Cleaning Your Suede Shoes and Boots

The old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" sure is appropriate when it comes to cleaning suede footwear.

In order to repel water and prevent stains to your footwear, treat them first with a protective spray or finish that is appropriate for that purpose. Of course, you need to do this before you wear your shoes, because once you have worn them in the rain or get them dirty, it will probably be too late.

If, in fact, stains have set on your suede or nubeck footwear, use the following guidelines to treat them. Before you try to treat a large conspicuous stain, treat a small stain on an area that is not noticeable. It is important to use products that are conducive to the material of your footwear. Use a suede cleaning block (also known as a suede eraser) for heavy stains. As you rub the products along the surface of the footwear, the product will crumble. this suede cleaning block should even remove stubborn dirt that is embedded well below the surface. After rubbing, use a suede brush to refurbish the nap of the suede. (You may be able to find a cleaning block, as well as the suede brush in one kit.) These products should be reasonably priced, and you should be able to purchase them at your local shoe repair shop.

If you do not want to tackle this job yourself, your shoe repair shop should be able to remove the stains and restore the surface of the footwear for a reasonable fee.

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