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Cleaning Suede - 3/23/2008 7:52:10 PM

MsStarlett

Posts: 1879
Joined: 12/23/2007
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I've got a piece of double died suede that I've been 'saving' for almost 20 years. Yeah. It's a lovely piece sort of jewel toned colors, royal blue on one side, Kelly green on the other. I could never think of the perfect project to make of it, until now. I saw the most beautiful floggers at FroliCon and knew exactly what I wanted to do with this piece.

The problem is that when hubby brought it up from the storage area in the basement...it's got powdery mildew spots all over it! Any good suggestions to clean that up? Is it salvageable at all?

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RE: Cleaning Suede - 3/23/2008 10:14:31 PM

Archer

Posts: 3207
Joined: 3/11/2005
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I'm sure Elegant will comment on this later. She has had some success with mold and mildew removal on leather.

The skills of a good bootblack are enormously valuable, so glad I own one. Make good freinds of one if you can't find one to own they can save things that most people would just be lost on.

(in reply to MsStarlett)

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RE: Cleaning Suede - 3/24/2008 8:07:35 AM

Elegant

Posts: 1024
Joined: 3/15/2005
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Have No Fear...Underdog Is Here!
(Remember the cartoon?...Underdog is Shoeshine boy's alter personality)

First and most important step: Get that suede out of the house, away from all leathers, materials etc. Mildew spreads quicker than good gossip.

Now..removal of mildew from suede is different from removing it from topgrain leather...and not always successful.

Have a supply of old soft rags that you are willing to throw out. Start wiping away any surface mold with a damp rag. Wipe and capture as much of the mold as you can then throw the rag away. Don't rinse and reuse your rags. That only spreads the mold spores. Use an old toothbrush to clean stitching lines and crevices.

Dry the leather in the sun to take advantage of the disinfectant properties of the sun's ultraviolet light. (Hint: Do this on a breezy day so that there is less time the leather needs to remain in the sunlight). Leave it out for a few hours.

Vinegar, household bleach or alcohol can also be used to remove mold and mildew from leather but do know that they can all damage the fibers, will cause excess drying of the leather and could cause extreme discoloration. For heavily mildewed leather I suggest a 50/50 mix of 70% isopropyl alcohol and water. After washing the leather as noted above spray a fine mist of the alcohol solution over the leather, wipe with a clean soft cloth and let air dry in the sun.

Unfortunatly, suede cannot be conditioned as such products will matt and clog the nap. To soften the suede roll it up, unroll and then reverse the roll. Do this over and over.

More information http://www.fantasiesinleather.com/humidity.htm. An article I researched and wrote that has been reproduced on many website around the world.

Don;t hesitate to contact me if you need help.

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Elegant
~Slave To Master Archer

http://www.FantasiesInLeather.com

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RE: Cleaning Suede - 3/24/2008 11:45:29 AM

addisonclarkgirl

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Joined: 7/16/2006
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I have a suede coat that I love, and it didn't have mildew, but black grease on it. The vinegar worked perfectly! I was so surprised. It ended up looking exactly like the rest of the coat when dry.

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I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set her free...Michelangelo

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RE: Cleaning Suede - 3/24/2008 1:44:10 PM

Aneirin

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Joined: 3/18/2006
From: Tamaris
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I have experience of using alcohol to kill the bugs, other than that, I have used 'Nikwax ' products to condition the skin, chemical I know, but nature seems not to like chemicals

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Everything we are is the result of what we have thought, the mind is everything, what we think, we become - Guatama Buddha

Conservatism is distrust of people tempered by fear - William Gladstone

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RE: Cleaning Suede - 3/24/2008 3:57:52 PM

MsStarlett

Posts: 1879
Joined: 12/23/2007
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THANK YOU! I'll try your suggestions. Anything is better than letting this lovely piece go to waste after saving it for so long.

(And yes, I know Underdog. It was one of my favorite cartoons as a child.)

(in reply to Aneirin)

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