How to clean suede shoes at home from dirt?

Suede is a special type of tanned leather, which is distinguished by its soft, velvety surface. Shoes made of such material look beautiful and stylish, but not everyone is ready to wear it, because suede is very capricious, and any pollution can ruin its appearance. Many buyers have one question: how to clean suede shoes at home and is it possible to do this? We answer with confidence that it is possible. The main thing is to know some simple secrets, which we will tell you about in this article.

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Suede shoes and its features

Suede boots or ankle boots adorn and visually lengthen any leg. But the main season when they wear such shoes is fall-winter. Rainy and slushy weather do their job - the presentation of shoes is quickly lost, because suede does not like moisture. In addition, this material is very sensitive to salt, which is sprinkled with winter roads. Ugly whitish raids and stains appear on your favorite boots. However, if you know how to clean suede shoes at home from dirt, then any weather will be of no use to you.

Pros:

• The main plus of suede shoes, which hardly anyone will dispute, is its beauty and sophistication. No other material can compare with it in style, perhaps even more interesting nubuck.
• This shoe has special heat transfer properties. In warm weather it is cool in it, in cold - on the contrary, it is warm. In combination with fur, the warmest winter boots or boots are obtained from this material.
• Suede shoes have excellent breathability. These unique “breathing” properties are salvation for tired legs.
• Soft and pliable material helps people with wide feet or foot diseases (non-standard bones, formation of bumps) quickly get used to shoes.
• Such shoes with proper care always look like new. Softness in this case means no deformation. Creases and excesses, as is the case with leather shoes, will not appear even after several seasons.
• Suede shoes can be worn with both women's dresses and men's jeans, which makes it versatile.

Minuses:

• Due to its unique features, shoes made of such material are not cheap. The price of handmade suede is sometimes higher than that of similar smooth leather.
• If protection against moisture penetration is created inside such a product, then the outside quickly becomes dirty.
• Suede shoes need careful care.

Among the minuses, the difficulty in caring for such material is the most weighty argument. However, the comfort and external beauty of this noble and elegant material will always win in the eternal dispute for and against.

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Suede shoe care

If you decide to buy ankle boots, bags or even suede dresses, then you should immediately lay down the costs of acquiring funds for the care of such products:

• Special double-sided brush. On one side there should be rubber or rubber teeth or grooves. On the second side there should be a metal pile that does not spoil the capricious material or, even better - bristles made of natural materials.
• The necessary care products include sponges and rubberized erasers. An alternative solution for cleaning can be a simple white stationery gum.

Important! To clean the suede from dirt, you can use only light rubber bands - streaks can remain from the dark ones.

• Adhesive rollers. Their purpose is to fight dust and small dry mud.
• Various creams, sprays and even tonics. Moreover, you will need to purchase both water-repellent and coloring agents.

Professional tools that have proven themselves on the good side:

• Sprays and creams for restoring the original appearance of the product are offered by the Salamander company, which has long been on the market.
• “Kiwi” is a special spray that does not have a specific color, which makes it possible to use it for light suede.
• Movi products and Silver creams cope with almost all types of pollution.
• The companies “Barcode” and “Twist” produce special cleaning sponges for suede.

Usually, sellers offer such an addition to buying suede shoes. But if this did not happen, then you can ask them yourself what kind of brushes, foams, aerosols are, how to clean shoes from suede at home. In this case, you will be provided with a whole set of suede care products.

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Careful care is everything.

As soon as you take the purchase out of the box at home, immediately inspect it. Perhaps the shoes need to be cleaned of particles of dirt and dust that have appeared during storage in the store. As soon as the surface is treated with a special brush or roller, you need to apply a water-repellent to the shoes. It’s better to do this by spreading a newspaper or paper under your shoes so as not to stain the floor.

Next, we take 3 simple steps:

• Apply the first coat of aerosol. In this case, the can should be 20-30 cm from the shoe, for better spraying.

Important! Pay special attention to the bottom of the product, where there will be constant contact with moisture.

• After waiting half an hour, apply a second layer of water-repellent. Allow the shoe to dry completely away from direct sources of heat - radiators and heaters.
• The third layer is applied after the previous ones have completely dried. A thorough study of all parts of the product is no longer required - this step is more intended to consolidate the result.

