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.

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Leather Cleaning Tips

Leather is a popular fabric for furniture, jackets, boots and belts. It is becoming more popular every year because of its versatility, strength and ease of maintenance. We have had several leather sofas over the years and they have always lasted longer than their fabric counterparts. One the reasons we have enjoyed our leather furniture is how easy they are to clean. Here are some leather cleaning tips that will help you enjoy your leather for years to come.

Furniture Leather Cleaning

Furniture leather needs special care to keep it from becoming too dry. If the leather dries out it becomes brittle and prone to cracking. To help prevent this you want to use a leather cleaning solution that also conditions the leather. The first step is to determine if you leather is finished. Almost 90% of leather furniture is finished. You can tell by looking at the surface of the leather, if it is rough and nappy like a pool table's felt, it most likely is not finished. This type of material is often called suede or nubuck. If the surface is smooth and shinny it most likely is finished leather. You can double check by taking a small amount of foaming leather cleaner and letting it sit on the surface of the leather. If it soaks in the leather is unfinished.

Homemade Leather Cleaning Solution

If you look at most commercial leather cleaners you will notice the same ingredients used in all of them. Olive oil, lanolin and Neats oil are the most commonly used. You likely have these ingredients at home and making your own leather cleaner is easy. Just mix one cup distilled white vinegar and two cups food grade linseed oil or olive oil. Just wipe the solution evenly over the leather’s surface using a lint free cloth, microfiber works great. Then use a second lint free cloth to buff and polish the leather surface. Use every three months to clean and condition.

Automotive Leather Seats

If you car has leather seats this cleaner will also clean and condition them. You can also take a few steps to protect your car’s seats. Heat is leather’s enemy, so try to park in a shaded area or use a windshield sun shade. If you have small kids, use a blanket under child car seats to protect against scratches and indentations from the seat rubbing against the leather. If you have a dog, a blanket can protect the seat from the dog’s nails.

Removing Leather Stains

Many stains can be removed from leather. Try these on your tough leather stains:

• Toothpaste – Lightly scrub the area with a terry cloth and a small dab of toothpaste.
• Hairspray – Ink stains can be tough to remove from leather. Spray the area liberally with hairspray and use a terry cloth two wipe away the ink. It may take several attempts to get the desired results.
• Mayonnaise – Water rings can be removed from leather by covering the stain with mayonnaise for a few hours. Use a terry cloth to wipe the area clean. Use our homemade leather cleaner to make it look like new.

Related Posts:

• Removing Ink From Leather
• Tips on Cleaning Leather Furniture
• Cleaning Shoes and Boots of Winter Grime