5 Easy Ways to Remove Mold From Suede Shoes

Suede shoes are a must-have in any woman’s wardrobe. They have a distinct feel and may be worn with a wide range of clothes. They are also very light and can be worn in the summer. Mold is a serious issue with suede shoes.

Mold can effectively impair your experience wearing suede shoes, and it leaves a foul taste in the mouth of anyone who sees such a piece of footwear.

Fortunately, eradicating mold from suede shoes is not difficult. Cleaning moldy suede shoes will be a breeze if you follow the step-by-step instructions provided by Teeanime in this guide.

How To Remove Mold From Suede Shoes?

Removing mildew from suede might be a laborious process, but the benefits are enormous. When people detect mold on their shoes, they simply toss them away, but this does not have to be the case.

Here’s how to remove mold from suede shoes, step by step.

1. Prepare for the mold removal process

Before you do anything else, you need make certain preparations to ensure that the entire process goes smoothly and without incident.

First, go outside in your suede shoes and set up your workstation in a sunny spot in your backyard. Sunshine is a natural mildew killer.

Everything must be done outside to avoid the growth of mold spores inside your home.

Wear a mask and (ideally) rubber gloves. This will help keep the spores out of your mouth and nostrils.

2. Use a suede brush

A suede brush is simply a brush designed exclusively for repairing suede fibers. They are reasonably priced, and I recently published a comprehensive guide to the best suede cleaning agents, which includes a number of low-cost options.

If you brush them properly, a lot of spores will fall down.

Remember not to press too hard on the damaged regions, since this can tear out suede fibers, which we don’t want.

Brush until all of the heavily impacted areas are clean. Don’t worry about the stubborn finer mildew pieces; we’ll deal with them in the upcoming phases.

3. Coat the affected areas with petroleum jelly

Identify the mold that is still on your shoes and apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to it. Allow the petroleum jelly to seep into the suede. Depending on the size of the afflicted region, this should take about 10-15 minutes.

This will do two things. First, petroleum jelly has antimicrobial qualities that can aid in mold removal. Second, the coating will protect the suede fibers from the water and rubbing alcohol solution we’ll be using in the next step. Please conduct a spot test before applying vaseline to your shoes.

This can cause darkening and discolouration depending on the suede strands. As a result, it is preferable to test the product in an inconspicuous location initially.

4. Apply some rubbing alcohol over the mold

Rubbing alcohol (and alcohol in general) has disinfecting characteristics, making it a useful tool for mold removal.

Mix the rubbing alcohol with some water to dilute it. The solution should be made up of equal parts water and rubbing alcohol, preferably two teaspoons of each. Start by dipping a cotton swab into the liquid and applying it to the mold.

The petroleum jelly (which should not be visible at this time) absorbed by the suede fibers will aid in water resistance.

It is critical to exercise caution when doing so since we do not want the solution to go anyplace it does not belong. Suede and water don’t get along, in case you didn’t know.

5. Apply the finishing touches

Allow the rubbing alcohol and water solution to lie on the mold for a few minutes, but do not allow it to absorb fully. In most circumstances, 3-5 minutes is sufficient.

Wipe away the solution with a microfiber towel. You will see that the smaller and more resistant mold particles are also wiped away. Finally, there is no mold in your shoes.

Remove any remaining debris from the shoe’s surface using your suede brush. Make sure the brush is flowing in the direction of the suede fibers.

This will guarantee that the suede flows properly. Allow the shoes to sit in the sun for a couple of hours after properly scrubbing them.

And by the end of this process, your suede shoes will be fully mold-free.

Can You Get Rid Of Mold Through Vinegar?

Yes, vinegar will remove mold from suede, but it will also change the color of your shoes. As a result, it is much better to avoid using vinegar in the cleaning procedure.

When it comes to vinegar, the negatives outnumber the benefits. Using vinegar will result in severe staining of your shoes, as well as a vinegar-like odor throughout the shoe.

If you don’t care about any of it, you can just replace the rubbing alcohol solution in the previous technique with vinegar and get almost the same results.

However, only do this if all else fails.

Do not use bleach

While bleach is fantastic for cleaning textiles, it is not a good idea to use it on suede shoes, especially if you want to eliminate mildew from them.

Using bleach can cause suede to discolor and will effectively ruin the texture of your shoes by flattening the nap.

The disadvantages of using bleach far outweigh the benefits, so you should avoid it if you want your suede shoes to look decent again.

Final Remarks

Your suede shoes need to be free of mold to stay healthy and last a long time. In this guide, I gave you a simple five-step plan for how to do this well:

1. Get ready for the process of getting rid of mold.
2. Brush the mildew spores away with a suede brush.
3. Use a small amount of petroleum jelly to coat the mold.
4. Use a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water that is equal parts of each.
5. Put the final touches on it.