How to wash suede sneakers? Technology for washing natural and artificial suede by hand and in a machine. Removing stains and drying.

Sports shoes, like any other item of clothing, require timely washing, cleaning and careful care. Washing suede sneakers is quite difficult. There is an opinion that suede shoes are very finicky, but by observing the subtleties of cleaning, you can extend the life of the product. Using medications and improvised means, you can even cope with the problem at home.

Pre-cleaning

Dust and small debris must be removed before large-scale events. The work is done dry (the shoes are not wet, if necessary, they are dried), with a flannel rag or a brush (a clothes roller also helps to remove stuck debris).
Moreover, these items should be intended exclusively for a specific couple. Do not use them to care for other sneakers. When cleaning, move your hand in 1 direction. Circular or reverse movements thin out the pile, so they are unacceptable.

Important! At this stage of care, the brush can be replaced with a dry brush. For dark sneakers, use black bread; for light sneakers, use white bread.

Dry method

To remove dirt, you can use various home methods, because it is not always possible to take your sneakers to the dry cleaner.

The dry method of removing dirt from suede sneakers involves the use of a special brush, talcum powder, a matchbox and an eraser. That is, without the use of various liquids.

How to properly clean suede sneakers:

The brush is bought at a shoe store. This is a double-sided item with metal teeth and synthetic bristles on one side and rubber spikes on the other. It is equipped with a rubber tip with eraser properties. With its help, suede is cleaned from dust, dirt and grease. It also makes the material velvety. Clean suede only after drying. If there is no special brush, use a toothbrush.
If a piece of fatty food accidentally falls on the suede, talc or baby powder will help deal with the problem. This product perfectly absorbs most oily stains. Only the contaminated areas are treated with powder, left for 2-3 hours, and then the residue is removed with a brush. It is recommended to use talc only for light-colored shoes. Replace the powder with potato starch.
Black suede boots can be cleaned using a matchbox. All you need is sulfur. It perfectly removes earthen dirt. Take a matchbox and rub the sulfur side on the stained areas.
A regular office eraser is also good at removing dirt from suede sneakers. Rub the tip into the black streaks. After removing dirt, run a brush over the surface to lift the lint.

You can remove some stains by hand. Dry methods are suitable if the degree of contamination is small.

Washing technology for natural suede

The basic principle of working with suede: the smaller the wet area, the better. The duration of contact with liquids also matters. Long washing can “hit” not only the upper material of the boots, but also decorative elements, glued parts and iron hooks. If the latter oxidize, then the rust will thoroughly saturate the suede.

Manually

You will need a soap solution (liquid laundry detergent is added to water) or ammonia (mix 2 parts water with 1 part substance).
Gauze is moistened in the product and specific areas are treated with it. Then the entire surface of the shoes is wiped with a rag soaked in clean water (rinse and turn over the rag as often as possible, and wring it out thoroughly). Final stage: soaking with diluted vinegar. For 1 liter of water there should be 1 teaspoon of essence. The product is applied with a brush. If there is no specialized one, use a dental one.

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 old stains, a home remedy based on ammonia (2 tbsp), warm water (a glass) and liquid hand soap is more suitable ( if the stain is greasy, replace it with dishwashing detergent or a powder capsule ). The ingredients are combined and thoroughly mixed until strong foaming occurs. The resulting foam is rubbed onto the sneakers (first the problem areas, then the entire surface). At the end, a vinegar solution is used.

In car

First, inspect the sneakers. Check for damage - they cannot be washed . Next, use a specialized brush to scrub stubborn dirt, load old towels into the machine (to reduce friction against the walls) and remove all removable parts from the sneakers (laces, insoles, inserts). Place the shoes in the case and then in the machine.

Important! With suede, use liquid powders.

When setting the settings, do not spin. The number of calls should be minimal, just like the temperature. Best option: hand wash or delicate cycle in cold water.

Washing sneakers in the washing machine

Washing sneakers in the machine

If you are sure that machine washing will not cause harm, load your sneakers into the drum following the recommendations:

Use a special mesh bag to avoid damage.
Do not add other wardrobe items to the machine. You can fill the space with old things to evenly distribute the load.
Pour liquid detergent into the dispenser.
Do not use bleach.
Maintain a temperature regime not exceeding 30 °C.

