How to Clean Suede Shoes and Jackets: What Works, What Doesn't

Suede is leather with its smooth outer face sanded or split away, leaving a raised nap of short fibers. That nap gives the material its soft look. It also catches dirt, oil and water faster than smooth leather does, which is why the usual instinct to scrub and rinse tends to make things worse.

Advice for cleaning it ranges from sound to ruinous, and the sources do not always agree. This guide sticks to what care guides from NBC Select, CNN Underscored and Tom’s Guide repeat, marks the places where they split, and treats jackets separately, because a jacket fails differently from a shoe.

Start dry, with a brush and an eraser

Every guide opens the same way. Brush the suede after each wearing to lift surface dirt and stand the nap back up. Brush in one direction with a light hand: CNN Underscored warns that aggressive brushing can damage the nap or fade the color, and NBC Select points to a brush with rubber or nylon bristles.

Marks come next. Let the stain dry, then work a suede eraser over it and brush the residue away along the grain. NBC Select’s experts call for medium to firm pressure, while Tom’s Guide says to rub lightly and not scrub. Starting light and adding pressure only if the mark holds splits the difference. The same eraser lifts the pale rings road salt leaves behind, and that problem gets its own treatment in Road Salt Season: Caring for Leather Boots and Dress Shoes on Long Island.

Where the sources disagree on liquids

Liquids are where the advice splits. Tom’s Guide and CNN Underscored both allow white vinegar on a lightly dampened, light-colored cloth for stubborn marks, with CNN naming road salt as the use. Cleanipedia goes the other way: its guide says soap and water can make suede stains worse and that spot cleaning with water can leave watermarks. Iowa State University Extension’s AnswerLine, passing along guidance it attributes to the Shoe Service Institute of America, recommends a mix of dish detergent and fabric softener in warm water for salt lines. Those are three different positions on the same material.

The loudest liquid hack came from social media. In 2018, GoodtoKnow reported that Kiera O’Hagan, a woman from Scotland, posted before-and-after photos of mud-caked heels cleaned with micellar water on a cotton pad, and that the post drew more than 36,000 likes. The evidence is anecdotal. The only expert the article quotes is a dermatologist speaking about skin, not shoes, and one commenter summed up the result as “Not perfect but this actually works.” None of the care guides above mention micellar water at all.

If a liquid is unavoidable, the common thread is restraint. Use a light-colored cloth that is damp and not wet, never saturate the surface, and let the suede air dry away from heat and direct sun, as CNN Underscored advises. Try it on a hidden spot first.

Grease is the exception where dry methods win outright. Tom’s Guide covers the stain in cornstarch, leaves it for a few hours, brushes it off and repeats until the mark is gone.

Jackets need a different plan

A jacket is one large, continuous surface, so a single wet patch shows. Cleanipedia’s advice is to treat the whole garment evenly when using a cleaner instead of spot cleaning, which avoids a visible tide line. For oily or sweat-darkened areas such as collars and cuffs, the same guide suggests a thin layer of cornflour left overnight and then brushed off. For a general refresh, it suggests hanging the jacket in a steamy bathroom without letting it become saturated.

Suede nap being brushed in one direction with a nylon brush

Deep cleaning belongs to a professional. Salvador Villarreal, owner of VIP Dry Cleaners in San Diego, told NBC Select that wet cleaning or steaming works best, and the article recommends professional help when brushing and erasing fail, such as after rain damage or a large spill. Between visits, CNN Underscored suggests a form-fitting hanger, away from direct sunlight.

One video covers shoes, jackets and boots in a single sitting. It comes from the channel Real Men Real Style:

Protect it before the weather does

Prevention costs less than repair. Eric Neuner, CEO of the shoe repair company NuShoe, told NBC Select to spray new suede before its first wear. CNN Underscored supplies the method: apply to clean, dry suede from about six inches away, then give it 24 hours to dry away from sun and heat.

How often to repeat it depends on who is asked. CNN’s experts say every six weeks, or at least each season. NBC Select says seasonally, moving to every other month for pieces worn often. Iowa State’s AnswerLine says to reapply once water stops beading on the surface, which is the easiest of the three tests to carry out. Test any new protector on a hidden spot first, as NBC Select advises.

A basic kit

A brush, an eraser and a protector cover nearly everything above. These products match that list:

Cornstarch dusted on a dark patch on a brown suede jacket cuff

Angelus Suede & Nubuck Cleaner Kit: pairs a cleaning eraser block with a nylon bristle brush for the dry steps. See it on Amazon (affiliate link)
Nikwax Nubuck & Suede Proof Spray-On Waterproofing, 125ml: a spray-on protector made for suede and nubuck. See it on Amazon (affiliate link)
Jason Markk Shoe & Sneaker Protector Repel Spray: a non-aerosol repellent listed as safe for leather, suede, nubuck, cotton and knits. See it on Amazon (affiliate link)
Leather Honey Suede & Nubuck Care Kit: one box holding a cleaner, a protector, a brush and an eraser. See it on Amazon (affiliate link)

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. A commission may be earned if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you.

Storage ends most of the trouble

Never put suede away wet. Wayne Edelman, president of Meurice Garment Care, is blunt about one common habit in CNN Underscored: “Never store suede items in plastic dry cleaning bags.” The alternatives in that guide are shoe trees and crease protectors for footwear, tissue-stuffed handbags kept in cloth bags, and breathable covers for longer storage. Damp shoes get stuffed with paper and left to dry naturally.

The same habits suit the Italian calf suede lining inside a Marcellino NY briefcase: keep it dry, brush it lightly, and give it air. The lining itself is described on the suede lining page, and the smooth bridle leather outside has its own routine in How to Care for a Bridle Leather Briefcase.

Questions people ask

Can suede go in the washing machine?

NBC Select lists throwing suede into a washing machine with detergent among the things to avoid.

Open tan leather briefcase with a suede lining beside a suede brush and protector spray

Does white vinegar work on suede?

Tom’s Guide and CNN Underscored both recommend it on a lightly dampened cloth, and neither wants the suede soaked. Cleanipedia cautions that water-based spot cleaning can leave marks, so a hidden test patch is the sensible first step.

Is suede the same as nubuck?

Not quite. NBC Select, citing the care brand Leather Honey, describes nubuck as cattle hide sanded on the grain side, with a thicker texture than suede. The care steps overlap, and most of the products above are sold for both.