The Best Suede Cleaner

Suede is just one of those fabrics that is both wonderful to the touch and horrible to have to clean! The popularity of this fabric has made it a common material for shoes, coats, and even furniture. Suede is soft, pliable, comfortable, and so easy to stain! Luckily we have found the best suede cleaner and the best ways to maintain your suede!

Suede should be pretreated with a protective spray the day that you buy it to help reduce your need for a suede cleaner!

One of the first things that you need to buy after purchasing any suede product is a suede brush. These brushes are specially designed to help restore the softness and pile of the suede fabric to its original state. They also help to restore the look of the suede after you have cleaned it. You should also protect your suede with a suede protective treatment. These are readily available and can make the cleaning of your suede infinitely easier. Pre-treating your suede will also make it last longer, just make sure that you follow the directions to ensure that you do not destroy the soft and subtle nature of your suede!

If you have a dry stain on your suede, use a pink pencil eraser to slowly work out the stain. By using light pressure, you can essentially erase the stain as the stain gets absorbed into the eraser bits. You will have to brush out the suede to restore the look, if you do not have a suede brush, you can rub the surface in a uniform direction with a clean, dry cloth.

If you have a wet stain on your suede, absorb as much of the liquid as possible by placing paper towels on top. Carefully blot up all of the liquid making sure to not spread the stain by rubbing. Once you have all of the liquid removed, use the pencil eraser to remove any residue. Finally, brush the area with your suede brush to restore the look of the suede. If you cannot remove the stain using these techniques, you will need to have the fabric professionally cleaned. If you have already pretreated the suede, you can use white vinegar. Start by dampening a clean towel with water and completely wring it out until it is barely damp. Next, add a few drops of white vinegar and slowly work it into the stain. Be very careful with white vinegar. Always test a small inconspicuous area with the white vinegar first to find out how your suede will respond to the cleaning. Once you have removed the stain, again brush with your suede brush to improve the appearance of the suede.

Related Posts:

• Leather Cleaning Tips
• Cleaning Microfiber Suede Furniture
• Removing Dog Drool and Other Water Marks From Microfiber Suede

So You Left Your Laundry In The Dryer Too Long...

If you leave a load of laundry in the dryer for too long everything turns into a wrinkly mess. This happens to everyone from time to time as life can get pretty busy. To re-fluff and de-wrinkle the load, just lightly dampen a towel and throw it in. Run the dryer for about ten minutes. Use a bath towel for a large load and a hand towel for smaller ones.

How to Unshrink A Sweater

Okay, so you’ve shrunk a sweater in the laundry. We've all done it. It’s hopeless, right? Not necessarily. There might be a chance to save it.  Follow these instructions and you may end up with a wearable sweater, even if it has been a while since you shrunk it.

Unshrink Sweater Home Remedy

Fill a sink with room temperature water and dissolve in a few teaspoon of hair conditioner. Just about any brand will work, just make sure it's not a shampoo and conditioner combination or shampoo plus. The soap in those will work against you.  Soak the sweater in the solution for 5-10 minutes. Then lay it out on a large dry towel. Gently stretch the sweater into its original shape and size. Be very careful to stretch it evenly. Let it dry completely in that position. Knitters use a similar technique when blocking a sweater. It doesn’t work in every scenario but many sweaters can be saved. I saved my favorite Woolrich Sweater one this way!

Protect Your Sweaters in the Future

You can protect your sweaters in the future by using this technique to dry your sweaters.  Just lay out a towel or even buy a special sweater drying rack.  Lay the sweater flat, in a natural position and let the sweater dry for a day.  Make sure to not have the sweater hanging from anything because gravity can do just the opposite and stretch your sweater.  If your sweater is stretched out, you can also try the above method, but don't use any conditioner.  Good Luck.

Clean Spills and Stains As Soon As Possible

A very important tip is to always clean spills and stains as soon as possible to prevent the stain from setting. Always blot from the outside working your way into the middle in a spiral pattern. This will keep the spill from spreading. When spills occur on carpeting, be sure to get any liquid that may have worked its way into the padding. This is very important for urine, vomit, and milk because odors can be left behind if any moisture is left in the padding. To help prevent this be sure to blot the entire area using a large amount of pressure then rewet the area with warm water and the appropriate cleaner for the job. As a good measure, I try to wet and blot the area once or twice with clean water as a final cleaning step. You can finish by sprinkling baking soda on the area. Let the baking soda stand for several hours then vacuum. You can also try our homemade odor remover.

