Surely you have more than one pair of suede shoes in your closet that you have not worn for a long time because they show off a stain that you are not able to clean. You have tried all the products that exist to clean split leather shoes, but there is no way, the stain persists. And it's a shame because the truth is that they combine perfectly with your favorite pants and with the clothes you wear casually.
Do not worry, it is likely that you have not put into practice the tricks and home remedies to clean suede shoes as our grandmothers did.
Accumulated dust on suede shoes
Frequently, when we store suede boots or shoes from one year to the next, when we recover them at the beginning of the season, we realize that dust has accumulated between fiber and fiber. To remove it you will need a special brush for shoes, with soft bristles or if you have a toothbrush at home that you do not use, it will also work for you. To finish, take a clean and damp cloth and pass it over the entire surface.
mud stains
You will have to wait until the mud has dried. This is very important because if you reach into the wet mud you can completely damage your shoes. Now yes, take your brush and carry out the same procedure as when they have dust. If we see that it does not come off easily, we are going to help ourselves with a nail file or fine sandpaper and we are going to scrape the area very gently.
Water stains on suede shoes
Cleaning sheepskin shoes is very common after a rainy day. In this case three things can happen:
Right after these procedures, the ideal is that we brush the footwear for a better result.
Grease or oil stains
We have already seen how to remove glue from clothes with certain tricks for cleaning this liquid that is so difficult to remove, now we will see how to remove grease from suede. In this case there are different theories, some use ammonia, others talcum powder and degreaser. For any of the options, special care must be taken since they are very aggressive products that could spoil your footwear.
Moisture stains
For these cases you will need soda, yes as you read or you can use tonic, the one you use for gin and tonics. You just have to spill the drink on a clean cloth and wipe it over the affected area. Since the footwear will be damp, dry it with a cotton pad or dry cloth, but never apply heat directly to the suede or split leather.
The next time you make a change of wardrobe, get some anti-humidity bags and place them next to your shoes.
Stains from rubbing or trampling
In specialized shoe stores, they sell special erasers for stains on suede or delicate fabrics. You can buy it or you can save a little by reusing a “MILAN 430” type eraser that you have stored in a drawer.
Rub into the stained areas until the dirt is completely removed. Then comb the area in the same direction with a brush and you will have your shoes as if they had just left the store. But beware! Choose a classic rubber that is of a neutral color or similar to that of your shoe, if they are one of these that are dyed, forget it or you will stain the fabric more.
Paint stains
These stains are the worst, when we talk about paint we also talk about nail polish, ink or even plaster (I don't know how, but it can end up on our shoes). The process to completely remove this dirt is very similar to the one I have explained for mud stains.
The only problem is that, if the stain is very embedded, we may need to carry out the process several times or even consider whether to use a more aggressive product. If we have to get to this point, use a cotton pad soaked in acetone and gently, by means of quick touches in the affected areas, remove the dirt. To finish, you will have to help yourself with a damp cloth and when it dries, brush in the same way as in the previous processes. .
Now, there are other lesser-known methods that you can also put into practice for cleaning suede shoes, such as using micellar water, cooking cornstarch for oil stains, rubbing with a candle or hairspray. .