Now that your shoes are covered with a transparent film, you can safely put them on and leave the house. Suede boots are protected against moisture and dirt. Thanks to the initial processing, its further operation will be easier, since any pollution can no longer be absorbed much.

Important! Suede shoes should be periodically ventilated and stored in a spacious box, but not in a plastic bag.

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Remove street dirt

If your shoes have already been on the street, you should take care of them immediately upon returning home. Do not put the matter back in the long drawer.

So:

1. Dry your shoes well. To do this, you need to fill it with newspapers, so that excess moisture is absorbed, put near with heating devices. Never dry it on a battery or in direct sunlight.
2. Remove excess dust and dirt with a brush or eraser.
3. To remove stubborn dirt that accumulates between the villi, you need to know how to clean suede shoes over steam. Hold the shoe for several minutes over boiling water to prevent the fabric from getting wet. Pile straightens and fluffs, dirt is removed easily and quickly.
4. Finish the product first with dye to restore color, and then with a water repellent.

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Remove traces of salt

Road salt is the worst enemy for suede shoes. In winter, roads are sprinkled with this mixture everywhere, as a result, owners of chic suede get ugly white stains that not only spoil the appearance of the product, but also render the shoes unusable. This type of pollution is the most difficult.

Consider several options for removing it:

• Traces of salt can be easily erased with a normal soap solution and a soft sponge. You can try to wipe away the stubborn dirt with a toothbrush, making soft and delicate movements. At the same time, soap foam is washed off the product with another clean sponge or cloth.

Important! It is better to use this method immediately upon returning home, without waiting for the shoes to dry.

• Shoe Suede ammonia it will remove not only salt traces, but also stained spots and traces of mold (and they can appear if you still stored raw shoes in a plastic bag). Dissolve alcohol in water in a ratio of 1: 4, carefully treat the surface.
• To clean shoes from light suede, prepare the following solution: in a glass of nonfat milk, dissolve a teaspoon of soda. Such a composition gently remove salt stains and will leave no residue.

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Remove stains

A beautiful and stylish look of shoes can spoil the stains that still appear while wearing. But if you know how to remove a greasy stain from suede, then this problem does not matter to you:

1. The easiest way is to use special purchases. But this is not the most budget option.
2. If high-quality dye was used in the manufacture of your shoes, then you can remove the stain using refined gasoline of the highest quality. Moisten a cotton pad with them, wipe the stain and wait an hour. Then brush the surface of the shoe.
3. Dirty suede spots can also be treated with talcum powder. Sprinkle them with dirty areas, wait an hour and a half, and then brush your shoes with a brush. Instead of talc, you can use products that are similar in absorbency - flour, chalk and starch.
4. Stains from drinks (juice, wine), traces of ink should be removed as soon as possible after contact with the material. To get rid of them, you need to delicately wash the spot with a weak vinegar solution.

Folk Tricks:

• Dampen suede shoes with a sponge in castor oil. After - process the outside of the product and enjoy the updated look.
• Black suede shoes can be cleaned with dry black bread. The spots are rubbed with a crust, the crumbs are immediately removed, then you need to comb the suede with a special brush.
• To clean shoes of dark colors, you can use very fine sandpaper, as well as sulfur from matchboxes.
• The uniform color of dark shoes is given by rubbing the surface with carbon paper.
• Coffee grounds help restore the color of brown suede. It is applied to shoes and left to dry completely. Then the dry grounds are brushed off.

Important! Before using all the suede shoe polish that you have in your equipment, first experiment with a small piece of suede on the wrong side of the product so as not to get any unpleasant surprises.

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How to care for faux suede?

Faux suede today is not inferior to natural in many ways. Therefore, many choose an analogue:

• Caring for it also requires careful care and initial treatment with water-repellent aerosols.
• Dry and clean it after each use. Do this in a straightened form at room temperature.
• The main advantage is the shoes made of artificial suede, in case of severe pollution, you can even machine wash on a delicate basis. Products from polyester on a cotton basis with reinforcing protective impregnation withstand temperatures of 30-40 ° C. After the cycle, rinse the suede with cool water and gently pat it dry with a towel to remove any moisture. This must be done, otherwise - stains may remain on the surface.

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Stock footage

Suede gives its owner a sense of luxury and style, and with it a presentable look. No skin compares to this soft and comfortable material.If you start caring for shoes you will begin immediately after the purchase and will follow all the tips given above, then it will serve you faithfully for many years.