Cleaning A Suede/Shearling Coat?

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A week ago, I bought a gorgeous vintage Penny Lane-style suede/shearling coat (eBay). Made in the 1970s, it's roughly 52 years old (almost as old as I am). It's in excellent condition with just a few spots here and there. No odors and clean sherpa lining.

Usually, I clean all my other leather and suede clothing, handbags, etc. with Obenauf's and won't use anything else. Specialized leather/suede cleaners are out of the question. I've had terrible experiences with regular dry cleaners and prefer to DIY. If you have any other suggestions that I could try naturally, to keep me out of dry cleaner hell. My motto is reuse/repurpose and buy vintage. This coat still has lots of life left in it. Thanks in advance.

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cybergrannie
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May 13, 20210 found this helpful

Best Answer

I will say that I've spot cleaned this type of suede and it turned out okay so I believe you can do this if the spots/stains are small and not too many.

One thing that sometimes happens when you clean spots is the cleaned area will be lighter than the rest of the garment. Try to feather out as you clean and this may not happen.
Always remember, no matter what method you use - do not wet the coat; just lightly clean with a damp cloth.
Most sites recommend a few drops of plain hair shampoo or mild detergent (no Woolite); dab at spot and then wipe soap away with a damp cloth:

Martha Stewart's blog on this:
www.marthastewart.com/.../shearling-cleaning-tips
Other tips:
customsheepskinjackets.com/.../
www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Shearling-Jacket

DianaHM
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May 24, 20210 found this helpful

Best Answer

Suede is a far more delicate material than leather. Regular light cleaning should ensure that your coat always looks its best.
Use a two-sided suede brush to clean your coat. The wire side is effective in removing dry mud or dirt and the soft side can then be used to buff up the nap. Only ever use the wire brush on dry suede and never apply extreme pressure or you may damage the surface of the suede. Always brush in the direction of the grain.

If your coat is stained, rub the area with a white pencil eraser or use a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar applied to tackle stains with a sponge. Spraying rubbing alcohol onto stains and rubbing with a sponge is also an effective method of stain removal.

If you have oil stains, then apply an absorbent substance such as corn starch, baking powder or talcum powder and leave overnight.

Water stains can be removed by spraying the jacket with a mist of water and then soaking up the moisture with paper towels.

Judy
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts

May 13, 20210 found this helpful

You could try an art gum eraser, available at art supply stores.

erin.w.pilates

July 26, 20210 found this helpful

Ive been reviving my beautiful afghan /penny lane style coat from the 60s for the past week. Its my favorite and I refuse to give up on it , even though its been loved lots over the 6 years Ive owned it . Anywho, It needed LOTS of Tlc, were talking about suede whos texture is not the same throughout, (hard /dry in some spots soft in others / worn out elbow creases, etc. I got suede dye, and a suede cleaning kit and got to work.

What Ive learned...
Heres what you shouldnt do :
Dont ever brush it or rub it unless its 100 percent dry
When brushing, brush with the grain . (Not back and forth)
What Ive done for stains, and has worked really well, is after brushing the whole thing, mixing vinegar and water in a small cup, dipping cotton ball , squeezing out the excess and lightly pressing it onto the stains a couple times . Then I wait til it dries , completely. Then I brush, and if needed Ive used a fine emery board to sand slightly , and repeated the process . On a few stains, I did another solution that worked well. Same vinegar water mixture process, but with an added 1/3 drop of dish soap . Worked really well. Careful not to soak the material. Depends really on what kind of stain it is, and the color of the suede... my coat is deep red/purple, and severely aged , so there was no way I could fix my problem without suede dye. Im waiting for it to dry fingers crossed ! Another note, I havent had good results using heat to speed the drying process , ends up hardening the material. Perhaps could do it on cool though. I recommend using a chamois to soak up the excess moisturw. Or just leave it hanging in a warm, ventilated room like near a fan . Most important is be patient. Remedy number 3, which has worked on other suede items Ive had success with is baking soda, applying it dry with my hands , and gently brushing with a tooth brush (step 1 ) Really be gentle as all get out, and be super patient! Huge lessons Ive learned with suede. And work in bright lighting ! Haha . Hope it works out !

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