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Irina. Housewife.

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Do not forget that the problem of a seam tear or a hole in the material may become worse during automatic washing. It also happens that the light inserts of sneakers are painted in an overall dark color. With little contrast in the elements there is nothing to be afraid of.

How to wash faux suede sneakers?

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

Normal non-natural suede is an order of magnitude stronger than natural suede . Therefore, manufacturers of shoes made from it often allow their products to be washed in a washing machine. Look for the corresponding inscription on the tongue or on the leaflet included in the box.

Hands

Special foams are produced to clean suede. The substance is applied to the surface, waited for some time, and then blotted with a rag made of natural colorless fabric. Painted will not work .

Important! If the sneakers are multi-colored, clean each area that differs in shade separately. The rags are also changed.

Home remedies are used along with ready-made household chemicals. To begin with, you should 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 soak the boots for 2–3 minutes;
if the item is too expensive or, on the contrary, is made of artificial suede of mediocre quality, then soak the rags in a soapy solution and wash the shoes with it.

In car

Suitable settings: gentle, hand or delicate wash at 40 degrees or less without spinning. When it comes to chemicals, liquid powders and products designed specifically for suede are preferable. In terms of a protective cover, the same rules apply as for shoes made of natural suede.

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

Drying

The drying process is no less important than washing. To do this you need:

Take white paper and, after crumpling it, place it inside the sneakers so as to give the most natural shape.
Drying must be done in a room with access to fresh air.
It is strictly forbidden to place shoes near radiators and other heating devices. Since this can lead to the components of the product coming apart.
You can use a special electric shoe dryer to dry your shoes in a short time.

Washing suede sneakers is not easy, but if you follow the washing and drying instructions, you can restore your shoes to their former freshness and cleanliness. If washing at home does not help, you can contact specialized dry cleaners.

How to get rid of stains?

Faded marks formed due to point contact with an aggressive substance and stains that cannot be removed are dealt with using aerosol 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, the pungent chemical smell will cause headaches.
To clean white suede, dissolve a spoonful of baking soda in a glass of low-fat milk (the reading should be below 1.5%), soak a rag (or gauze swab) in the mixture and wipe the top material, paying special attention to problem areas. Then take an undyed cotton cloth, slightly wet it and wipe the boots.
Another way: use clear vinegar (may cause shedding, test on a small area first). A toothbrush is dipped into the essence and then brushed over the stains. At the end of the procedure, be sure to give the pile a direction.
You can also remove stains from light-colored materials using lemon. Use its zest to spot-treat the stain.

Important! Citruses can leave colorful streaks on suede. Be sure to test on an inconspicuous area before cleaning.

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

The shoes are kept over a boiling pan for 5–8 minutes. Dirt is removed with a rubber brush.
The potatoes are peeled, divided in half and the cut area is rubbed first on the spots and then on the entire surface. Afterwards, wipe with a cleansing cloth and treat the lint with a brush.
Old contaminants of an organic and inorganic nature are removed using ammonia (a caustic substance, therefore it requires testing in an inconspicuous area of the sneakers) and semolina. The first softens the crust of the stain, and the cereal absorbs the fat. After the semolina has done its job, it will need to be cleaned off.
If during a preliminary test it turns out that ammonia causes the material to shed, it is worth diluting the liquid with water . This rule also applies to vinegar.

Ways to deal with other types of stains:

Freezing the chewing gum will help (apply ice);
apply corn flour, talc or potato starch to the greasy stains (allow the liquid to be absorbed, then brush);
brown suede is rubbed with coffee using a sponge;
to remove organic contaminants, rub half of the box with sulfur (then treat with a damp rag);
black and colored lines are removed using an eraser.

Important! To make the starch absorb better, pierce it in a frying pan before applying it to the sneakers.

Tips and tricks

It is possible to wash suede sneakers from Adidas or another high-quality brand. But it’s better not to tempt fate and learn how to properly care for such shoes. Many people advise purchasing special products for suede. If they are not at hand, then this is also not a problem.

