Cleaning Leather and Suede

Leather and suede require a bit of TLC. Here's how to take care of those special items:

• Leather and suede items should always be cleaned per the label instructions, never with strong detergents you might have at your home.

• When spot cleaning, always test care products in a hidden area to make sure they're compatible with the leather.

• Try cleaning off a makeup stain by rubbing it with a stale piece of bread.

• When cleaning matching items such as gloves or shoes, make sure they're cleaned at the same time to maintain the same color and texture.

• Day-to-day care is very important. To protect collars of leather and suede garments, for example, wear a scarf to prevent staining from perspiration or body oils.

• Store leather or suede items where the air can circulate around them and never in any extremes of heat, cold, wet or dry.

• If your garment gets wet, let it dry away from heat sources to prevent staining.