Cleaning a suede leather jacket requires a delicate touch and specific tools to avoid damaging the material. Suede is a delicate material and requires as much protection as possible, so the moment you buy your new suede jacket make sure you apply protection products to help avoid dirt, grease and grime building up.
Once dirt, grease and sweat get into areas like cuffs and collars it’s hard to remove, so make sure you brush your jacket often and to keep the suede fibres lose, this way it will stop them clogging up and bonding together.
When suede is made it sanded on the underside, this is what becomes the top side as the turn the skin upside to be used, as in most cases the suede is a drop split from the poorer part of the leather skin.
Here are the steps you can follow to clean your suede jacket:
Brush the jacket: Use a soft-bristled suede brush to gently remove any loose dirt or dust from the surface of the jacket. You can brush in one direction if you don’t feel comfortable brushing in multiple directions, brushing in one direction may possibly help to avoid damaging the suede.
Treat stains: If there are any stains on the jacket, try to remove them using a suede eraser. Rub the eraser gently over the stain in a circular motion until it disappears. If the stain is stubborn, you can try a suede cleaner, but be sure to test it on a small, inconspicuous area of the jacket first. You can also use a suede brush, there are many different type of suede brush, this type of a synthetic and brass mixture and this is a soft rubber type suede and nubuck brush.
Steam the jacket: Breaking down inground grease and grime. Fill a kettle or pot with water and bring it to a boil. Hold the area of the jacket above (not directly above) the steam for a few minutes, being careful not to let the jacket get wet. This will help to break down any remaining dirt or stains from the suede. You may find after you have used a small amount of steam, that you need to use more of the suede and nubuck cleaner to go over the inground dirt areas to break down as much dirt as possible, note with suede you have to make sure you full clean all the areas, not just part of the suede leather section. Cleaning part of a panel will result in tide mark staining on that leather panel, always clean suede in full not in small sections.
Let the jacket dry: Once you have finished steaming the jacket, let it air dry. Do not use a hairdryer or any other heat source to dry the jacket, as this can damage the suede.
Brush the jacket again: Once the jacket is completely dry, use the suede brush to restore the nap of the suede. Brush in one direction to avoid damaging the material.
Protect the jacket: To help protect your suede jacket from future stains and damage, consider applying a suede protector spray. Be sure to test the spray on a small, inconspicuous area of the jacket first to ensure that it does not discolour or damage the suede. The suede item must be fully dry before applying the suede protection spray. To apply the suede protector, you will need to brush all the suede fibres in one direction and apply a single spray coating to the suede item, then when its dry brush in the opposite direction and spray once again, allow to dry and then brush all the fibres to one side and spray, allow to dry and brush to the opposite side spray and allow to dry. One dry finally brush up the suede fibres once more to keep your suede jacket soft and supple.
By following these steps, you can keep your suede leather jacket looking clean and well-maintained for years to come.