Care of Leather Goods, Part 12

by Steven Ferry

Suede

While leather is the outside of an animal’s hide, suede is the inside of the hide and thus porous, so one does not use any polishes on it. Instead, use a rubber/eraser or even fingernail file to rub down any oil or stain and try to reveal the fabric again.

To remove dust and dirt, you need to raise the nap/surface of the fabric, the direction of the fibers, either by applying steam from about 10 inches away or by using a suede copper wire brush or similar, moving in a direction against the nap;

Then spray with suede spray [photo] to clean and also waterproof/protect from stains; do this in the open air, as the spray is highly toxic;

Finish by brushing in the direction of the nap so the material returns to its normal look.

If the suede becomes overly wet, soak up any excess moisture with paper towels and then follow the same procedure as used for leather in order to dry gently.

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.