Suede is a thin, very soft and viscous material that is obtained by fat tanning from the skin of elk, goat or deer. This is a very delicate and capricious material that requires special care. But even with proper care and high quality, suede gradually wears out, loses color and shine, and its original attractive appearance.
Scuffs, stripes, and stains appear on the shoes. In this article we will look at how to properly care for products made from natural and artificial suede. Let's find out how to renew suede at home.
How to properly care for suede shoes
Proper care guarantees long life of suede. In order to preserve the color and presentable appearance of your shoes for a long time, you should not wear suede shoes, shoes or boots in rain and wet weather or in heat at temperatures above 35 degrees.
Due to heat or dampness, suede cracks and deteriorates. Be sure to use a variety of suede care products. You can choose a spray or cream.
After wearing, shoes should be cleaned and dried. To clean suede shoes at home, use a sponge or suede brush with soft brass bristles.
Wait until the mud on your shoes, shoes or boots dries. Then brush off dirt and sand, and remove stains and dirt with a damp sponge. Under no circumstances should you wash suede items under running water or in a bowl of water!
After washing, leave the shoes to dry in a dry place at room temperature. Do not place products near a heater, radiator or radiator! It is also not recommended to leave shoes exposed to ultraviolet radiation.
To keep your boots in shape, you can place crumpled newspapers inside while drying. Before going outside, treat the surface of your shoes with cream or suede spray. Such products will protect products from the negative effects of moisture, salt, dirt and dust. After applying the spray or cream, wait until the product is absorbed and dries.
Worn and heavily soiled suede shoes
For heavily soiled suede shoes or boots, use a soap solution. Add a little liquid soap, shampoo to the water, or rub a piece of toilet soap on a coarse grater. Stir the mixture until soap foam appears and add ammonia in a ratio of 1 to 5. If the contamination is not very strong, you can do without ammonia.
Soak a sponge or cloth in the solution and wipe the surface of the products, then rinse with another sponge or cloth soaked in regular cool, clean water. Wipe your shoes thoroughly so that no soapy streaks remain. You can wipe the surface again with a clean damp cloth.
After the procedure, the products are wiped with a dry cloth and left at room temperature until dry. Before any manipulations to restore and renew suede, shoes must be cleaned or washed.
If the dirt is light, it is enough to walk over the surface with a dry brush and a damp sponge. For more serious stains, use a soap solution with ammonia.
Foam cleaner for suede, which is sprayed onto the surface of the products and left for a few minutes, will help restore the previous appearance of worn shoes. Then the product is removed with a dry cloth. This aerosol effectively removes dirt and returns it to its original appearance, without damaging the structure and color of the soft, delicate material.
Care devices
To restore the canvas and give it its original appearance, the following tools will be required:
- Eraser. Using it, you can eliminate scratches on suede shoes, raise the pile and improve the color. You can use both regular stationery and special ones for products made from this material.
- Brushes. Their range varies depending on the material and type of pile. There are 3 main types: metal (for old worn surfaces), polymer and rubber (for new products). The effect is achieved by raising the pile, which gives it a more noble appearance and eliminates various contaminants.
- Specialized sprays of two types: for protection and painting. The latter are able to restore the color of suede shoes by dyeing them to the desired shade. The most common colors are black, blue and brown. The colorless protective agent forms a thin transparent film on the surface, due to which moisture is repelled from the pile and does not penetrate deeper.
Eraser for eliminating scratches, raising lint, improving color
Brushes for raising lint and removing dirt
Specialized sprays for protecting and painting suede
To restore suede shoes, you should also use:
- milk with a high percentage of fat content;
- sodium bicarbonate;
- laundry soap;
- turpentine;
- semolina;
- ethyl, ammonia;
- talc;
- sponge;
- soft fabric;
- magnesium sulfate.
When removing greasy stains, alcohol can be replaced with kerosene.
Suede shoes have lost their color
Special spray paints for suede, which are matched to the tone of the shoe and sold in every shoe store or department, will help you return to its original color. This spray is sprayed over the surface of boots, boots or shoes at a distance of twenty centimeters. The shoes are dried and then the fibers are combed out using a suede brush.
If you can't find the right shade, you can use clear suede paint. There are also alternative options. So, for brown shoes you can use coffee grounds, and for white shoes - talcum powder.
To paint suede yourself, apply the product to the surface and remove excess with a dry soft brush. Then be sure to dry the products. However, the use of such improvised means gives only a temporary effect, so the paint will have to be renewed regularly.
Cleaning from contaminants
Contamination is one of the most common defects of any product. It may not be
not only stains, but also wool, lint, threads or dust.
You can deal with these types of problems using a special brush. It has two surfaces. The first one has a special hard bristle that removes surface impurities and properly smoothes the material. The second side has a rubberized brush that will help remove stubborn dirt and revive shoes or boots. After treatment with rubber material, shoes should be smoothed with a soft brush.
A similar procedure should be carried out on a regular basis, after each use of shoes.
