Leather with napped finish is called suede. Although it could also refer to brushed or napped finish on various kinds of different fabrics. The word suede is derived from the French line “grants de Suede” which when translated means “Gloves from Sweden”. Suede is usually made from the skin on the under side of a lamb. Alternatively goat, calf, pig and deer skin is also used. Suede has a soft exterior layer of skin, unlike leather, and hence is usually less durable but is softer than normal leather. The thinness, pliability and softness of suede make it a great choice for delicate uses such as clothing. In fact the first use of suede was to make women’s gloves. Suede is also popularly used to make uphoslstery, bags, shoes and other such accessories and also as lining for normal leather products. Suede absorbs liquid and gets dirty quicly due to its texture containing open pores. Hence if you wear suede boots or shoes, you will notice that they get dirty quickly. Here are some tips you can use to clean your suede items easily and quickly at home while maintaining its inherent looks and beauty.
Steps:
- During rains or in certain situations you shoes may collect mud. To clean it wait for the mud to dry. Buy yourself a suede brush and use it to brush off the now dry dirt off your shoes. Always make sure your suede shoes are well dried. When brushing always brush the same way without changing direction (no going back and forth) and clean the dirt to make your shoes look as good as new.
- Scrub your shoes vigorously with the suede brush. If your scuffs are extremely matted and do not respond well to the suede brush then try scraping that area with a blunt knife.
- For stubborn stains and marks on your suede shoes try using a pencil eraser or a small bit of crepe rubber (the same rubber used to make most shoe sloes). Rub vigorously.
- Wipe off excess water off your suede shoes with a sponge. This well help remove stains made by water. Leaving your shoes wet will definitely discolor suede. To get around this problem, wet a nail brush and apply a light coating of water all over the suede shoe. Obtain a dry cloth or a sponge and use this to clear off the water and now let the shoes rest for at least a whole night to dry off. Once your suede shoes are completely dry, use a suede brush and lightly brush your shoes to make them shine.
- For unknown stains or oil stains first scrub throughly with a suede brush. Now use the nail brush and scrub the dirty stubborn oil stains with the help of warm water. Grease stains are a nightmare to get rid of off suede shoes so if you managed to stain the shoes really badly you might never get their original shine back.
- Prevention is better than cure. Always protect your shoes. After buying suede shoes use a suede protecting spray and use it regularly after every cleaning. Always read the manufacturer’s instructions and follow them. Also before spraying suede protector sprays always make sure your shoes are clear of any dirt.
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