HOME Visas Visa to Greece Visa to Greece for Russians in 2016: is it necessary, how to do it

How to revive suede boots. How to restore suede shoes at home? How to restore suede shoes at home

01/03/2018 1 1 701 views

Suede boots are very beautiful, elegant and always in fashion. But sooner or later they lose their former appearance. Let's consider how to restore suede on shoes at home? Even if it is carefully looked after, this information will be useful. Over time, shoes change shade, acquire extra shine, and lose lint.

At the same time, real suede is considered a durable material. It is derived from leather and is highly breathable. To care for shoes you need special products. If it has deteriorated, you can use traditional restoration methods. The ingredients are easy to find in any home.

Rules for caring for suede shoes

  1. The material does not tolerate moisture. If you frequently wet your boots, the lint will deteriorate and the structure of the fabric will be damaged. Stains form that are very difficult to remove. First of all, after water, you need to dry it, leaving it for several hours at room temperature. Place crumpled paper inside the shoes. You need to use a special water-repellent product before each time you go outside.
  2. Don't put off cleaning your shoes until later. If you leave it dusty, the color will change forever. It needs to be treated with dry flannel - it won’t take much time. The sole can be washed with water, but be sure to wipe it well afterwards.
  3. The duration of wear increases steam. The material is refreshed using an iron. You need to act carefully, not to touch the fabric. They also use boiling water in a saucepan, holding the shoes over it. A steam generator is the optimal, safe and convenient option for restoring suede boots.
  4. Do not keep boots near heaters, stoves and radiators after rain. Otherwise, the pile deteriorates greatly. The boots should be dried at room temperature; 24 hours will be enough for this.
  5. Do not use care products for other types of shoes.
  6. It is forbidden to wear boots in rain and frost below 30 degrees, especially if the material is not natural.

How to restore suede to its previous appearance?

If scuffs and shiny spots appear on the sneakers, which is a consequence of the lint being crushed, you need to apply the following recipes:

  • milk – 1 glass and soda – 1 tsp. Mix the ingredients and apply to the surface. You can also wipe your shoes with fine dry salt;
  • A solution of vinegar and water in a ratio of 1:4 will help to effectively restore the appearance of worn suede. After application, you need to rinse the shoes, then wipe with a weaker mixture. To prepare it, pour a teaspoon of the bite into a liter of water. Finally, you should treat it with a steam generator or go through steam from an iron.

It is negatively affected by ultraviolet rays. The paint pigments are burned off, causing shades of green or blue to appear on the suede. This problem is especially noticeable in the summer. The following methods are suitable for recovery:

  1. You can use spray paint. It is important that it matches the color of the suede. Before the procedure, you should clean them and dry them, then start spraying. Then repeat drying and slightly lift the lint using a rubber brush.
  2. If you can’t find the right shade for worn suede, at first you can use coffee for brown or talcum powder for white. Apply them to boots, then remove with a dry brush with soft bristles.
  3. Light-colored boots get dirty much faster. For restoration you will need magnesium, talc and turpentine in a ratio of 1:1:1. You need to pour warm milk into the mixture. Apply to shoes, waiting time depends on neglect (from half an hour to an hour). Then treat with a brush or sponge and wait until it dries completely.
  4. If the case is very advanced, you should pour warm water into a basin, add dishwashing gel, and wash the shoes. Afterwards, you need to wipe it well with a rag and stuff it inside with newspapers. They should dry at room temperature. Apply water-repellent spray and brush with a soft-bristled brush. An extreme method is to add 2 ml of ammonia to the solution.

Such products are gentle and do not damage shoes. They are easy to find in specialty stores or places selling household chemicals. To prevent paint stains from remaining on the floor surface, you should do this outdoors or lay down oilcloth and paper.

Is it possible to return the shape of the material?

To prevent this situation from happening, you should store your boots in a box with holes. There must be special pads inside it. If the boots are damaged after washing, you need to clean them, put paper inside and wait until they are completely dry.

Video: how to restore suede on shoes at home?