ADVICE . When purchasing boots or boots made of suede fabrics, it is recommended to immediately purchase this brush. Regular treatment will help extend the life of products.
Scuffs and stains on suede shoes
Scuffs are the biggest problem with suede shoes. In this case, it is necessary to restore the previous appearance and shape of the villi. You can do this with your own hands using available tools. Before processing, be sure to wash the shoes in a soapy solution with ammonia, paint the surface if necessary, and dry.
To update suede shoes at home, use the following methods:
- A soap solution with ammonia perfectly removes local greasy areas and stains. Simply soak a cotton pad in the mixture and wipe the affected area thoroughly. Then rinse the shoes with a damp cloth, wipe with a dry cloth and let dry;
- White and light suede can be treated with a solution of milk and soda. Take a glass of skim, warm, but not boiled milk, add a teaspoon of soda and stir. Apply the mixture to a soft cloth and wipe the shoes. Milk will clean and soften the material. By the way, this method is also suitable for cleaning and restoring a light suede jacket or bag;
- For light suede, you can also use hydrogen peroxide. Dissolve a teaspoon of peroxide in a quarter glass of water and stir. Then moisten the sponge in the composition and clean the surface of the products;
- Clean, dry shoes can be wiped with fine table salt. Rub salt into stains or abrasions for two to three hours, then wipe with a damp sponge. Salt will remove stains and abrasions;
- To quickly and effectively restore lint, dilute vinegar with water in a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water and wipe the worn areas. Then wash the surface with a clean damp cloth. Finally, the shoes are wiped with a weak solution of vinegar, which is made in the amount of a teaspoon of vinegar per liter of water;
- To give your new shoes a fresh, presentable look, gently steam the items over a boiling kettle and then treat the worn areas with a suede brush.
Stains are also a particular problem. Grease stains can be removed with refined gasoline, but be careful. Soak a cotton pad in gasoline and treat the affected surface, then sprinkle the surface with talcum powder.
After three to four hours, when the talc has absorbed grease and dirt, the residue is removed with a soft brush. Minor stains and streaks can be carefully removed with a regular eraser or sprinkled with starch for a while. In addition, you can buy special stain removers for suede.
The suede on the shoes has completely peeled off. How to redo it?
You can update your suede shoes with rhinestones and stones.
If you do not properly care for your shoes during use, sooner or later the suede will begin to peel off. This can also happen due to the poor quality of the material from which your shoes are made.
What to do in this case? The easiest way is to purchase a new pair of shoes, but what if your financial situation does not allow you to make a purchase?
You can solve the problem in different ways, and as a result you will get original shoes. Try the following:
- Cover shoes with rhinestones. You can choose stones of a wide variety of shades, shapes and sizes and, using superglue and tweezers, create a unique model of shoes or sandals.
- Decorate the toe with bows, buckles or satin ribbons. In sewing accessories stores you will find a huge number of similar accessories.
- “Tie” the shoes with thick threads. For this you will need a crochet hook and an awl. You need to make holes in the designated places, and then use a hook to thread the threads into them. You can create any patterns on the surface of your shoes by combining threads of different colors.
By being creative, you can give your well-worn shoes or boots a second life.
How to restore other suede products
Not only shoes are made from suede, but also bags and suede jackets. Such products also require careful and careful care. It is advisable to wash a suede jacket by hand in slightly warm water at a temperature of up to 30 degrees, having first dissolved the powder well in water.
Choose washing powders designed for delicate materials, wool or suede. In addition, you can add conditioner to keep the product soft.
Do not soak or wring your suede jacket, otherwise the material may lose its shape and stretch. After washing, rinse the item thoroughly in cool water so that no soapy streaks remain. It is recommended to rinse at least four times.
To dry clothes, hang the jacket on hangers and leave it at room temperature. After washing, comb the pile with a soft brush so that it returns to its original shape.
If greasy or worn areas appear on your leather jacket or leather bag, treat the areas with ammonia dissolved in water. A vinegar solution, milk and soda, or steaming over a kettle and then treating the pile with a suede brush also helps.
What to look for when purchasing
How to distinguish natural suede from artificial one? Use a few rules.
- Natural suede has a pleasant leather smell, while its substitute will smell like glue, chemicals, or paint.
- Suede, by definition, cannot be cheap.
- The shoes may get wet on top, but moisture will never penetrate inside; the surface swells and becomes impenetrable.
- If you run your finger over the suede, the color changes, the fibers tilt at a certain angle and refract the light.
- The leather is velvety on both sides, a fabric base is unacceptable.
- The edges of the finished products are not folded, and the cut can be used to identify genuine leather; the edges of artificial suede are processed so that they do not fray.
- Suede never has an even and smooth surface; its structure is porous, has scratches and small defects. The coloring is heterogeneous.
- Things made from natural suede are very warm and at the same time “breathe”, allowing air to circulate freely without collecting condensation.
- Place your hand on the surface, the natural material will immediately warm up.
