How To Clean Suede Shoes at Home Fast and Easily

Keeping suede shoes clean seems to be a common struggle for those who have chosen suede footwear. I just recently got the absolute cutest pair of Minnetonka suede and fur boots, and I’ve been terrified to wear them again since I ended up getting a dirt stain on the toe of the boot the very first time I wore them out! I’m not thrilled with the idea of taking them to a professional each time I get them messed up, so I went on the search to find out how I can clean my suede boots at home. 

We love the look of suede shoes, boots, handbags, pumps, jackets, and loafers, but how do we clean them and keep them looking their best? It’s not as hard and scary as I once thought. 

The Best Way to Clean Suede Shoes

Proper maintenance and care are essential to increase the longevity of your shoes. Especially when the suede is so vulnerable to stains, marks, scuffs, and general wear and tear. 

Suede shoes are best cleaned with a brush designed specifically for use on suede. Here’s the thing, I found there are multiple types of suede cleaning brushes that have different purposes. If you want an all-in-one deal, there are suede cleaning kits that come with the brush, suede eraser, cleaning solution, and suede protectant spray. 

Tools Used for Cleaning Suede Shoes

Natural bristle brush – this brush is made of boar hair and a good brush for everyday care of your suede shoes.

Combination suede brush: this brush has stiff brass bristles in the center that are enclosed by the outer bristles made of either boar hair or nylon. It is used for a deeper cleaning of the suede for tough stains or dirt that is deep down in the fibers. The fuzzy leather fibers of the suede are called the nap, by the way. 

Crepe brush: this brush is made of soft latex and has almost a sticky texture. It is used for spot treating and is a gentle way to remove surface dirt as it is a much softer brush than bristled brushes. However, it does not do any deep cleaning of the suede. 

Suede eraser: removes dried stains that are superficial and on the surface of the suede.

Suede cleanser or shampoo:  deep cleaning your suede shoes will require the use of a cleanser or shampoo. The suede cleaning solution should be applied with a soft brush, such as a dauber brush. There are a number of suede cleaners out there, but these are the few that we found get recommended the most and have the best product reviews – KIWI Suede and Nubuck Kit, Jason Markk Premium Shoe Cleaner, and Saphir Omnidaim Nubuck and Suede Cleaner. Most of the kits mentioned have cleaning brushes included. 

Waterproof and stain-resistant protectant: a spray protectant will keep your suede shoes from getting damaged by water or other stains. A good protectant will keep the water rolling off of the shoe and it won’t absorb into the suede. If you have high-end super expensive shoes, you will want to think about investing in a high-quality suede protectant. The Saphir line seems to be the go-to for advanced suede shoe care. 

Cedar shoe trees: are made of cedar and are fantastic for keeping dress shoes in good condition. The cedar prevents moisture from accumulating in the shoes and also helps to dry them out after washing or if you got them wet in the rain. If you have invested in a good pair of suede shoes, it’s a wise idea to have cedar shoe trees.

General Cleaning Guide for Suede Shoes

Everyday Cleaning: Use your suede brush or crepe brush and go over the entire surface of the shoes after each time you wear them. Use quick light strokes to remove dirt and fluff the suede nap back up. It is an extra step, but worth it to keep your suede looking it’s best. Keep your suede brush beside your shoe storage or at your door and give them a quick brush when you take them off for the day.

Spot Treatment: Use your suede eraser to remove scuffs, marks, and small stains that were not easily removed by brushing alone. Work in small circular motions as you would with an ordinary pencil eraser. Don’t worry about the eraser bits left behind as they are easily removed by brushing with the suede brush.

Deep Cleaning: You may find that your suede brushes alone aren’t doing a good enough job. It is time to deep clean your shoes with a suede safe cleanser or shampoo. Mix the shampoo with water in a bowl, dip your dauber brush into the solution, and begin working into a lather around the entire shoe. Once the shoes have been scrubbed, rinse with water. Put cedar shoe trees or blank newspaper inside the shoes, and allow them to completely air dry for at least an entire day before you wear them. Ensure that your drying area is not close to any heat and that it is well ventilated and dry.

The manufacturer of my suede boots mentions a gentle baby shampoo is safe to use, but you will want to check with the manufacturer of your suede shoes to be sure you are using the correct cleanser. If you have expensive high-quality suede shoes, I wouldn’t recommend using cheap baby shampoo and use a cleanser made specifically for suede care. But that’s just me. 

