How to clean & protect suede

Suede comes from animal hide that has been sanded down to create a velvet texture. Suede is a type of leather, but it’s less durable than regular leather and more prone to staining, which means it’s important to take care of your suede clothing, furniture, or other items. Here’s our best tips and tricks for cleaning and protecting your suede.

Basic Care Guidelines

In order to keep your suede looking brand new, you’ll need to perform some regular maintenance. The first thing you should do is purchase water-repellent spray. A good general rule of thumb is to avoid wearing suede when rain is in the forecast, but there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a bit of water on your suede at one point or another. Spraying your item down once a year is a great way to minimize the damage that could be caused by water stains. Furthermore, another way to keep your suede looking fresh is to brush it after every wear, or weekly brush it if it’s a furniture piece. At the very least, try to brush your items once a month. When brushing, brush thoroughly all over the surface, but do not make circles or go in different directions. This is a great way to remove light stains and dust.

Stain Removal

If there is a small stain, sometimes a thorough brushing can remove the mess. If that doesn’t work, here are some other tips to follow.

1. Dry Stains: if the stain is dried, use a pencil eraser. Make small circular motions and apply light pressure with the eraser. Thoroughly brush through afterwards. 
2. Tough Stains: if the eraser isn’t doing the trick, try white vinegar. Pour a little onto a clean, dry cloth, then rub the cloth into the stained suede. Don’t soak the suede, only dampen the leather. Let air dry, then brush through thoroughly.
3. Oil Stains: if oil gets on your suede, add cornstarch to the entire stain and let it sit for a few hours. Then, brush through and remove the cornstarch and the stain should come out with it.
4. Water Stains: if your suede has water on it, blot with a towel as much as possible before letting it air dry. Don’t use a blowdryer or any form of heat to speed the drying process. Use white vinegar if the stain leaves a watermark.

London Cleaners

If taking care of your suede items is proving to be a difficult task, then bring your clothes to London Cleaners! We offer FREE pickup and delivery with every dry cleaning order, with no order minimum! Call or visit our website for more information.