  • If an unpleasant odor appears in the shoes, you should use the steam procedure for 15 minutes. This will not only smooth out the pile, but also get rid of bacteria that cause the odor;
  • If salt stains appear on the boots after getting wet, you should dip a napkin in undiluted kerosene and treat the boots. Daily application of spray paint will protect against such marks;
  • Darkened pile on suede cannot be restored mechanically. Only paint that matches the color of the shoes will help here;
  • If necessary, you can contact an atelier, workshop or dry cleaner. Specialists offer many procedures. Among them are dry processing in a machine, restoring softness by greasing, applying water-repellent or antistatic impregnation, removing glue, tinting for black suede color, eliminating bald spots by napping;
  • Boots need to be treated every time you return from the street;
  • use care products only after cleaning;
  • Suede is not intended for daily wear. During this period, it does not have time to dry thoroughly, and soon stretches.

Such shoes require careful and careful handling. There are many folk methods and household chemicals for care. They will help maintain the shape of the boots for a long time and, if necessary, return them to almost their original appearance.

Suede is a beautiful material, but capricious. Even with careful care, suede shoes can develop stubborn stains and scuffs. To restore the appearance of a product, it is worth using proven methods that, even at home, will help you quickly get rid of dirt and renew the color of the product. Proven and affordable folk remedies will help with this.

If suede shoes have been damaged by wet snow or rain, they may become deformed and become stiff. To prevent such unpleasant consequences, it is recommended to do the following:

  1. Take a dry, clean sponge and wipe the shoes or blot them with a napkin.
  2. Place a lot of newspaper or other thin soft paper inside the shoes that absorbs moisture well.
  3. Replace the wet paper with new one and repeat this several times.
  4. When the suede pair dries, treat its surface with a suede brush or a regular eraser.
  5. Treat the shoes with a special water-repellent agent: after such impregnation, the suede will be protected from the penetration of dirt and moisture.

Important! If the shoes are light-colored, you must use a white eraser to clean their surface, otherwise stains may remain.

How to remove salt stains

In cities in winter, sidewalks are sprinkled with special reagents. The problem is that they not only eat away snow and ice, but also leave white marks on boots and boots. There are special products on sale for removing salt traces from suede. If they are not in the house, folk methods will help restore suede shoes:

  1. First, you need to clean off the salt stains from the surface with a special suede brush. This should be done on the side of the brush on which the rubber teeth are located. After this, dissolve a little soap or shampoo in water, moisten a sponge in this solution and squeeze well (the sponge should be slightly damp). Sponge the problem areas and remove excess foam with a napkin. After the shoes have dried, they need to be treated using the same rubber brush.
  2. You can use vinegar and ammonia. To do this, mix water with ammonia in a ratio of 5:1. Wipe dry and free of dirt shoes with a sponge with the resulting solution, making circular movements. After this, treat the surface with a vinegar solution (1 tablespoon of vinegar essence per 1 liter of water). Next, remove excess moisture with a napkin.
  3. You need to take a crust of rye bread and rub the problem areas. In this case, strong pressure is not needed; you should act carefully.

Important! Before applying, you need to wait until it is completely dry. It is necessary at room temperature, away from heating devices, otherwise the suede will lose its shape.

How to return suede shoes to their original color

Manufacturers offer special sprays of various shades that allow you to restore the color of suede sneakers or boots at home. They are used as follows:

  1. First you need to cover the floor with something to prevent paint from getting on it.
  2. Then spray the coloring agent evenly onto the shoes from a distance of 25 cm.
  3. Wait for the shoes to dry and brush the surface with a suede brush (the side where the nylon or metal bristles are located). You need to comb very carefully so as not to damage the material.

This spray must be used quite often to maintain the effect.. In addition to sprays, there are suede paints on sale that have a longer lasting effect.

How to remove scuff marks

Scuffs on suede are caused by the pile being crushed and sticking to the surface. There are several ways to lift it and remove scuffs:

  1. Prepare a mixture of 3 tbsp. l. and 1 tsp soda. Use this solution to wipe the worn areas with a sponge. After this, blot the surface with a napkin, and when it dries, comb the pile with a rubber brush or treat it with an eraser.
  2. A good way to raise lint is steam. It is necessary to boil water in a saucepan, take one boot and, turning it over the saucepan, evenly treat it with steam. The same must be repeated with the second boot. After this, let the shoes dry.
  3. Zero-grit sandpaper helps with grease and abrasions. You need to gently rub problem areas with it to update the appearance of your boots.

