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How to Clean Suede Shoes Without Water
Suede looks beautiful, until the first rain shower or mud stain. Then it turns out to be one of the most delicate materials in your shoe cupboard. Still, cleaning suede shoes isn’t hard, as long as you remember one thing: water is not your friend. In this blog you will read how to clean suede shoes and nubuck without water, what to do with stains and wet shoes, and how to stop them getting dirty again.
In short
- Clean suede dry with a suede eraser and a soft brush. Water leaves rings and hard patches.
- Let mud dry completely first. Then brush and erase it away.
- Finish by brushing in one direction, so the nap lies even again.
- Dry wet suede shoes slowly at room temperature, never on a radiator.
- Protect suede after cleaning, so moisture and dirt get less grip.
Why is suede so delicate?
Suede is the inner side of the hide, roughened into a soft, velvety surface. Nubuck looks similar, but is the outer side of the hide, lightly sanded. Both have short, upright fibres, called the nap. Dirt easily gets caught in it. Water soaks straight into the material, which flattens the fibres, can make the color run and leaves a ring once it dries.
That’s why you clean suede differently from smooth leather: dry, with an eraser and a brush. For smooth leather, read our blog on how to care for leather shoes.
How do you clean suede shoes?
You need a suede eraser and a soft brush. Take the laces out first, so you can reach everywhere.
- Let the shoes dry completely. Otherwise you’ll smear wet mud around.
- Brush off loose dirt. Brush back and forth to get dust and sand out of the nap.
- Erase the dirty spots. Rub the suede eraser over stains, streaks and scuffs in short, firm strokes.
- Brush away the eraser crumbs. The loosened dirt comes with them.
- Raise the nap. Finish by brushing in one direction, so the fibres lie even and the color looks uniform.
The Jason Markk Suede Cleaning Kit contains exactly those two: a suede eraser and a suede brush. The Collonil Carbon Lab Nubuck Suede Cleaner combines them in one block, with a crêpe side for dirt and a foam side to raise the nap.
What do you do about stains on suede?
| Stain | Approach |
|---|---|
| Mud | Let it dry completely, then brush and erase |
| Single spot or mark | Rub it away with a dry stain block, such as the Collonil Carbon Lab Spot Cleaner |
| Grease or oil | Blot straight away with kitchen paper, don’t rub. Leave cornflour or talc on the stain overnight and brush it off |
| Water rings | Let it dry, then brush and erase the whole panel until the ring fades |
| Chewing gum | Chill it for a few minutes with an ice cube in a bag, then gently lift it off |
If a stain won’t come out, don’t rub harder. Old or dried-out nubuck in particular can get damaged that way. With expensive shoes, a cobbler is the safest option.
What do you do with wet suede shoes?
First blot them as dry as you can with a clean cloth. Stuff the shoes with newspaper so they keep their shape and the moisture is absorbed from the inside. Then let them dry slowly at room temperature. Never put them on a radiator or in the sun, as suede turns hard and stiff. Once the shoe is dry, brush the nap back up.
How do you stop suede getting dirty?
By protecting it, ideally as soon as the shoes are new. A protector spray lays a colorless layer over the fibres, so water and dirt bead off. The Jason Markk Repel Spray dries colorless, even on white and light suede. Repeat after every clean. How to do it properly is explained in our blog on how to waterproof shoes.
Don’t forget your laces. Dirty laces in a clean suede shoe stand out even more. Wash them separately, as we explain in how to wash shoelaces, or pick new ones from laces by type.
Read on: how to refresh old shoes in 6 steps.
Frequently asked questions
Can suede go in the washing machine?
No. Water and the movement of the drum make suede hard, make the color run and can loosen the glue of the shoe.
Can I use an ordinary eraser?
Better not. An ordinary eraser can leave color residue and isn’t made for the fibres of suede. A suede eraser is designed for it.
Is nubuck the same as suede?
Not quite. Suede is the inner side of the hide, nubuck the lightly sanded outer side. Nubuck is a little sturdier, but you clean it the same way.
Can I use leather balm on suede?
No. Balm changes the texture of suede and nubuck, and you can’t get that back. Only use balm on smooth leather.
All cleaners and brushes are in shoe cleaners and brushes, ready-made sets in cleaning kits.
