Hi there, welcome back to my blog! For those of you who are new to Abby Young Styling, I’m Abby, published personal, commercial, and editorial fashion stylist based in Los Altos Hills. I lead a team that guides six & seven-figure professionals to achieve a powerful, elevated self-image through the power of their wardrobe, and helps curate a stylish, modern brand image for companies at any level. Read more to learn how to clean suede, leather, and how to best take care of your more specialty, higher-maintenance fabrics. Subscribe to be notified every time I post a new blog to stay up-to-date on Abby Young Styling!
Suede
Before you take any old brush, detergent and water to your prized suede shoes, you should understand suede’s delicate nature. Using too much water and water-based soaps to clean spots can actually damage your items; instead, invest in a suede cleaning kit, with a specialized long-bristled brush and a shoe stain eraser. For tougher stains, try dabbing them with a washcloth with a 1:1 mixture of water and white vinegar.
Leather
For all your leather goods, including shoes, bags, wallets, and belts (which don’t typically need routine washing), we can testify to the magic of Pink Miracle. This is in no way sponsored or endorsed: we’re just huge fans of how it does exactly what the company advertises. A few drops on a handheld, long-bristled brush and a dip in some water will do wonders for any stubborn dirt on your leather items.
Grease Stains on Clothing
“This stain is never coming out” is just a statement that lives on “I’ve-never-tried-Oxyclean” street. The Max Force Gel Stick is another miracle worker that breaks down the most stubborn, dried down grease spots on most clothes. Just apply, let dry, and throw it in the wash on the appropriate setting — and boom, it’ll look like nothing even happened.
Velvet
As much as we love a DIY cleaning solution, velvet is one of those materials that we leave to the dry-cleaning professionals. Too much friction from hand washing and machine-washing can cause the fibers to pill, ultimately disrupting the fine structure of the piece. Find your local dry cleaners for the most safe and effective solution to freshening up your velvet items.
I hope you got to take away a few helpful tips on how to clean suede and properly maintain and clean your specialty closet items! Book a call with us today to learn more about our Abby Young Styling Concierge Service, where we take care of all your dry cleaning, cobbling & tailoring, seasonal shopping, and vacation packing needs. We hope to work with you soon! Love, your new favorite Silicon Valley Wardrobe Stylist.