All these measures are effective and help even in cases where it seems that the shoes are hopelessly damaged. But it is better to prevent such problems from occurring than to fight them. It is important to follow a few simple rules: do not wear suede shoes in wet weather and regularly treat shoes or boots with water-repellent agents. This way the shoes will last longer.

Surely, every fashionista has a suede product, be it shoes, a jacket, a jacket, gloves, or a bag, which initially looks very impressive. But no matter how expensive and high-quality material they are made from, unfortunately, over time, the original presentable appearance is lost, abrasions appear that need to be hidden or completely removed. Before throwing away your favorite item, use our tips on how to restore suede if it has worn out in places.

How to care for suede?

Suede is a very soft and finely crafted pile leather with a velvety surface. This is a very capricious material that does not like dirt, water, dust and bright sun very much.

To ensure that your suede item lasts as long as possible, use the following:

  1. Suede cleaner.
  2. An eraser or a special brush for suede.
  3. Spray is a dye of a certain shade.
  4. Water-repellent universal gel or special water-repellent impregnation.
  5. Suede paint.

Important! Careful use and proper care extends the service life of each product. Choose quality products from well-established manufacturers. Follow the link where it is given.

Have you taken your suede boots out of the box and noticed bald spots or dirt stains on them, you don’t know what to do with them next? Don’t rush to throw them away, you can still restore them.

The most suitable option is if you contact a special establishment: an atelier, a dry cleaner or a workshop. There you will be offered the most suitable procedure for restoring your suede.

They have many different services in their arsenal. If necessary, you will be given:

  1. Special dry chemical treatment of suede in a machine.
  2. Remove the developed glue.
  3. They will fatten the item and restore its softness.
  4. They will remove bald spots from the product and do napping.
  5. They will restore the color of the product and perform tinting.
  6. Antistatic impregnation will be applied.
  7. Treated with water-repellent impregnation.

How to restore suede at home?

If for some reason you do not want to use dry cleaning services, you can try restoring suede at home.

To do this you will need:

  • soap solution;
  • baking soda;
  • milk;
  • semolina;
  • ethanol;
  • special paint for suede;
  • suede brush;
  • water-repellent impregnation;
  • soft cloth;
  • talc;
  • synthetic sponge;
  • magnesia;
  • turpentine.

How to renew suede at home?

Before restoring suede items or shoes at home, read the instructions for the correct process. It involves several stages.

Stage 1. Cleaning

Remove dust using a special sponge:

  1. Take a special brush with a synthetic sponge.
  2. Run the sponge over the surface of the suede.
  3. Make movements for her in any order.

Stage 2. Removing stains

Remove grease stains using talc and alcohol solution:

  1. Sprinkle talc onto the greasy stain and leave on it for 10 minutes.
  2. Shake off the talc.
  3. Take the alcohol solution and wet a rag with it.
  4. Rub the talc stains with a rag.
  5. Clean with a brush.

Semolina will help remove dirt stains:

  1. Take semolina.
  2. Sprinkle it on the dirt.
  3. Clean the dirt with a brush and sponge.
  4. Take a brush with metal teeth and run it over the product.

Important! For heavily soiled items, first hold them over steam and then clean them with a brush. Place to dry away from direct sunlight and away from radiators.

Important! If stains have formed on winter shoes, and the reason is salt, then you need to use special means, about which you will find detailed information on another page of our website, following the link.

Stage 3. Removing bald patches

Baking soda and milk will help remove shiny areas:

  1. Prepare a solution of 1 tsp soda per 3 tbsp. warm milk.
  2. Take a soft cloth.
  3. Blot it with the solution and squeeze it out.
  4. Walk through areas with receding hairlines.
  5. Wash the rag and twist it out.
  6. Walk through those places again.
  7. Leave the boots for 30 minutes to dry.
  8. Take a brush with a rubber end.
  9. Walk her through the product.

Stage 4. Impregnation

Soak thoroughly with a special water-repellent aerosol or gel, which will perfectly protect the product from moisture.

