Salt Stains on Black Suede Boots

I have salt stains on a pair of my favorite black suede boots. How do I go about restoring them? I thought that I could get them dyed black and it would cover the stains? Any suggestions? - Renee

Answers:

Salt Stains on Black Suede Boots

I use a rag soaked in vinegar, dab it on the salt stain. It may take several applications. When the boot is dry, I then steam the boot over a pan of boiling water while brushing the suede with a wire brush. Boot comes out looking like new. Just be careful not to burn yourself. There is a product called Suede Renew which can be applied when the boot is clean and dry. (02/03/2005)

By Denise

Salt Stains on Black Suede Boots

I used hairspray, I sprayed two coats and rinsed with water. It seemed to work for my stained black suede boots. I think this is a nicer method,because I hate the smell of vinegar. (10/01/2007)

By AR

Salt Stains on Black Suede Boots

White vinegar makes your boots smell funny. I tried it once and the smell was horrible. So if you have a little money to spare, you can buy a product at UGG, its a shampoo for suede boots and it costs like 15$. Just follow the instructions on the back and it works really well. Putting your boots over steam, after cleaning, and brushing them with a wire brush in one direction works well also.

If you wanna avoid getting salt stains, get a stain and water repellent for suede and apply it on dry, clean boots and let them sit overnight.

Reapply once a week and that should work well. If you can't buy the UGG product, use white vinegar but don't get frustrated if it doesn't work the first time because that's usually the case. You should usually dilute 1/2 cup vinegar in 1/2 cup warm water. Dealing with salt stains right away is always better than waiting until the salt has already sunk into the suede because that makes it harder to remove.(02/17/2008)

By Naomi

Salt Stains on Black Suede Boots

Yeah, it really helps if you use a rotating toothbrush with vinegar. (01/07/2009)

By

Salt Stains on Black Suede Boots

This works really well. I just cleaned my boots using a nail brush instead of a rag because I found that the rag removes some of the boot's dye. So use a nail brush, but don't brush too hard. Also, use a little more vinegar than water when diluting the solution. Just let the vinegar dry, apply again if the stains are still there, then once the boots are completely dry, apply a suede protector to prevent more salt stains.

(01/20/2009)

By Kathy

Salt Stains on Black Suede Boots

I tried a 50/50 vinegar and water solution on my suede boots earlier this week and it took out the salt stains, but also some of the dye. They are much lighter in the toe area now, which doesn't look great, but maybe it's better than the salt-encrusted rings I had before. (01/22/2009)

By Karen

Salt Stains on Black Suede Boots

Scrub surface of boots with toothbrush when dry to remove as much salt as possible, use a circular motion. Then bring to a boil a pot of water over the stove. Hold boots above the steam from the pot and dip toothbrush in vinegar/water solution. Apply and scrub salt spots on boots. Stuff the boot as much as possible when drying to get the shape back. Don't dry close to heat, only naturally. I used this method on my $350.00 UGG Knightbridge boots and it works amazingly well. (01/24/2009)

By Angel_Undercova