How to wash suede sneakers?

Suede does not tolerate contact with water. If the shoes get wet from it due to the ingress of liquid dirt, then after drying the material will become hardened, and the villi will stick together and lose elasticity. Tidying up your sneakers in this condition is an overwhelming task. In order not to suffer with the consequences, it is necessary to learn how to properly care, dry and clean suede products.

Can I wash suede sneakers?

For an answer to the question, look at the tongue of the sneaker. There, manufacturers usually indicate the rules for care. If there is no cheat sheet, rely on the rule that shoes with glued soles and holes are not washed .

The abundance of decorative elements, the presence of locks and a combination of several bright colors (primarily red) indicate the impossibility of using a machine cleaning method.

Pre-cleaning

Dust and small debris must be disposed of before large-scale events. Work is carried out dry (shoes are not wetted, dried if necessary), with a flannel rag or brush (a roller for clothes also helps with adhering specks). Moreover, these items should be designed exclusively for a particular pair. Do not use them to care for other sneakers.

During cleaning, move your hand in 1 direction. Circular or reverse movements thin out the pile, because they are unacceptable.

Important! The brush at this stage of care is replaceable with a cracker. For dark sneakers, take black bread, for light - white.

Technology for washing natural suede

The basic principle of working with suede: the smaller the wet area, the better. The duration of contact with fluids also matters. A long wash can hit not only the upper boot material, but also the decorative elements, glued parts and iron hooks. If the latter are oxidized, then the rust will permeate the suede tightly.

Manually

You will need a soap solution (liquid detergent is added to water) or ammonia (2 parts of water are mixed with 1 part of the substance). In the product, gauze is moistened and treated with its specific zones. Then, wipe the entire surface of the shoe with a rag soaked in clean water (rinse and turn the rag as often as possible, wring it carefully).

Final stage: impregnation with diluted vinegar. For 1 liter of water should be 1 teaspoon of essence. The tool is applied with a brush. If not specialized, use a toothbrush.

Important! Cotton wool is not suitable for working with suede; fibers may remain on the material. Powdered substances are also not recommended.

To remove stubborn and chronic stains, a home remedy based on ammonia (2 tbsp.), Warm water (a glass) and liquid hand soap ( if the stain is oily, replace with a dishwashing detergent or a powder capsule ) is more suitable. The ingredients are combined and thoroughly alter until strong foaming. Sneakers are rubbed with the resulting foam (first problem areas, then the entire surface). At the end, vinegar solution is used.

In car

Inspect the sneakers first. Check for damage - do not wash with them . Next, rub a complex dirt with a specialized brush, load old towels into the machine (to reduce friction against the walls) and remove all removable parts (laces, insoles, inserts) from the sneaker. Put the shoes in the case and then in the machine.

Important! Use suede with liquid powders.

Exposing the settings, refuse to spin. The number of calls should be minimal, just like the temperature. The best option: hand wash or delicate mode in cold water.

How to wash faux suede sneakers?

The technique depends on the quality of the material. If it is completely bad, then it will sprawl and crack from the brush. You need to use specialized cleaning wipes and work extremely carefully. Well, the best option would be the rejection of low-quality suede substitutes. Items from them can be called disposable: even with careful wear they will not last a season.

Normal, natural suede is an order of magnitude stronger than natural suede . Therefore, shoe manufacturers from it are often allowed to wash their products in a washing machine. Look for the appropriate inscription on the tongue or on the leaflet enclosed in the box.

Hands

Special suds are available for cleaning suede. The substance is applied to the surface, wait a while, and then blotted with a rag from a natural colorless fabric. Painted will not work .

Important! If the sneakers are multi-colored, each area that differs in shade is cleaned separately. Rags are also changing.

Along with finished household chemicals, home remedies are used. For starters, try a regular soap solution . It is prepared either from odorless laundry soap or from liquid powder. Use depending on the quality of the material:

if it is high, then the boots are soaked for 2-3 minutes;
if the item is too expensive or, conversely, is made of artificial suede of mediocre quality, then they are impregnated with a soap solution with a cloth and shoes are already washed.

In car

Suitable settings: gentle, hand or delicate wash at 40 degrees or less without spin. From chemistry, liquid powders and products intended specifically for suede are preferable. In terms of a protective cover, the same rules apply as for shoes made of genuine suede.

Important! Do not wash the burgundy sneakers in the machine. They will color the sole, laces and inserts of a different color.

How to get rid of stains?

Fading traces formed due to point contact with an aggressive substance and stubborn stains are fought with spray dyes. Due to the high toxicity of coloring substances, the procedure should be carried out on an unglazed balcony or in the open air . Otherwise, a pungent chemical smell will cause a headache.
To clean white suede, dissolve a spoonful of soda in a glass of low-fat milk (the indicator should be below 1.5%), moisten a rag (or gauze swab) in the mixture and wipe the upper material, paying particular attention to problem areas. After you take the unpainted cotton cloth, lightly wet it and wipe the boots.
Another way: using colorless vinegar (can lead to shedding, do a preliminary test in a small area). A toothbrush is dipped into the essence, which is then passed through the dirt. At the end of the procedure, be sure to set the pile direction.
Remove the stain from the light material and get with a lemon. Its zest is spot-treated.

Important! Citruses can leave colored strokes on suede. Before cleaning, be sure to conduct a test in an inconspicuous area.

If the problem is salt whitish stains, then resort to the following cleaning methods:

Shoes are kept over a boiling pot for 5–8 minutes. The dirt is cleaned with a rubber brush.
Peel the potatoes, divide them in half and rub the spots with the cut first, and then the entire surface. After wipe with a cleaning cloth and treat the pile with a brush.
Old organic and inorganic contaminants are removed using ammonia (caustic substance, therefore it requires checking on an inconspicuous area of sneakers) and semolina. The first softens the crust of the stain, and the croup absorbs fat. After the semolina does its job, it will need to be cleaned.
If during the preliminary test it turns out that the material is molting due to ammonia, it is worth diluting the liquid with water . This rule applies to vinegar.

Ways to combat other types of stains:

freezing from gum will help (freeze ice);
corn grease, talcum powder or potato starch are applied to greasy stains (they are allowed to absorb liquids, then they are considered a brush);
brown suede rub coffee with a sponge;
rub the box with sulfuric half from organic contaminants (after being treated with a damp rag);
black and colored lines are removed with an eraser.

Important! In order to absorb starch better, pierce it in a pan before applying to sneakers.

How to dry?

Reminder for the care of wet suede in winter and in the offseason:

immediately after purchase treat the shoes with a water-repellent compound (then melting snow and rain will not be able to cause severe harm);
coming from the street, immediately dry, do not put off the matter until later;
sneakers should not be placed on or near the battery;
thorough cleaning is carried out only after drying ;
the use of a hairdryer is unacceptable (due to overdrying, the suede will harden, the pile will stop lying down);
so that the pile does not stand up after drying, smooth it with a suede brush;
if you have to wash it due to the smell and traces of sweat, citrus skins (put on shoes for 10-12 hours), unused tea bags (put for a day), sea salt (grate, leave for 12 hours), activated charcoal (soak overnight) will help )

Suede shoes without a warm pad dry in 20 hours. To speed up the process, completely unzip the sneakers and place newspaper sheets or paper towels inside. Every 2-3 hours, change the “filler”.