Anything for my ‘Suede’y

If you are really someone who’s into fashionable footwear, then there’s no way you will not know about ‘Suede’.

For those of you who are new to the term, let us enlighten you- it is a type of leather that has gone through napping (a process that involves raising the furry surface of leather enough to make it fuzzy). It is commonly used for jackets, shoes, purses and furniture, along with some other items. Suede leather is made using the underside skin of animals like lamb, goat, calf and deer. The term ‘suede’ is derived from the French term “gants de suede” which means “gloves of Sweden”.

Despite being a type of leather, suede is less durable than normal leather, though its softness makes it a perfect fit for clothing and delicate usage. Because of its textured exterior and open pores, it’s prone to getting dirtied and absorbing liquids.

But this does not mean that you should lose heart, and throw away your precious Suede shoes (if you have any). Here are some handy tricks for saving your ‘suede’is from utter ruin.

      

           Brush your suede

As mentioned before, suede is prone to getting dirtied. For this reason, it’s best if you get yourself a suede cleaning kit that comes with a special suede brush. With the brush, you can easily brush off any kind of dust or dirt that has accumulated on your suede shoes. Don’t go back and forth. Instead, brush in the same direction gently. Vigorous brushing applies only to scuff marks. Your shoes will be rid of the dirt. But, make sure that your shoes are dry when you are doing so, especially when it is about getting rid of mud.

           Eraser for the stubborn

Not all dirt can be gotten rid of with just a brush. Certain scuff marks may refuse to go in spite of our efforts. For this, an eraser will do the trick. Or you could use the crepe rubber that is used for making shoe soles. You can even try getting a special suede rubber for the task.

 Let the ice handle it

If there’s gum stuck to your shoes, put them in the freezer for a few hours. The gum will turn hard, enabling you to chip it off. Use the Suede brush after doing so.

 The knight for your suede

If you have bought new suede shoes and don’t want the aforementioned problems to occur in the first place, buy a suede spray and spray it on your suede footwear to make it invulnerable to dirt and dust

Soak out the water

If you find water stains on your suedes, apply a light coat of water with your brush.

Though water discolors suedes, it can save them if used well. If there’s excess of water in your shoes, squeeze dry paper inside the shoes to absorb the excess water on the inside. This way, your shoes will retain their original look and shape. Once this is done, leave them in a well-ventilated place and let them dry. Once they are dry, you can brush them with the suede brush to get your shoes back to normal.

‘Nail’ it for oil stains

You can use a suede brush for this type of stain. After doing so, use the nail brush to scrub the stain off with warm water.

             You are now free to go out in your suede heels and rock the town!