Important! After you have applied the impregnation to the product, let it dry thoroughly at room temperature.

Stage 5. Coloring

Important! If you can’t find the right shade, use colorless paint.

Stage 6. Final cleaning

  1. Leave the suede product in an open place until the paint is completely dry.
  2. Go over it again with a special synthetic brush.
  3. Now you can safely wear them or put them in your closet.

Important! Never store suede items or shoes in plastic bags, otherwise you will ruin them.

How to restore and clean very dirty suede?

If you have heavily soiled suede boots that you think nothing can help, don’t worry. Follow this procedure:

  1. Pour warm water into a bowl.
  2. Add liquid laundry detergent to it.
  3. Wash your shoes in this soapy water.
  4. Take it out and wipe it thoroughly with a dry cloth.
  5. Stuff dry rags or newspapers inside.
  6. Place and wait until they dry naturally.
  7. Treat the surface of the suede with a water-repellent spray.
  8. Take a soft brush and scrub the suede fabric.

Important! Periodically apply a water-repellent spray to suede shoes and update the color with a special paint. These simple steps will extend the life of your shoes.

If the shoes are so worn out that even a thorough cleaning couldn’t get them in order, there is another option -

How to clean light suede?

Light suede is doubly demanding to care for and naturally gets dirty much more often and faster. To always look really beautiful in such clothes or shoes, take note of an effective way to clean and restore light suede.

Things made from expensive fabric look stylish and impressive. But to wear them longer, you need to know how to restore suede. After all, it is considered very capricious, reacts poorly to environmental influences and requires regular delicate care. Aerosols do not always help, so you have to look for other ways to solve the problem. There are several ways to clean and renew a material such as suede, which depend on the cause of contamination and damage to the product.

How to restore suede after long wear

With prolonged use and lack of proper care, suede items lose their attractiveness. If there is no obvious damage to your shoes, jacket or bag, but the overall appearance leaves much to be desired, you should clean and restore the suede by following a few simple steps.

Note. Natural and artificial suede have a number of differences in appearance, one of which is the length of the pile: in real material it is longer.

The artificial analogue is less finicky to care for, so in some cases it makes sense to purchase just such clothes.

  1. Dried dirt and dust. Wipe the surface of the material using a soft, fine-bristled brush. Dry dirt should fall off. If this does not happen, then the stain is ingrained, and you should use washing powder without dissolving it in water. Sprinkle the suede product and clean it, combing it in different directions. Then shake off any remaining residue.
  2. Old plaque. Laundry soap will help restore the freshness and softness of suede fabric. In 200-300 ml of warm water, add 1/3 of the block, crushed in a fine grater. Mix thoroughly until foam forms. The solution itself should not be poured onto things. The next step is to take a sponge and remove the foam from the soapy water. Apply this foam to the suede product and distribute evenly over the surface. Leave for 5-10 minutes and then remove the dirty layer with a washed sponge.

Using these methods, you can easily return suede to its previous appearance and refresh your favorite boots, gloves or coat.

Removing stains

Sometimes stains of various origins form on suede products. Let's look at cleaning methods for each case:

  1. Oily and shiny areas. Use semolina, starch or baby powder. If you don’t have any of the above in your house, you can use flour or crushed chalk to clean the suede. All these substances have absorbent properties. You need to apply one of them to the stain and leave it overnight or for several hours. During this time, the semolina will absorb the fat. Remove any residue by combing the lint with a soft brush. You can also get rid of greasy stains by wiping them with dishwashing detergent.
  2. Dye. Apply a little purified gasoline or solvent to a cotton pad. Blot the stain and wait 5 minutes. The second step is getting rid of the unpleasant odor. Wipe the dirty area with a cloth soaked in vinegar.
  3. Ink. Cleaning with a stationery eraser removes pen marks well. Rub it over the dirty area and shake off any crumbs.

How to restore bald spots

If the suede has worn away in certain areas, do not immediately throw away your shoes or clothes. The situation can be corrected:

  1. You can restore the volume of the pile using a steam bath. Hold the suede product over a pan of boiling water at a distance of at least 30 cm. After 5-10 minutes, the pile will rise.
  2. Soda and milk. Mix 1 tsp. soda and 3 tbsp. milk. Soak a sponge in the mixture. Apply the mixture to the abrasions. Wait 5 minutes and rinse with a damp cloth.
  3. Ammonia. Dilute 50 ml of ammonia in a glass of warm water. Shake the solution and pour it into a spray bottle. Treat the suede and let dry.

