How to Clean Suede Loafers at Home

Suede loafer are stylish and relaxed shoes that need more care than smooth leather shoes. It’s because suede leather is made from the inner side of animal hide. This gives it a soft texture but also makes it more sensitive to dirt and water. Their sensitivity makes them prone to staining very easily.

This is why mistreating your suede shoes can wear them off. They can lose their texture and develop permanent marks if you clean them the wrong way. So you need to be mindful when cleaning your suede leather loafers.

This guide explains how to clean suede loafers at home using simple tools and methods without damaging them in the process. And don’t worry, you don’t need fancy products to follow these methods.

Understand Suede Before Cleaning Them

Suede is unlike smooth leather. Its porous surface is quick in absorbing moisture and enables it to trap water, oil, ink, grease, salt, and dirt stains in its fibers that can leave permanent marks if you don’t clean carefully.

Keep these important things in mind before you start cleaning your suede loafers:

• Make sure your loafers are completely dry before you clean them.

• Never use direct heat like from a hair dryer.

• Avoid soaking suede in water.

• Don’t rub your suede harshly.

Patience is one of the tools you need when cleaning suede.

Now, let’s take a look at the tools you’ll need for cleaning your leather shoes.

The Tools You Will Need

You do not need expensive equipment for cleaning. Most suede cleaning can be done with the following tools:

• A suede brush or a soft toothbrush

• A clean and dry cloth

• A suede eraser or plain pencil eraser

• Cornstarch or baking soda (use these for oil stains)

• White vinegar or rubbing alcohol (use these for tougher stains)

These basic tools are enough to help you take regular care of leather shoes, most of which are also available at home. 

Step 1: Dry Brush the Surface

The first step is to brush the loafers. You have to be careful here even though its simple enough.

Start by brushing your suede loafers via a suede brush. You can use a soft toothbrush as a substitute in case a suede brush isn’t available. Make sure you brush them gently otherwise rough brushing can damage their appearance. It can tear the nap, which are tiny fibers in the material. The tears can cause bald and shiny spots on the shoes and ruin its texture.

Don’t brush the suede to and fro during regular maintenance. Brush only in one direction where the fibers become flat. This helps remove loose dirt and brings back the natural texture.

Also, brush the entire shoe instead of just dirty areas to keep the texture even.

Step 2: Remove Scuff Marks and Light Stains

Next you’ll remove scuff marks and light stains using the eraser, if there are any. You need a suede eraser for this method. A pencil eraser can also work fine. But don’t just use any pencil eraser on your suede, especially not pink or red erasers. Your pencil eraser should be either white or colorless otherwise the dye color can transfer to your suede.

Use the eraser to rub on the affected area of the loafers. Keep the rubbing gentle and don’t be rough. Brush again after the rubbing to restore the texture.

This is a part of dry cleaning and works well for marks caused by friction or surface dirt. If the stain does not fade, move on to spot cleaning.

Step 3: Clean Water or Salt Stains

Water stains are common on suede loafers. The best way to remove them is by using a small amount of, well, water. This sounds counterintuitive but water is actually the best substance to remove water stains from suede loafers. Here’s how:

• Lightly dampen a clean cloth with clean water. Avoid rubbing with a wet or completely soaked cloth or the water can reach the inner structural layers of the shoe.

• Gently wipe the entire panel where the stain appears. Don’t wipe only the stain area or it will leave water rings.

Let the shoes dry at room temperature via natural air and don’t force-dry them using something like a hair dryer. Force-dying ruins suede fast.

Brush the suede once it’s dry to prevent water rings and uneven patches.

Step 4: Remove Oil or Grease Stains

Oil stains are more difficult to remove than water stains because suede is very porous, so it traps oil like a sponge traps liquid. The trapped oil can darken the fibers and leave lasting stains. 

• Sprinkle cornstarch or baking soda over the stain

• Leave it overnight to absorb the oil

• Brush it off gently the next day

Don’t rub oil stains with water or it’ll push the oil deeper into the suede or maybe even spread them into smaller stains, because water and oils don’t mix so the oil get’s pushed.

Step 5: Use Vinegar or Alcohol for Tough Stains

Vinegar and rubbing alcohol are dry solvents that can clear tougher stains like salt stains; ink stains; dye transfers, such as from jeans; and sticky residues that just don’t budge.

Treat stubborn ink or deep marks as follows:

• Dip a clean cloth in white vinegar or rubbing alcohol.

• Dab the stain lightly (do not rub, do not soak).

• Let the area dry completely.

• Brush gently once dry.

Both vinegar and alcohol evaporate quickly and lift stains without damaging the suede when used sparingly. But don’t rub over the stains or it will push them deeper into the pores.

Step 6: Restore the Suede Texture

Your suede loafers may look flat and stiff after cleaning but don’t worry because this is normal. Simply use a suede brush to treat the stiffness. Brush the shoes to lift the fibers until the soft texture returns.

This step is important for keeping suede loafers looking fresh and even.

What You Should Never Do

Suede loafers demand gentleness. You have to be extra careful when cleaning them and not do the following:

• Don’t wash suede loafers with water. It’s a common mistake.

• Don’t use soap or detergent either.

• Don’t use shoe polish.

• Don’t dry near heaters or sunlight.

• Don’t use rough brushes or rub hardly.

These actions can permanently damage your suede and make them look ugly.

Cleaning suede isn’t hard. It only requires care and attention. You can always take your shoes to a professional if you don’t feel sure enough to clean them yourself.

How Often Should You Clean Suede Loafers?

Brush your suede loafers after every few wears to keep them charming. Deep-clean only when and if they catch some stains because too much cleaning will wear down the suede fibers and damage your shoes’ appearance.

Reduce future stains using a suede protector spray on your loafers before wearing them for the first time.

Conclusion

It’s easy to clean suede loafers if you do so with care and patience. The process only requires some basic tools to manage regular cleaning. These tools include:

• A suede brush,

• A dry cloth,

• A suede eraser/pencil eraser,

• cornstarch/baking soda,

• vinegar/alcohol,

• and gentle methods.

Most dirt and stains can be removed at home using these. Just brush them regularly and remove stains as soon as possible. Avoid soaking your suede loafers into water to keep them clean for a long time.