Can You Clean Suede Shoes at Home?

Yes! You can clean your suede shoes at home. In fact, you can use many everyday items that you may already have on hand. Assuming your shoes aren’t a total disaster, cleaning and caring for your suede shoes at home is relatively simple to do. Since you can do it yourself, you don’t need to call in a professional every single time you spill something on your shoes or get a stain, which saves you money.

Use What You Already Have

You may want a more DIY option for cleaning your suede shoes than buying all the brushes and cleaners. I get that. I always like to see if I can use anything I have hanging around the house before I buy something. So here are the ways I found to clean your suede using regular everyday household products. 

Can you clean suede shoes with soap and water?

Yes, it turns out that you can wash suede shoes with soap and water. Water alone will not ruin suede shoes. Let’s just get that out there. However, water can stain shoes (I know this is contradictory, so just bear with me here) and brushing suede when it is wet will for sure ruin your shoes. You do need to be careful of the type of soap, cleanser, or shampoo you use on your suede. You should always do a spot test to determine if the soap will discolor or damage the suede on your shoes.

Can Suede Shoes Get Wet? 

Yes, your suede shoes can get wet and will not be ruined forever. At least that is the short answer. It is more about how the shoes are treated and cared for while being wet and how the water is applied to the suede shoes during cleaning that matters most.

As I’ve researched this topic, I’ve seen much debate about using water on suede shoes and if it ruins them or not. There’s a lot of conflicting information out there from credible sources, so I really had to do some digging and make educated conclusions about what I found.

Water on suede should be dabbed off of the shoe as soon as possible since water can leave stains on suede shoes. If you get caught in the rain, or your suede shoes get wet, you should take them off as soon as possible and fill them with paper or shoe trees and set them out to dry. 

When washing and deep cleaning your suede shoes, it is just fine to use water to clean them. There is a bit of debate about how much water to use and how much water is too much. 

Kirby Allison at the Hanger Project works with higher-end suede shoes, and this is what he has to say about using water to clean the suede. “You are going to see the color of the suede change as the water begins to saturate the suede, but it is completely normal. It’s absolutely safe and okay to get your suede shoes wet. So I wouldn’t worry too much about the water.” 

Hanger Project Video

The most important thing to remember about getting suede shoes wet is a proper drying process. The suede must be thoroughly dry before brushing. Ideally, they should be left to dry at least overnight, but some say 24 hours is the best way to be safe. 

How to Remove Stains From Suede

Water-stains:

Water on suede should be dabbed off of the shoe as soon as possible since water can leave stains on suede shoes. Rain and snow will damage your suede if it is not protected. 

Here’s the catch, you have to use water to correct the water-staining on the suede. So how do you remove water stains on suede shoes? This is what I found:

You’ll need:

1. Use a damp cloth or soft brush to evenly distribute water over the entire surface of the shoes. 
2. Use a clean, dry cloth like microfiber and blot off as much of the excess moisture as possible.
3. Add blank newspaper or cedar shoe trees and allow the shoes to completely air-dry overnight. 
4. The suede will be stiff after drying, but don’t worry. Use the suede brush or toothbrush to brush the nap of the suede all over and in different directions. This will fluff up the fibers and make them soft again. 
5. Brush again in a single direction for a more even look.
6. Be sure to add a water and stain-resistant protectant before you wear your suede shoes again.

Grease or oil stains:

Use an absorbent product such as talcum powder, cornstarch, or baking soda. 

You’ll need:

1. Try to soak up as much of the oil as possible while it’s still fresh. You can use an absorbent paper towel for this. Treat the oil stain as soon as possible.
2. Add a generous amount of whichever oil-absorbing product you choose on top of the stain. We will use baking soda as the example here.
3. Let the shoes sit overnight so that the baking soda can soak up as much of the oil stain as possible. 
4. Use a soft brush or soft cloth to wipe away the excess baking soda. Don’t scrub the baking soda into the suede.
5. Remove any remaining baking soda from the suede by using a damp cloth. 
6. Add blank newspaper or cedar shoe trees and allow the shoes to air-dry overnight.
7. Use a suede brush to re-fluff the nap in the newly cleaned area of the suede.

Dirt and mud stains:

Suede shoes come into contact with dirt and mud more often than we think. The mess is often not noticed until we get home and take them off and wonder, “How in the world did that happen?” as you proceed to recall the events from your day. The good news is that you can easily clean mud off of suede shoes without the worry of ruining them.