Smelly Bath Towels

Smelly bath towels make you feel like you just got dirty after taking a shower. They can also be very embarrassing if you have company over. The first step towards alleviating this problem is to properly clean them. Unless the manufacturer's tag recommends against it, wash your towels in hot water and add 1/2 cup of borax to each load. Add 3/4 cup if it is a high capacity washer. Make sure that your towels are completely dry before folding or placing inside your cupboards. After using your towels always hang unfolded and let air dry completely before putting them away. If your towels do not lose their scent after washing with detergent and borax, soak for an hour in a mixture of 1/2 cup borax and warm water and then rewash with a 1/2 cup of bleach added to the washer. If the smell continues after even this...it's time to buy new towels!

Cleaning Your Iron

Your iron can get a build-up of starch and dirt on the surface that reduces its ability to iron your clothes and always makes me nervous that it will transfer to my shirts. To remove this mess, mix a thick paste of baking soda and clean water. When the iron is cool, scrub the iron with a sponge covered with the mixture. Really old, baked-on stains will take more time to remove. Once finished, wipe off the excess with a clean towel. To remove the extra paste from the holes, use Q-tips.

Dryer Sheets in your Sock Drawer?

Placing a few unused dryer sheets in any clothing drawer improves odor control and reduces the moisture level in the drawer. Clothes left with dryer sheets smell better longer and will last in the drawer longer without getting that "left in a drawer too long scent." Dryer sheets are cheap and one or two per drawer will do the trick. If you are storing summer or winter clothes for any period of time, dryer sheets are a must! Dryer sheets are also known as a deterrent to many types of bugs, which makes me like them even more.

Removing Deodorant Stains from Laundry

Many women complain about deodorant stains especially in regards to dark clothing. To remove these stains, wipe the stain with white vinegar and launder as instructed. If the stain remains, soak the area with denatured alcohol. Wash with your usual detergent in the hottest water setting safe for the fabric type. As always, test your cleaning solutions on an inside seam to test for color or fabric damage before tackling the stain.

Removing Sweat Stains from Shirts

Sweat stains are a part of normal life. After being in a very warm wedding last weekend, I can tell you that sometimes they cannot be avoided. If you are using bleach in your wash, scrub the sweat stains with water and lemon juice. Launder as usual. If you are not using bleach, scrub the stains with white vinegar and wash as usual. Do not ever put white vinegar into a washer with bleach, it creates toxic gases!

Removing Grease Stains From Clothing

Whether you work on cars, bikes, or any other mechanical devices, I am sure that you have encountered a few grease stains on your clothing. Grease is particularly nasty because of its' inherent ability to not break down and to withstand heat and friction. To clean grease from clothing, you need to first get the right tool for the job. Basic dish washing soap is designed to do one thing, break down grease. Also, dish washing liquid will not harm most clothing. Always test any clothing cleaning treatment in an inconspicuous place, inside seam, etc. Rub the dish washing detergent into the grease until it begins to break down. Launder the clothing as usual.

Removing Grass Stains from Clothing

If you do not ever get grass stains on your clothing, you need to reassess your life. Everyone needs to find some time in their lives to play outside. Removing grass stains has historically seemed to be a difficult job, because most detergents simply set the stain deeper. Again, you need the right tool for the job. Pretreat the grass stain with hydrogen peroxide, making sure that you totally saturate the stain. Then launder the clothing as usual. The stain should be gone.

Removing Oil-Based Paint from Clothing

Last year I bought two new pairs of jeans. They fit great and were still a solid color when I decided to paint the doors on my garage. I (as always) was extremely careful covering all areas to not be painted. I also practiced very careful brush strokes to keep the paint on the brushes. The door came out great. I didn't get a drop on me until I was cleaning up my drop-cloth and it rubbed paint directly onto my pants. To remove the paint, act fast and blot, don't rub. If you rub the stain it will only get forced deeper into the cloth. Apply a small amount of paint thinner or alcohol to a clean cloth and test on the inside seem of one of your pant legs to make sure it doesn't damage the color or the fabric. Once you have spot treated the area and the paint begins to soften, remove the remainder of the paint by agitating it in a solution of water and a strong liquid detergent. Once the majority of the paint has been removed, launder immediately. This will remove the final paint residue and all of the solvents.

Removing Blood from Furniture

To remove blood stains, use hydrogen peroxide. Rub gently to remove any blood stains from furniture and clothing. Always use a clean cloth and try to clean the stain as quickly as possible. Whenever cleaning fabrics, always test an inconspicuous area to make sure that your cleaning solution is not going to discolor or stain the fabric.

Cleaning Tomato based stains

I always seem to get some ketchup or spaghetti sauce while I'm away from home. You can spot clean these types of stains with waterless hand sanitizer and rinse in cold water. This has saved many shirts for me. At home you can use a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 6 parts water. This hydrogen peroxide mixture is also good at cleaning blood stains from carpet and fabrics.