Furniture & Fabric Cleaning : Suede Sofas and Shoes

Spotless Suede Made Simple

Suede is used in a variety of ways – for furniture, for shoes, bags, and clothing.  In fact, it was originally used for women’s gloves because of its soft, comfortably texture.  There are a number of methods one might take to eliminate stains from their favorite suede items. While the material is certainly temperamental in a number of senses, there are ways you can address unwanted spots and blotches with simple household items.

First, gather a plastic spoon, some mild detergent (without soap) and some soft white cloths. Separate forms of suede react differently to various commercial cleaners, so test a hidden area of fabric before cleaning any visible portions of cloth.

Also, some cleaning tips may not work for all kinds of materials.  Always try a method on a hidden piece of fabric in order to test if there will be an adverse reaction, like further staining or damaging your piece of furniture.  If you’re really unsure, you should call a professional cleaner.

1. First, try to scrape away bits of the stain with your plastic spoon.

2. Mix up a small amount of mild detergent in a bucket with some water.

3. Mix the water around to produce some suds.

4. Here’s the important part. Use one of the white cloths to apply some of the suds to the affected area. Suds ONLY. Applying too much water to suede may damage the surface.

5. Continue to blot the area and lift the stain away. You should begin to see the stain transferring over to your towel.

6. When the suds have worked their magic, and the stain has been eliminated, blot the suede with a dry cloth.

7. At this point, you may choose to pick up a suede brush and groom your surface back to its original state.

Hopefully, this trick works for you.  If not, or you are curious about how to clean or care for a different piece of furniture, let us know in the comments.  We’ll try to answer any questions you have about the care and maintenance of your furniture pieces.  Why?  Not only do we sell furniture, but Spector Furniture wants it to stand the test of time as well!