You’ll Need:

1. Allow the mud to completely dry before attempting to remove it. You do not want to clean the suede while it is still wet. Stuff with paper or use shoe trees while the shoes dry out.
2. When the shoes and mud are completely dry, start by using a brush to brush off as much of the mud as you can. This will do much of the heavy lifting.
3. Next, pour some suede cleaner or mild soap into a bowl of water.
4. Dip your brush into the solution and begin working the soap into a lather all over the shoes. This includes the suede and the rubber – might as well clean it all while we are there!
5. Don’t be afraid to really work the suds into problem areas that may be deeper and darker staining. The soap will lift the remaining dirt from the suede fibers. 
6. Once you are satisfied with the cleaning, take the shoes and rinse them with water. Make sure to rinse the suede well, and remove all the soap residue.
7. Use a clean, dry cloth like microfiber and blot off as much of the excess moisture as possible.
8. Stuff the shoes with blank newspaper, or cedar shoe trees, and allow the shoes to completely air-dry overnight. 
9. Once the suede has dried, it may seem stiff. Use a suede brush or toothbrush and move in different directions all over the surface of the shoes to fluff the nap and make it soft again.
10. Brush the suede in one direction to make the nap look even again.
11. Be sure to use a water and stain-resistant spray protectant before you wear your suede shoes out. 

Salt stains:

The salt from the roads and sidewalks in the winter can wreak havoc on suede shoes and boots. Good thing there’s a super simple way to remove salt stains from suede. Here’s how:

You’ll need:

1. Mix a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water in a bowl. You will need about a ¼ cup each to start. You can always make more if you need it. 
2. Dip a small area of the cloth into the solution and begin working out the salt stains little by little. Wet different small sections of the cloth as you go, so you are working with a fresh piece of the cloth for each salt stain.
3. Put shoe trees or paper inside the shoes and allow the suede to air-dry overnight in a cool, dry place. 
4. When the suede has completely dried, it’s time to brush it out with a suede brush or toothbrush to restore and soften the nap. Brush in varying directions all over the shoes to lift the nap from all directions. 
5. Finish by brushing the suede in one direction to make it look even and fresh
6. Apply some stain and water-resistant spray protectant to the shoes before you wear them out again.

How to Get Rid of Scuff Marks 

Scuff marks and matting of the suede is going to happen. It’s inevitable. Just normal wear will cause certain areas of the suede to scuff up and get shiny spots. 

You’ll Need:

1. First, use a brush to brush out the suede to lift the scuff marks. Simply work in small circular motions to fluff the nap.
2. Then use a suede eraser or pencil eraser to buff out the rest of the scuff.
3. Brush out the suede with the suede brush or toothbrush to remove the eraser shavings 

If you’ve had your suede shoes for a year or more, and haven’t known how to clean them properly, then they are probably in rough shape. Cleaning them at home may not do the trick and you might need to consult a professional that deals in suede to restore them for you.

Prevention is the Key to Keeping Suede Shoes Clean

Right out of the box, you should be using a protectant spray made specifically for suede and reapplying it often. 

Investing in some good suede care products for your shoes will save you from having to seek out a professional to clean your suede shoes. Much of the cleaning and care can be done at home, and the investment in the care products is well worth it if you can swing it.

Make it a habit to spot clean and brush out your suede shoes frequently. Ideally, you would do so after every time you wear them, but life gets in the way, and that doesn’t always happen. At least it doesn’t for me. 

Clean up the suede right away if anything gets on it that will cause a stain or damage. Soak up water or blot off spills as soon as they happen. Don’t let the shoes sit with the stain for too long as you don’t want it to set in and potentially ruin your shoes. 

Store your suede shoes in a cool, dry place. Add cedar shoe trees or acid-free tissue paper to keep the form of the shoe and to keep it fresh and free from moisture that may collect while in storage. 

See, That Wasn’t So Hard!

I had no idea what was involved before I started researching this topic of how to clean suede shoes. It turns out that proper suede care isn’t all that scary and much of it can be done in the comfort of your own home. There are lots of care products, household products, and techniques that people use to clean their suede shoes. As an added bonus, now that you know how to clean your suede shoes at home, not only will it save you lots of time and money, but these ideas can work on other suede garments as well!