7 easy ways to repair suede at home

"And they are still fighting for the honorary title of a house of high culture and everyday life!" - Anton Semenovich Shpak said to the wanted dog in the immortal comedy "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession."

You will not find information on what to do if your suede jacket is stolen in this article. But you can find out! Let's figure it out!

Suede is called soft velvet leather made by fat-tanning (to give the material elasticity and strength) from the skins of small animals.

Suede is a very thin and delicate velvety leather that absolutely does not tolerate walking in mud, dust or in a rainy season. At the same time, the dazzling summer sun will not be to her taste either! How to take care of such a capricious material?

5 steps of suede care.

1. After each walk, suede shoes should be cleaned with a special suede brush.
2. The dirt that the brush has not dealt with will allow you to remove a special eraser for suede. It will also give the material a velvety, crumpled-up feel.
3. Serious stains can be removed with suede foam cleaner.
4. Moisture-repellent sprays and gels help prevent unnecessary contamination.
5. The suede paint can restore the color of the shoes.

How to update suede at home?

If the suede did not receive proper care during the wear process, and you do not want to spend money on its restoration in dry cleaning, then you can use the methods of updating the suede at home.

What do you need? The following means:

• laundry soap (or baby);
• sodium bicarbonate (baking soda);
• high fat milk;
• semolina;
• ethyl alcohol (or kerosene);
• ammonia;
• wire brush;
• suede care products (paint, brush and moisture-repellent impregnation);
• soft dry cloth;
• talcum powder (or baby powder);
• sponge;
• magnesium sulfate (magnesia);
• turpentine.

Step 1. Return the cleanliness of the shoes

Dust and surface dirt should be removed from the suede with a dry sponge or a special suede brush (you can also use a branded suede eraser or a simple school eraser).

If the shoes are in poor condition, then you need to clean them with soapy water. To do this, rub the sponge with laundry soap, slightly wet it and lather thoroughly. In this case, it is the foam that is the cleaning agent. Apply it to the suede and scrub with a brush. Avoid excessive wetting of the material!

Another way: instead of soap, you can use washing powder or any other detergent.

Important! Movement when processing suede should be in different directions. This will raise the nap and make it easier to clean your shoes.

Step 2. Removing stains

Semolina will help remove stubborn dirt. To do this, you need to cover the stain with semolina, and then gently rub it with a wire brush.

If the contamination cannot be wiped off, then hold the spot area first over the steam, and then repeat the procedure again.

Tip: The easiest way to set up a “steam bath” for suede is over a boiling kettle (at its spout). Avoid using a saucepan as the total surface of the water emitting steam is too large. You could get burned!

Step 3. Greasy stains

To remove greasy stains, apply talcum powder to the stain area and leave it on for a quarter of an hour. Shake off any remaining talcum powder. Dampen a dry cloth with alcohol or kerosene, and then wipe the contaminated area (over the applied talcum powder). Finish the procedure with a standard suede brush.

Tip: greasy stains can be easily removed with dishwashing detergent. Apply it on the stain, let it sit for a quarter of an hour and wash off with a damp cloth.

Step 4. Bald patches

Method 1. You can get rid of bald spots on suede! To do this, you need to mix soda and milk (1 teaspoon and 3 tablespoons, respectively). With a soft dry cloth, you must absorb the resulting product and treat the areas of bald spots. After 5 minutes, it is worth repeating the procedure, after which the shoes must be left for 30 minutes.

Important! Do not wet the suede too much, it, like any leather, is afraid of excessive moisture.

Over time, the shoes must be brushed with a rubber brush.

Method 2. To restore the structure of suede at home will help ammonia and warm water. The ingredients must be mixed in a ratio of 1: 4, after which the surface of the shoe must be treated. This method works well for.

Step 5. Drying

After the performed procedures, it is required to thoroughly dry the shoes. To do this, fill it with unnecessary paper and let it dry naturally.

Avoid drying in direct sunlight and near heating appliances!

Tip: Do not use newsprint as padding material, as ink can leave marks.

Step 6. Restore the color

The ideal way to restore the color of the suede is to use a special paint. If this is not available on the farm, then you can apply:

• coffee grounds (will help bring back the color of dark shoes);
• a mixture of fat milk, magnesia, turpentine and talc in equal amounts.

These funds must be applied to the entire surface of the shoe and left for a while. In the case of coffee grounds, it is 12 hours or a day. The milk mixture should be kept for no more than an hour. Then you need to comb the suede with a brush and dry thoroughly.

Step 7. Post-processing

Dried shoes must be brushed again and treated with a moisture-repellent impregnation.

Store suede products in their original packaging. It is highly discouraged to put suede shoes in a plastic bag, as this can lead to unpleasant odors and mold.

On a note

• Each step of cleaning must be accompanied by a complete drying of the shoe.
• Suede is afraid of moisture, and it takes an average of 20 hours to dry completely, so it is not advisable to wear suede shoes every day.
• You can polish your suede with a lint-free dry cloth.
• In order to restore badly worn suede, it is necessary to use dry cleaning services.

All you need for a graceful and comfortable life is a pair of suede shoes ... Three pairs.

Mother of two children. I have been running a household for over 7 years - this is my main job. I love to experiment, I constantly try various means, methods, techniques that can make our life easier, more modern, richer. I love my family.