How to clean suede vans without suede cleaner

Did someone step on your blue suede shoes? Or maybe your brown or beige ones got a little grubby? Well, that’s the price you pay for wearing suede. The material was first made in Sweden from the underside of animal hides. When it was exported to France in the late 18th century, the soft fabric became popular among the French nobility, who called the gloves they had made from it “Gants de Suede.” That literally means “Swedish gloves.” Eventually, the fabric just became known as suede. Since then, suede has been turned into many things, including shirts, bags, wallets, coats, jackets, boots, and shoes.

Why do suede shoes get so dirty? 

Suede is made using a technique called Sueding, in which an abrasive is applied to buff the surface of the hide. That helps give suede its familiar soft texture. However, it also creates a fuzzy, uneven, absorbent nap into which dirt can easily become ingrained. 

Do suede protectors work?

According to the experts, prevention is better than cure when it comes to maintaining the pristine look of your suede shoes. There are numerous sprays on the market, each designed to protect the suede from stains and water damage. Theoretically, one light spray before you first wear your shoes will shield them for at least four weeks, depending on the ingredient of the spray and how often your suede shoes are worn. 

How to clean suede shoes at home

Ultimately, whether you spray your shoes or not, you will need to clean them at some stage. And, if you don’t want to take them to a professional cleaner, here’s how.

• Firstly, do not use water. It will ruin your shoes. Water stains suede. It can change its color and make it less supple and weaker by removing its natural oils.
• Handle your suede shoes gently, lightly brushing or rubbing with a firm brush or dry microfiber cloth to get the dirt off. Suede shoes shouldn’t be buffed like leather ones.
• To fine-tune your cleaning, use an eraser, a nail file, or even a clean toothbrush to gently loosen any stubborn dirt.

How often should you clean suede shoes?

The general advice is to clean your suede shoes about once a month to prevent a build-up of scuffs and dirt. But naturally, that depends on how often you wear them. Some people also recommend applying a protective waterproof spray to them each time, but only AFTER they’ve been cleaned.

Despite being designed to withstand the rigors of a skatepark, Vans still need a little bit of maintenance every now and then to keep them looking great each time you lace them up.

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Therefore, we've put together a step-by-step guide to talk you through the cleaning process, highlighting a few top tips along the way to help ensure your shoes come away looking spotless as if you'd unboxed them for the first time.

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Table of contents

How to clean Vans

What about other materials?

Things to avoid when cleaning Vans

So grab your best pair of Vans and follow along with our top tips right here.

How to clean Vans

The following is what we believe to be the most effective way of cleaning a classic pair of Old Skool Vans as they are, arguably, the brand's most popular model.

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Leather

Although not often, some Vans, like these black Winston sneakers, can be made from leather.

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Fortunately, the process remains almost identical to cleaning canvas as leather tends to be incredibly durable and capable of withstanding water as well as your shoe cleaning products.

Simply wipe away any dirt with a brush then use a damp cloth to clean the surface of your shoes until any remaining stains are gone. You can then apply conditioner to the leather to avoid the material drying out. Check out our list of the best leather conditioners to get your started.

Suede

Again, suede is not a material commonly used in the construction of Vans; however, there are some, like these Range Exps and Comfycush Old Skools, that feature suede panels.

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As outlined in our guide to cleaning suede shoes, removing dirt and stains from suede is notoriously difficult, but not impossible.

We'd first recommend using a suede brush, like this Shacke 4-Way Suede Brush, to remove any dirt when whilst your shoes are dry.

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You can then take this a step further by using a suede eraser, like this bit of kit from Kiwi featured in our list of the best suede shoe cleaners, to rub away any tough stains and smaller marks.

Then, to make sure your shoes stay clean, make sure you check out our list of the best suede protectors to keep your Vans looking fresh.

Things to avoid when cleaning Vans

When it comes to cleaning your Vans, it's important to know the dos and don'ts so that one wrong move or product won't leave your Vans damaged permanently.

Firstly, Vans advise against putting your shoes in a washing machine or dryer, regardless of the material. The intensity of the spin, water, and heat can damage delicate materials, often leading them to crack and/or deform.

Vans also suggest you avoid using bleach to whiten the rubber midsoles because it may actually turn your shoes yellow.

Leading on from this, we'd suggest you avoid using any soap that contains harsh chemicals. In addition to removing some of the oil from your shoes, soap can also dry out the canvas and rubber, thus causing permanent damage.

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We also suggest you avoid using direct heat to speed up the drying process. This heat can warp your shoes and even cause certain elements to crack.

Finally, and to something we mentioned in our guide to cleaning mesh shoes, avoid using wired brushes or rough sponges because they can pull apart the threaded fabric and leave permanent scratches on the surface of your sneakers.

Read More: Best shoe cleaning kits - Our top picks

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