Every fashionista has at least one pair of suede shoes in her wardrobe. But not everyone knows how to properly care for it, so that it remains in a decent form for a long time. Today, there are many special products in stores that make shoe care much easier. The article will talk about what suede is and its properties. What should be the first care of shoes, tools and care products. We also consider how to clean suede shoes, let’s talk about care and restoration of color.
Suede is soft, velvety leather. It can be natural or artificial. But synthetic is much inferior to natural. It is worse cleaned, worse painted and has a short service life.
Thinness, softness, ductility, velvety on both sides, resistance to temperature changes – these are excellent properties of suede. It is moisture resistant, does not lose its properties when in contact with water. During production, raw materials are impregnated with certain types of active fats.
Peculiarities of care
It is necessary to purchase special protective means and brushes for chamois. The first thing to do when you get your new suede shoes home is to protect them from moisture, deep impregnation with a special spray. You can buy such a spray in a shoe store or in the department of household goods in a supermarket.
- Apply protective aerosol by spraying in one or two layers, allowing each layer to dry.
- Suede should dry away from heating devices.
- Ideally, you need to apply 2-3 layers of such protection and leave the shoes to dry for fifteen hours.
- This procedure should be repeated every week.
Cleaning
To clean suede you will need:
- A special suede brush, a sponge, a regular clothes brush or even a soft toothbrush.
- Suede cleaner (foam or concentrate).
Cleaning suede shoes should begin with removing dust with a brush. You can start wet cleaning only after cleaning the suede from dry particles.
Foam is a universal tool, but with frequent use, the suede can shine, and stains may even appear on light-colored shoes, which are difficult to remove later. For cleaning with foam, you need:
- shake the bottle with the product,
- apply foam to the contaminated area,
- rub with a brush
- clean the dirty foam with a cloth,
- let dry for an hour.
Then lift the pile with a brush, if the appearance of the product requires it.
The concentrate is suitable for better cleaning. It will cope with the heaviest stains and dirt, will not spoil the color of the shoes, it will last for a long time, as it is economical in consumption.
- The concentrate must be diluted one to four with water or follow the instructions on the package.
- Mix the product well and apply it to the shoes with a brush.
- Clean the dirty liquid with a cloth.
- Let the shoes dry completely.
- Then lift the pile with a brush.
People’s advice
An eraser is perfect for removing small stains . It should be used against lint. It is convenient in that you can always carry it in your pocket, and it also perfectly lifts the pile.
To get rid of oily areas, it is necessary to wipe them with a solution of ammonia . After that, clean the treated areas with an eraser or a rubber brush. This will lift the pile and give the shoes a fresh look. If you treat the shoes with hot steam, and then wipe with a cloth, the pile will straighten and acquire a well-groomed appearance. This must be repeated sometimes after cleaning the shoes.
How to restore color
The sun’s rays have a detrimental effect on suede. Suede shoes lose color saturation. Therefore, it is necessary to use special aerosol paints, matching them to the tone of the shoes. They have a wide color palette and are easy to use.
To improve the appearance of shoes, you need to clean them, dry them and evenly apply paint from a can. Dry the shoes again and lift the pile. Such a tool is suitable when there are still strong abrasions and color changes. The advantage of such paints is that they contain substances that repel water. But professional paints can cope with the strongest abrasions. After using them, the effect persists for a very long time. They should be applied with a brush or airbrush.
Due to the use of modern means, shoes will always look solid. At the same time, it will not be difficult to do this, which will give an opportunity to fully recognize the merits of suede shoes.