How to Clean Suede Furniture Without Ruining It

In addition to shoes and clothing, suede can be used to upholster furniture – most often couches, chairs and ottomans. And, like clothes and accessories made from fabric, suede furniture also tends to be expensive, hard to clean, and easy to ruin.

If you have a piece of suede furniture, chances are the care instructions will state that it should be cleaned by a professional. And while there are certainly stains that are best left to experienced hands, routine cleaning and basic stain removal can be done on your own. Here’s what you need to know.

What is suede?

Real suede has a soft, almost velvety texture and is a type of leather made from the underside of the skin of animals such as lambs, goats, pigs, calves, and deer.

Due to its origin, high cost, and difficulty in maintaining, some people who like the look of suede choose its synthetic counterpart, microsuede, made from polyester . The water and stain resistance makes micro suede a lot easier to care for (and harder to damage), so today we’ll be focusing on how to clean real suede.

How to clean suede

Stains or not, it’s a good idea to gently vacuum your suede furniture once a week using both the crevice tool and the upholstery tool to get rid of all the crumbs, dirt and dust.

If something spills on the suede or you notice a new stain, take action immediately. Suede is prone to both water stains and shrinkage, so even if you just spill water, it can leave a mark.

First, use a clean cloth to blot up rather than wipe up spilled liquid. If it’s water, wait until it dries, and if there are no stains, use a clean, soft toothbrush to fluff the fibers to match the rest of the fabric.

If you spill something that leaves a stain, mix a few drops of white vinegar with a little warm water and then either spray onto the stain or use a sponge to apply it . Then use a clean cloth or sponge to blot the stain until it is gone. Pat it dry with a clean, dry cloth, then fluff it with a toothbrush.

Or, instead of white vinegar, you can mix a pinch of baking soda and a few drops of warm water to make a paste, apply it to the stain with a slightly dampened sponge, and then follow the same instructions.