Cleaning Leather and Suede

Kelly Jenne explains the proper way to clean and care for leather and suede.

When cleaning a small surface stain on suede, brush with a soft suede brush, rubber brush or sponge.

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The first thing to know about caring for your leather and suede items is that they should always be cleaned per the label instructions--never with strong detergents you might have at your home.

When spot cleaning, always pretest care products in a hidden area to make sure they are 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 are cleaned at the same time to maintain the same color and texture.
Day-to-day care is very important in maintaining your purchase. For example, to protect collars of leather and suede garments, wear a scarf to prevent staining from perspiration or body oils.
Store your 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 any heat source to prevent staining.