Did someone step on your blue suede shoes? Or maybe your brown or beige ones got a little grubby? Well, that’s the price you pay for wearing suede. The material was first made in Sweden from the underside of animal hides. When it was exported to France in the late 18th century, the soft fabric became popular among the French nobility, who called the gloves they had made from it “Gants de Suede.” That literally means “Swedish gloves.” Eventually, the fabric just became known as suede. Since then, suede has been turned into many things, including shirts, bags, wallets, coats, jackets, boots, and shoes.
Suede is made using a technique called Sueding, in which an abrasive is applied to buff the surface of the hide. That helps give suede its familiar soft texture. However, it also creates a fuzzy, uneven, absorbent nap into which dirt can easily become ingrained.
According to the experts, prevention is better than cure when it comes to maintaining the pristine look of your suede shoes. There are numerous sprays on the market, each designed to protect the suede from stains and water damage. Theoretically, one light spray before you first wear your shoes will shield them for at least four weeks, depending on the ingredient of the spray and how often your suede shoes are worn.
Ultimately, whether you spray your shoes or not, you will need to clean them at some stage. And, if you don’t want to take them to a professional cleaner, here’s how.
Firstly, do not use water. It will ruin your shoes. Water stains suede. It can change its color and make it less supple and weaker by removing its natural oils.
Handle your suede shoes gently, lightly brushing or rubbing with a firm brush or dry microfiber cloth to get the dirt off. Suede shoes shouldn’t be buffed like leather ones.
To fine-tune your cleaning, use an eraser, a nail file, or even a clean toothbrush to gently loosen any stubborn dirt.
The general advice is to clean your suede shoes about once a month to prevent a build-up of scuffs and dirt. But naturally, that depends on how often you wear them. Some people also recommend applying a protective waterproof spray to them each time, but only AFTER they’ve been cleaned.
So, the next time someone steps on your blue suede shoes, you know what to do.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to clean suede shoes at home without ruining them
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