How to clean a suede jacket?

[ScoobyRoo]

My daughter has a reversable blue jacket (with school logo stitching on it too) that is suede on one side and a satin material on the other. Dry cleaners want $60 to clean it. I have heard of people putting them in their washer on wool cycle and it does the job. Has anyone here actually done that? What were the results?

 

[shelleyd2008]

I wouldn't recommend putting it in the washer, suede is not supposed to get wet, and wet leather stinks, even after it has dried out.

You can take a damp washcloth and a stiff brush and wipe the dirty areas. Use the brush to 'buff up' the suede, or it will end up looking like smooth leather. If the coat is too dirty to clean with a cloth, you'll probably just have to break down and have it cleaned. I don't know if those dryer-sheet type of dry cleaner things (can't remember the name) will work on suede or not.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I already threw it in the washer. I have a front loader so it wouldn't be sitting in the water. I have it on wool cycle, cold water. After washing, it will air dry. I'll let you know how it turns out. I sure hope it doesn't have a smell to it.

The jacket was in a hand-me-down pile from neighbors so $ was not invested in it. My DD is not the most careful kid to keep certain things clean so spending the $ to dry clean would be a waste IMO.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I washed in the wool cycle and it looks fine. Even in cold water, the blue color in the suede ran into the white stitching giving it a light blue color instead of white.

oh well, still a lot better than it was. Now we will see how it dries.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Whew!!!

I'm happy to say the jacket came out clean and looks good. I had my DD do the 'sniff' test and she says it smells good. I used downy. Other than the fact that the royal blue color bled a little into the stitching, I'm happy with the out come.