How to return color

With a few clever tricks and simple steps, it is even possible to restore faded colors and bring back the brightness of clothes:

  1. Special paint. It can be found in household chemical departments or hardware stores. Typically, detailed instructions for use are placed on the packaging of coloring products: aerosols and mixtures.
  2. Coffee grounds. Suitable for dark suede items. It is necessary to brew natural coffee, cool and strain it through a fine sieve. There should be no grains left in the coffee solution. Pour it into a spray bottle and spray evenly over the entire suede surface. Allow the substance to absorb for 12-20 hours. If the color turns out paler than you wanted, you should repeat the procedure.
  3. Milk mixture. Prepare a mixture of full-fat milk, turpentine, baby talc and magnesia. Add all ingredients in equal proportions. Mix thoroughly and apply to suede material. After 40-50 minutes, brush off any remaining mixture using a soft brush.

To prevent the problem of damage to suede products from affecting you for a long time, take preventive care of your items. Be careful when wearing and cleaning. And our tips will help you with this:

  1. If possible, avoid wearing suede jackets and shoes in rainy or snowy weather. Precipitation will certainly leave white stains on them, which dry out and make the material rougher.
  2. Do not fold suede clothing and shoes; store them flat. Folds and deep creases can cause cracks and bald spots to form.
  3. Washing such products is highly undesirable. The material will deteriorate. Also, do not expose it to excess humidity.
  4. Do not dry suede items near hot radiators and heaters, as well as turned on electrical appliances and in direct sunlight. This will make the fabric stiffer.
  5. Along with purchasing suede items, you must immediately buy a product to care for them. It is important to use sprays, aerosols and brushes - they soften the material.
  6. Store products outdoors. Do not put them in a bag or tightly closed cabinet. There the material will begin to emit an unpleasant odor.

Suede should be cleaned immediately, without waiting for stains to soak into the fibers or dry out.

Suede shoes look very beautiful and expensive, however, they require careful care and careful wear. Shoe workshops offer shoe restoration services using a variety of fats and oils. This procedure is called suedeing and costs a lot of money. You can also revive shoes at home using special products. Before you start working on improving the appearance of your shoes, you should learn how to do it correctly in order to get the desired result.

How to update your shoes?

Many lovers of suede boots have to give them up, since ladies are often not familiar with the rather simple rules of care. The main requirement is to prohibit wearing shoes made of delicate material in inclement weather, since contact with water must be limited as much as possible.

The remaining rules are divided into three subgroups: drying, storage and care tools. It is important to correctly follow each rule, then you will not have problems with your favorite shoes or sneakers. It is recommended to regularly clean your shoes to avoid problems later. If the case has already started, then the cleaning will take place in several stages.


Care tools

You can restore suede and return it to its original appearance using the following available means:

  • eraser;
  • spray;
  • brush.


An eraser can be a stationery eraser or a special eraser for suede; it lifts the lint and promotes better color restoration. Specialized sprays come in two types: for painting and for protection. The first helps to restore the original appearance of boots by painting them in the desired color. The most popular is black, but blue and brown shades are also available. The protective agent performs the function of repelling water; the colorless spray creates an invisible, thin film on the surface that does not allow moisture to penetrate inside.


Brushes vary in material and type of bristles. There are metal, rubber and polymer. The first one does a great job with old, worn-out shoes. The second two are intended for resuscitation of new boots. All brushes lift the pile, thereby giving it a fresher look, and also clean it of various types of contaminants.


For independent, step-by-step restoration of suede shoes, other components may be required. For example, baby soap, baking soda, full-fat milk, semolina, ethyl alcohol, ammonia, baby powder, a soft piece of cloth, a sponge, magnesium and turpentine. All of the above products help to cope with one problem or another.


Step-by-step cleansing

Resuscitation of suede occurs in several steps. If you follow all the rules correctly, your boots will look like they have been dry cleaned.

