Keri's Wellness Wednesday: Don't sweat the suede

Suede looks really good on the human body, but a lot of people are put off by the fact that it is seemingly impossible to clean.

According to Wikipedia, suede leather is made from the underside of the skin, primarily from lambs, although goat and deer are also commonly used. Splits from thick hides of cows are also ‘sueded’, Due to the fibre content, suede is softer and more flexible than full-grain leather.

Thanks for the history lesson, but how do you clean it? Here's how...

What you will need:

- Dirty suede (bag/shoes/jacket… anything)

- Stale bread

What you need to do:

I would suggest working over a basin/bath or outside so you don’t have crumbs.

Fold your stale bread or roll into a ball and brush the bread against the suede. Once clean, use a brush to gently remove any crumbs.

Really… that’s it!

TIP: If your suede stinks, bicarb is the answer, as it absorbs acidic, nasty smells. For suede shoes, leave some bicarb in them overnight and remove in the morning. For a suede couch, sprinkle some bicarb over the surface and vacuum in the morning.

For a suede jacket that is reeking, dump bicarb in a rubbish bag and throw the jacket in, shake it up, and leave it overnight.