storage rules
At the end of the season, dry your boots or shoes made of brushed leather, treat them with a protective spray, tint them, dry them again and store them . Use plastic blocks to maintain shape. Boots “preserved” in this way until the next season will look like new for a long time. If there are no lasts, then stuff the inside of the shoes with rolled up newspapers.
It is recommended to store shoes and ankle boots in original packaging boxes, stacked on top of each other, or in special shoe cabinets. This way, the shoes do not wrinkle again, are kept in natural conditions with ventilation, and are not exposed to direct sunlight. It would be a good idea to place moth repellents next to it.
Important! Store boots with high tops flattened to avoid folds and creases.
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What products are needed for care
When purchasing suede shoes, it is also recommended to purchase:
- Spray for moisture protection.
- Impregnation. It serves to protect shoes from dirt and salt. Experts recommend using fluorocarbon resin impregnation.
- Cleansing foam. Designed for cleaning shoes. It is sprayed and the dirt is removed with a soft sponge.
- Paint. To hide damage and provide protection from dirt and water, special paint is used. It also gives the boots brightness and richness.
- Stretcher. A device designed to stretch boots.
- Various brushes. To eliminate dust formations and dirt, use brushes with hard bristles. To remove grease stains, use an eraser brush, and to ensure a velvet effect, use a crepe brush.
Experts also advise using special shampoos.
The right spray can protect your shoes from slush. The main disadvantage is the presence of an unpleasant odor. After using it, it is recommended to ventilate the apartment.
To prevent damage when removing dirt, brushes with a low stiffness rating should be used. To remove heavy stains, alcohol solutions should be used. If the dirt has not yet been absorbed, then to remove it, use a brush with a large number of pores and a high hardness index and a special foam.
Use an eraser brush to remove dirt. With its help, greasy stains can be removed without much difficulty. To give a velvet effect, use a crepe brush.
Shoe care at home
To maintain the original appearance, you need to properly care for your shoes. Experts do not recommend wearing it in the rain.
Particular care needs to be paid in winter. It is necessary to understand that the reagents that are sprinkled on the road have a negative effect on it.
Simple remedies
If there are no specialized tools, you can use more accessible techniques.
For steam cleaning you need a steam generator. If it is missing, then another method is used. To do this, you need to pour boiled water into the container. You need to hold the shoes over the steam until they get a little wet, after which you need to wipe them with a dry cloth.
- To remove various dirt, use a solution of ammonia.
- You need to moisten the sponge in the solution and wipe the shoes. Rubbing alcohol into suede is not recommended.
- At the final stage, the shoes are wiped with a dry cloth with extreme care.
- Using too much force can cause damage that will be difficult to repair in the future.
Actions upon purchase
First of all, it should be noted that there is natural and artificial suede. The second variety is somewhat inferior to the first in its qualities. But it also requires no less careful care. Suede needs proper protection.
Before putting on a new pair of boots for the first time, they should be wiped with a dry cloth made of soft material. A brush that is not too hard is also suitable for these purposes.
Nanospray is best suited as a water-repellent agent. It needs to be sprayed over the entire surface of the material. It should become slightly damp. After this procedure, the shoes are left to dry for about 12 hours. The protective layer will need to be restored periodically. This will protect the shoes from moisture, dirt, and saline solutions.
How to care for suede boots
Cleaning is required after a walk. In sunny weather, dirt can simply be removed with a brush. When it rains, it must first be dried before removing dirt. To maintain the original appearance of shoes, they should not be dried using a radiator or heater.
After drying, dirt is removed from shoes with a special brush. Using a brush you can not only remove dust formations, but also lift up the fibers. If there is no brush, use a regular eraser.
Removing contaminants
Once your suede shoes are dry, you can start cleaning them. If there is no visible dirt, go over the surface of the shoe with a special rubber brush. The fact is that villi not only absorb moisture, but also collect dust. Treatment with a brush will easily cope with this contamination and will also lift the pile. Your shoes will look like they just came from the store.
Note that you can straighten and lift the pile with a regular school eraser. But you need to make sure that there is no contamination on it, such as ink.
If stains appear on your shoes after a walk, just a brush will not help. In this case, you need to use a cleaning solution. There are several ways to prepare it:
1. Grate tar or laundry soap. Add it to warm water. Beat until thick foam forms.
2. Make a solution of soap and water. Add ammonia to it in a ratio of 5:1. Beat the mixture until foamy.
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3. Take a glass of water. Add 1 tablespoon each of any liquid soap and ammonia (ammonia). Beat until foam forms.
Further actions with all means are the same. Apply foam to the dirt with a soft sponge. Remove it with another sponge (dry). Repeat this until the contamination disappears. After this, blot the suede with a napkin and dry it again.
Removing salt from suede shoes
Cleaning should be done after the shoes have dried. There are different types of removing salt from boots.
- Mix liquid, ammonia and liquid soap in a container, then foam well.
- You need to moisten a sponge in the solution, apply it to the dirty area and leave it for a while.
- After this, the foam is removed with a soft cloth. Next, you need to wipe it with a vinegar solution and dry it.
Removing dirt
When removing dirt from shoes, you should know that it is better to remove dirt from dried suede. To maintain the shape, paper must be placed inside the shoes being cleaned. After cleaning is completed, drying must be done naturally.
- After the surface of the shoe has completely dried, the dirt must be removed using a stiff brush. The rubber side of the brush is used to lift the fluff.
- If for any reason glue gets on the shoes being cleaned, it is eliminated with a cloth soaked in gasoline. You can remove the glue this way if it has not yet hardened.
You can use detergent to remove greasy stains. A small amount of detergent is mixed with liquid, stirred until foamy and applied to the dirty area, left for two minutes and removed with a cloth.
Returning the color
This operation must be carried out very carefully and carefully. It is advisable to use special dyes for suede, sold in shoe stores. The easiest way to restore black color. Brown, beige and other shades are more difficult to restore because it is difficult to choose the right tone.
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Before dyeing your shoes, test the purchased dye on an area that is not noticeable. If you are satisfied with the result, apply the product to the entire outer surface of the shoe and wait until it dries completely.
There are traditional methods of dyeing. The following products are used to restore color:
- black - an ordinary carbon copy;
- brown – coffee grounds;
- beige - milk (you need to moisten a tampon in it and carefully apply the liquid to the shoes).