- Cleaning

The first step is to clean the surface of the shoe, removing dust with a soft cloth or sponge. You can also use a soft brush or school eraser for cleaning. If the condition of the boots is absolutely terrible, they should be washed with soapy water. The sponge is rubbed with laundry or baby soap, lightly rinsed with water and foamed thoroughly. It is the foam that will help get rid of dirt under the pile. You need to carefully walk over the surface with a sponge, and then wipe with a rubber brush. It is important to prevent the suede from getting too wet, otherwise the whole process will be in vain. If you don’t have the soap you need at home, you can replace it with shower gel or washing powder.


- Stain removal

Semolina will help in eliminating stains, as it will do a great job even with stubborn dirt. The area is covered with semolina and wiped with a wire brush. If this tool does not help, you can split the stage into two parts. To begin with, the shoes need to be held over the steam, and then covered with cereal again. To avoid hassle with pots, you can arrange a steam bath over the spout of a boiling kettle. Another disadvantage of the pan is that the steam will be supplied from too large a surface, as a result of which you can get burned.



- Fighting greasy stains

To remove unpleasant stains, simply sprinkle the desired area with baby powder or talcum powder and leave for fifteen minutes. After time, you just need to shake off the residue. Next, use a piece of cloth soaked in alcohol to wipe the dirty area, and then wipe the pile with a special brush. Grease can also be removed with regular dishwashing detergent. You just need to pour a small amount onto your boot and wash it off with a wet cloth after twenty minutes.


- Getting rid of bald spots

A mixture of one teaspoon of baking soda and three tablespoons of milk will help get rid of chafing. Dip a soft piece of fabric into the resulting mass, wring it out thoroughly and apply it to the bald patches. Repeat the steps after five minutes and leave the boots for half an hour. The main thing is not to wet the boots too much. After a couple of hours, you can brush the material with a rubber brush.


Another way to get rid of scuffs on your own is to treat your boots with a mixture of ammonia and warm water. Mix the components in proportions of one to four and wipe the desired area with the liquid. The composition is also suitable for eliminating stubborn stains.


- Drying

The next step after washing is to thoroughly dry the shoes. The first step is to determine the level of wetness of the boots. If they are soaked through with moisture, it is recommended to remove the insoles from the inside and dry them separately. To prevent the boots from losing their shape after drying, you need to fill them tightly with unnecessary newspapers and then put them in the room. Under no circumstances should shoes be left to dry near a radiator, stove, or outdoors under the scorching sun. It may not only lose its visual appeal, but also crack. Suede shoes are dried only at room temperature.


- Color restoration

Not only specialized sprays, but also folk components that are in the arsenal of every housewife can act as a color restorer. For example, you can use coffee grounds to dye dark-colored shoes. It is applied completely to the entire boot and left for half a day, after which the shoes should be thoroughly wiped with a brush and left to dry. Another method for restoring the shade is to apply a liquid consisting of milk, turpentine, talc and magnesia in equal proportions. The product should be left for twenty-four hours, then comb through the shoes and dry.


- Post-processing

Dry boots should be brushed again and a water-repellent spray applied. Once the boots have absorbed the protective liquid, they can be put on or stored. If each stage is carried out correctly, you will receive practically new shoes that you will be happy to wear.


How to store it correctly?

For suede boots to last a long time, it is not enough just to clean them; you also need to learn how to store them properly. It is not recommended to put such shoes in a plastic bag, as the inside may become stained and the cleaning process will have to be repeated. Suede boots should be stored exclusively in a clean state in a shoe box or closet.


  • It is better to immediately treat a new pair of boots with a water-repellent spray, which will save the shoes after accidental contact with water.


  • It is advisable to avoid exposure to moisture as much as possible and store shoes only at room temperature.
  • If small stains appear, they should be eliminated immediately to prevent them from being absorbed too deeply.
  • For care, it is better to use special suede products.


  • After each stage of care, you need to leave the shoes until they dry completely, which may take from fifteen to twenty hours.
  • This surface can only be wiped with a lint-free cloth. If the material is very worn, it is better to have the boots dry-cleaned, as restoring it yourself will be very problematic.


To learn how to restore suede shoes yourself, watch the following video.