What to Do If Your Shoes Are Made of Suede (6 Easy Steps & Extra Tips)

Water doesn't clean suede; rather, it stains it, so many people avoid using it despite the fact that it is a fantastic material and looks great with minimal effort. 

But don't worry; we're here to reassure you that "how to clean suede shoes is no rocket science!" Instead, suede care is a left-handed job for a right-handed person and vice versa. If you follow our advice, caring for your suede footwear won't be difficult at all.Learn how to remove stains from suede with the help of our current guide. Let's dive in right now!

Should You Wash or Spot-Clean Suede Shoes?

Though soft and velvety to the touch, suede is notoriously difficult to clean due to its high porosity. Suede is not water-resistant and will absorb any water it comes into contact with. Suede, in contrast to cotton, actually discolors when wet, necessitating the use of unique techniques and tools for cleaning. After that, what is the best way to care for suede footwear? Here's how to maintain suede footwear in addition to cleaning it. 

You can either have it professionally dry cleaned or try one of the methods outlined below to clean it yourself, since washing it won't work. It is wise to check a small, inconspicuous area first to make sure no discoloration or damage occurs.

Hardware and consumables needed

Suede is an extremely delicate material that readily takes in liquids and stains. Thus, one must employ specific methods in order to clean suede shoes at home and maintain its good appearance. Therefore, specialized equipment is required for maintenance and longevity:

A suede nail or art brush.

Use rubbing alcohol or white vinegar.

Salicylic acid

Hydrogen peroxide solution Flannel or face cloth Eraser/rubber

Home Care for Suede Shoes

Because suede is so delicate, it requires special handling. Learn how to remove dirt, stains, and scratches from your suede shoes here.

1. Take Care of the Mess

Clean It Up Incorporating a Suede Brush TechniqueSoftly, in one direction, brush the dirty spots. Brushing in one direction helps remove the top layer of dirt from the fibers. Don't look down on those shoes because of the salt on them. To finish, brush the dirt in a back-and-forth motion. You should also brush with a bit more force. You're probably trying to dig down into the ground to free some dirt that got stuck there.

2.Stain remover 

You can use the eraser that comes with your suede cleaning kit to remove stubborn stains. The eraser is useful for getting rid of stubborn dirt and stains that have become embedded in the shoe.

If the stain is particularly stubborn, go ahead and apply pressure, but make sure to only scrub in one direction or in a circular motion. However, if you want to get rid of a stain on a pair of suede shoes, you'll need to be patient and massage the stain with an eraser for a few minutes. The best way to keep suede shoes from fading is to rub them gently with a clean, soft cloth.

3. Treating Stains with White Vinegar or Rubbing Alcohol

You can keep the color of your suede shoes intact by cleaning them with these two common household items, which we recommend whenever anyone asks how to clean suede shoes. Just dampen a clean, white cloth with a small amount of rubbing alcohol or vinegar and you're good to go.

Suede is resistant to stains from rubbing alcohol and vinegar, but not water. Don't touch the area again until the stain has dried completely after you've applied the wet cloth. As soon as the fabric has dried, you can use the suede brush to puff it back up and shake out any remaining dust or dirt.

4. Cool and Damp, Under Cover

If you clean your black suede shoes or your white suede shoes, you must dry them in the shade, away from the direct sunlight. Do the same if you own a blower; the heat can irreparably damage suede.

For a Silky Feel Again Have a shave

Suede may become stringy after being cleaned, but this is easily remedied with a standard shaving razor. In places where you notice strings, give the fabric a light shave. Use your suede brush to get rid of any stray hairs that remained after shaving.

Protective Spray for Suede

To prevent stains from becoming as noticeable in the future, suede shoes should be sealed. A variety of reasonably priced suede protectant sprays are available online. Before using a suede protectant spray, make sure to read and follow all of the product's packaging instructions. This additional maintenance will not only extend the life of your suede, but also make it easier to clean in the future.

Additional Methods for Removing Tough Stains

How do you clean suede shoes when you're on the go, at the office, or away from home? How do you remove tough stains from suede footwear? 

An arduous task simplified by our experts, who offer the following helpful hints organized by type of stain:

1. Stained by Oil or Grease

Utilize cornstarch to clean greasy stains from suede footwear. Scatter a generous helping to cover the stain completely. Give it a few hours to sit on the shoe. 

Use a towel or a hand vacuum to gently wipe away any residue that remains after cleaning the shoe, rather than a suede brush. In this procedure, we will show you how to clean suede shoes with common items.

Secondly, you can use wax or gum.

It's an odd choice, but it's the most effective. Put a plastic bag over your footwear and chill it in the fridge. Due to the extreme hardness of the resulting wax or gum, it can be easily scraped off in two or three pieces without causing any damage to the suede.

Thirdly, an ink smear

Use a tissue to soak up the ink if it is still wet. If the ink has dried, you can try using rubbing alcohol to get rid of the stain. Furthermore, you may need to use your own suede eraser to clean white suede shoes.

Suede can be treated with hydrogen peroxide to remove white ink stains. It's important to thoroughly dry them before use to prevent skin irritation.

Indication of Blood Loss

Softly dab the stained area with a paper towel or cotton ball dampened with a tiny amount of hydrogen peroxide to remove the stain from the suede. If you're patient, after a few minutes this will remove any trace of dried blood from your shoe. If necessary, dry the shoe and try again.

Some Closing Remarks

Instructions for cleaning suede shoes are provided up top (among other things). If the shoes aren't particularly dirty, you may not need to use every cleaning method. See how well it works on your suede by giving it a shot. When you're done cleaning your suede shoes, spray them down with a suede protectant to make them dirt and stain resistant.