Taking care of your suede leather items is a very simple process requiring only a few household items. In most cases, you won’t even need to purchase any special cleaners. But can you use a leather cleaner on your suede leather items?
In this article, I’m going to share my findings on whether or not you can use a leather cleaner on your suede leather items. I’ll also provide tips and tricks on cleaning and caring for your suede leather items.
Suede is a type of leather made from the underside of an animal’s skin. It’s a very soft and pliable material often used in clothing, furniture, and other items.
Suede is very sensitive to water and will stain easily. So it’s vital to take care when cleaning or caring for your suede leather items.
Regarding using a leather cleaner, you should avoid using leather cleaners on suede as leather cleaners are meant for use on smooth leather surfaces. Cleaning your suede shoes, boots, jackets, or bags with leather cleaner can ruin the beautiful suede finish.
Instead of using a leather cleaner, you should use a suede brush to remove any dirt or debris from your suede leather items. You can find a suede brush at most shoe stores or online.
What Happens If You Use Leather Cleaner On Suede?
At this point, you may wonder, what happens if you use leather cleaner on suede? Well, here are a few of the things that can happen:
1. The Leather Cleaner Will Remove All Natural Oils
If you use a leather cleaner on your suede shoes, boots, or other items, the leather cleaner will strip away all of the natural oils from the suede.
This will make the suede dry and brittle and can cause it to crack and break over time. This is a huge problem for most suede goods because of the porous nature of suede.
Unlike regular leather, which has a grain layer that acts as a barrier, suede does not have this protective layer. The natural oils in the leather are what helps to keep it soft, supple, and pliable.
Removing these oils will cause the suede to become dry, stiff, and brittle. In some cases, it can even cause the suede to crack and break.
If you want to use a leather cleaner on your suede, it’s important that you choose one that is specifically designed for use on suede.
These cleaners will usually have oils or other ingredients that help to replenish the natural oils in the suede.
2. The Leather Cleaner Will Remove The Dye
Another problem that can occur if you use a leather cleaner on your suede is that the leather cleaner will remove the dye from the suede.
This is a big problem because it can cause the color of your suede to fade and change over time. In some cases, it can even cause the suede to become discolored.
This makes cleaning your precious suede goods a big risk because you could end up ruining the color. This is why it is very important to use the right cleaning solutions for your suede items to ensure they last long.
3. The Leather Cleaner Will Damage The Finish
The beautiful nap finish on suede is what attracts the most of use to this luxurious material. This finish is created by the fine, soft fibers on the surface of the suede.
Unfortunately, this same finish is also very delicate and can be easily damaged by leather cleaners.
If you use a leather cleaner on your suede, it can damage the nap and make it look dull, faded, and worn. In some cases, it can even cause the fibers to become matted down and flat.
This is a big problem because it ruins the look of your suede and makes it look old and worn. It also makes it more difficult to clean in the future.
So if you want to use a leather cleaner on your suede, it’s important that you choose one that is specifically designed for use on suede. These cleaners will usually have ingredients that help to protect the finish of your suede.
4. The Leather Cleaner Will Leave Water Spots
Another problem that can occur if you use a leather cleaner on your suede is that the leather cleaner will leave water spots.
This happens a lot if you use the leather cleaner to target a stained area of your suede. The water from the cleaner can cause the dye in the suede to bleed and leave behind a water spot.
This is a big problem because it can ruin the look of your suede and can be very difficult to repair.
One possible way around this is to clean the entire surface of your suede, even though it’s only a small section that might be stained.
What Can You Use On Suede Instead Of Leather Cleaner?
There are a lot of cleaning alternatives that you can use on your suede instead of leather cleaner.
The general rule of thumb when it comes to cleaning suede is to avoid water as much as you can. In all honesty, about 85%-95% of all suede cleaning will require a suede eraser and/or suede brush.
Suede Eraser
A suede eraser is a great way to remove dirt and stains from your suede without using any water or liquid.
These erasers are made of a soft, pliable material that can be used to rub away dirt and stains from your suede gently.
A suede eraser can gently reach into the fibers of the suede and pull out dirt and grime without ruining the nap on the surface.
The best part is that they are very easy to use. All you do is rub the eraser over the stained area, and it will start to lift away the dirt and grime.
Once you’re done, you can use a suede brush to remove the eraser residue and then restore the nap of the suede.
You can purchase suede erasers on most online retailers or in most shoe stores.
Suede Brush
Another great way to clean your suede is with a suede brush. These brushes are specifically designed for use on suede and can be used to remove dirt, dust, and stains from your suede.
There are different types of suede brushes, but my go-to is the suede brush with the metal bristles and crepe suede brushes.
These brushes have stiff bristles that can reach deep into the fibers of your suede and remove all the dirt, dust, and grime.
The metal bristles are great for getting rid of tough stains, while the crepe suede brushes are perfect for restoring the nap on your suede.
Suede Shampoo
As I mentioned before, a lot of your suede care and maintenance will only require the use of a suede eraser and suede brush, but for large soiled or stained areas, you may need to resort to using a suede shampoo.
Suede shampoos are cleaning products that are specifically designed for use on suede. They usually come in a solution you can dilute with water to create foam.
Suede shampoos do a great job of penetrating the fibers of your suede to remove all the dirt, dust, and grime.
The foaming formula can be used to clean large areas of your suede without ruining your suede.
The most important thing you need to do is to make sure that you have cleaned the entire surface of the suede and not only the stained area.
The best part about using suede shampoo is that it can be easily rinsed off with water, and it will not leave any water spots behind.
You can purchase suede shampoos on most online stores like Amazon or in most shoe stores.
Tips For Cleaning Suede
Now that we’ve gone over some of the best ways to clean your suede, I wanted to give you a few tips to make sure your suede comes out looking amazing.
Here are my top tips for cleaning suede:
- Use a soft-bristled brush or a vacuum attachment to remove any loose dirt or dust from large suede items like furniture or clothing.
- For smaller items like shoes, use a suede brush to remove any dirt or dust.
- If you’re using water to clean your suede, make sure you’ve diluted the cleaning solution and that you’re using distilled water to avoid water spots.
- Test any cleaning solutions in an inconspicuous area before using them on the entire item.
- Use a hairdryer on the cool setting to help dry your suede quickly and prevent water spots.
- Allow your suede ample time to dry completely before using or wearing it again.
- If you’re using a brush, make sure you brush in the same direction as the nap.
- Never soak your suede in water or use any kind of liquid cleaner on your suede. This will ruin the nap and can cause water spots.
- When using a cleaning product on your suede, always follow the instructions on the label.
Final Thoughts
I hope this guide has helped to answer the question, “can you use leather cleaner on suede?”.
As you can see, there are a few different ways you can clean your suede, and it really just depends on what type of cleaning you need to do.
If you’re cleaning large stains like wine or coffee, you’ll need to use a suede shampoo. If you’re just trying to remove some dirt or dust, a suede eraser or brush will do the trick.
Remember to always test any cleaning solutions in an inconspicuous area first and to allow your suede ample time to dry completely before using it again.
Thanks for sticking around until the end, and I hope your suede comes out looking amazing!
Check out our other blog post on “How to Remove Water Stains from Suede” for more tips on cleaning your suede.
As always, if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below, and we’ll be happy to help!