You can always use available suede care products:

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Small stains can be removed with a mixture of milk and soda. To do this you need to stir 1 tsp. bulk component in a glass of heated milk. Wipe the sneakers with this solution (the rag should be quite coarse, for example, burlap).
Ammonia and water will also help get rid of stains on shoes. For 1 tbsp. warm water you need to take a quarter glass of alcohol. Wipe the sneakers with the resulting liquid.
Gasoline will help remove greasy stains on suede sneakers. However, it should only be used with talc. To do this, the product must first be wiped with gasoline, then covered with talcum powder. After a few hours, the composition can be removed with a cloth, and then clean the boot with a stiff brush.
It is good to clean brown suede products with coffee grounds. To do this, you need to moisten a brush in it and treat the surface. After the shoes have dried, it is important to brush off the coffee with a dry brush. If necessary, you can repeat the procedure.
You can wash white suede sneakers using regular potato starch. To do this, you need to lightly rub the contaminated areas with powder, leave to act for 1 - 1.5 hours, and clean with a dry brush. The main rule is to choose a brush with stiff bristles.
You can improve the cleaning effect with a mixture of starch and ammonia. With its help, you can remove even stubborn stains on shoes that cannot be washed. From these ingredients you need to make a paste, which you should generously rub on the stained areas. After this, you just need to wait for the mixture to dry and clean it off with a brush.
When shiny areas remain on your suede sneakers after washing, you can remove them with a piece of stale bread. You just need to rub the problem area with dried crumbs and remove any crumbs remaining on the surface using a coarse brush.
You can replace stale bread with sandpaper. It is also able to remove residual contaminants that were not washed off during washing. But in this case you need to be extremely careful, since with excessive effort you can damage the structure of the sneaker and the product will have to be thrown away.
A pencil eraser can also clean up your shoes in areas where dirt remains after washing. Surfaces can be thoroughly rubbed with an eraser without fear of damaging the leather structure. Washing gum can be replaced with ordinary hard foam rubber; the remaining material can be easily removed from the surface of the shoe with a brush.

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How to dry it properly?

Reminder for caring for wet suede in winter and off-season:

immediately after purchase, treat your shoes with a water-repellent compound (then melting snow and rain will not be able to cause serious harm);
when coming from the street, dry it immediately, do not put it off for later;
Do not place sneakers on or near a battery;
thorough cleaning is carried out only after drying;
the use of a hairdryer is unacceptable (due to overdrying, the suede will harden and the pile will no longer lie down);
To prevent the pile from standing up after drying, smooth it with a suede brush;
if you have to wash because of the smell and traces of sweat, citrus skins (place inside the shoes for 10–12 hours), unused tea bags (place for a day), sea salt (grate, leave for 12 hours), activated carbon (leave overnight) will help ).

Suede shoes without insulated lining dry in 20 hours. To speed up the process, unlace your sneakers completely and place sheets of newspaper or paper towels inside. Change the “filler” every 2-3 hours.

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Preparing for washing

The main thing is to comply with all the requirements for such a procedure. Before washing suede sneakers, they need to be prepared for this process. To do this, a series of sequential actions are performed:

pull out the lacing and insoles;
clean the adhered dirt with a dry cloth, a special rubber brush or a dry sponge, and also remove dust;
carefully remove all dirt from the sole - you can use water and a toothbrush to remove dirt from the recesses.

This preparatory stage must be followed in any case; shoes can be washed manually or in an automatic machine.

Important! Insoles also require cleaning as they absorb the odor of foot sweat. But they can only be washed by hand. They should only be dried flat out in a dry place, but absolutely not near a radiator or other heating devices.

Protection

After deep wet or dry cleaning, it is necessary to apply protection to the shoes. Primary protective treatment must be carried out at least 3 times.

For example, water-repellent impregnation Tarrago Nano Protector (250/400 ml), the best product for caring for such shoes. It protects the suede from becoming saturated with moisture. When it rains, the water takes the form of pearls and rolls off the surface.

In addition, this product allows the skin to breathe. It creates a breathable coating and does not allow moisture to penetrate inside. Tarrago Nano Protector must be applied until the impregnation stops being absorbed.