Leather shoes have their own rules. They are not so easy to store and clean without damaging them in any way. When you buy leather shoes, you want them to last more than one season. Suede is also a type of leather and it is good to know how to take care of your favorite suede half shoes or stilettos.
To understand why you should clean suede, it’s helpful to start with what the material actually is. Although seemingly not much different from any other leather shoes, in reality it deserves much more attention and proper care. Why?
It is untreated natural leather with short hair, which makes it adversely affected by direct contact with water, but also with moisture! How to protect yourself from it? You don’t have to avoid leaving home on cloudy autumn days wearing suede boots. Just make sure you clean your shoes regularly after every visit to the rain.
If you want to guarantee that your suede boots will live as long as possible in the best possible condition, you should also waterproof them frequently. There’s nothing stopping you from using a specialist treatment before you leave the house.
Unfortunately, the answer to this question is one. Although home methods work in most cases, making our everyday life easier and being a relief for our wallets, in some cases it is better to rely on professional help.
With just a little bit of searching, you can find plenty of ways to clean suede shoes at home. Unfortunately, most of these ways are at odds with the rules you need to follow when you want to keep your suede shoes in good condition. When you buy them, after all, you don’t want them to deteriorate right away. Therefore, invest in the right equipment – most importantly, a suede shoe brush.
Also find out how to wash your sportswear.
Many people make this mistake – they come home from an autumn walk when the streets are full of puddles and mud. They take off their shoes and… leave them in this state, remembering about them only the next morning, when they want to put them on, going to work. Mud stains are very easy to remove if you do it right away, as soon as they dry. All you need to do is use a brush designed for suede shoes, necessarily with soft bristles
Remember to always brush against the grain and to take your time. For best results, brush in a smooth motion, piece by piece. Special rubber bands for suede shoes will work just as well. They allow to get rid of even very stubborn stains without harming the delicate material.
Although the basic rule of caring for suede shoes is dry cleaning, there is an exception to this rule: when moisture penetrates too deeply into the shoe material. If this situation has not happened to you, it is good to know how to avoid it. Never dry your shoes with a hair dryer or by putting them on a radiator!
Instead, line the inside of your shoes with newspaper to absorb the moisture. Not sure if you really need to wash your shoes? There’s a simple text for that. Brush them, use a suede eraser as well – if your shoes are still dirty after this treatment, it’s time to use a special shampoo for leather. It’s a tried and tested method, and you’ll find detailed instructions on each product on how to use it.
Main photo: JACK REDGATE/pexels.com
