How To Clean Suede Shoes (& Mistakes To Avoid)

It can be difficult to effectively and correctly clean certain items in your home. For instance, you may know how to clean common carpet stains and get rid of the crayon marks on the walls, but you may be unsure about your suede leather shoes. Unlike smooth and shiny traditional leather, which can be cleaned with a number of different approaches and products, suede leather — identifiable by its fuzzy, soft look and feel — can be damaged if your approach is too heavy-handed or just incorrect.

To clean your suede shoes, you'll need a dedicated brush and eraser. Ensure that your shoes are dry when you begin cleaning them; you should be able to restore them to their former glory by brushing away any loose or surface-level dirt. To avoid harming the appearance or integrity of the suede, brush in the direction of the grain and apply only light pressure. After brushing the dirt off, gently work a suede eraser, like the Shacke Suede & Nubuck 4-Way Leather Brush Cleaner, to remove the mark. If you want the best results and the easiest surface to work on, it's a good idea to stuff your shoes so they retain their shape while you clean them. A shoe horn works well, but you can also use scrunched-up newspaper.

Whether you need to clean your suede combat boots or Italian loafers, there are times when you might need to employ different tactics to get the job done. Blood stains can be cleaned with a cotton ball that has been lightly moistened with hydrogen peroxide. Simply dab away at the stain, let it dry, and assess if it needs to be treated again (being careful not to soak the stain). You can use the same technique with rubbing alcohol instead of hydrogen peroxide for non-blood stains. If you happen to have wax or gum on your suede shoes, the last thing you'll want to do is try to scrape or peel it off right away. Instead, pop your suede shoes in the freezer, and after about two hours, the gum or wax should be fully hardened, making it far easier to peel off.

For oil or grease stains that your shoes might suffer after a day in the city, cornstarch is an affordable and effective method to absorb and remove smears from the surface of the suede. All you need to do is sprinkle a generous amount of the powder on the stain and leave it for a couple of hours. When it's time to remove the cornstarch, it's highly recommended to use a vacuum with a hand attachment so you don't risk rubbing the greasy cornstarch into the suede and making the stain worse. You can also use other absorbent powders, such as baking soda or talcum powder, to soak up the grease.

As mentioned, suede leather is far more delicate than traditional shiny leather. As such, it's best to proceed with care when cleaning this soft and gorgeous material. Moisture is the archnemesis of leather and can destroy the appearance of suede since it strips the natural oils from the material. Suede that has become wet may lose its integrity and become hard.  Because of this, you should never clean your suede leather with water. Even if a small stain seems like it may lift with some water, the moisture that you apply to the suede will actually embed the stain in the leather, making it more difficult to remove and potentially even adding a water stain to the original blemish. When cleaning your suede with a dry brush, you'll want to avoid the mistake of brushing away from the grain and be sure to only brush in one direction using short motions. If you brush back and forth on the grain, you will risk harming the leather's fibers permanently.

Another mistake to avoid is trying to handle any and every mess on your own. While minor messes and everyday soiling can likely be solved at home with the aforementioned tips, some situations may call for professional intervention; there's no need to feel overly indulgent in reaching out for help if you find yourself faced with a suede shoe that is exceptionally difficult to clean. If your suede Birkenstocks are looking a little rough, know that cleaning them isn't as hard as you think; many of the tips mentioned above will come in handy.