Why You Shouldn't Immediately Cover a Suede Stain: First Find the Cause of the Stain
Why you shouldn’t immediately cover up a stain on suede
If a stain appears on suede, many people immediately think about dyeing it. However, in most cases, this doesn’t solve the problem. The stain may still be visible even after color restoration, and sometimes it becomes even more pronounced.
The reason is that a stain is not a color change but dirt embedded in the material. Until the source of the stain is removed, any further treatments can produce unpredictable results.
Why the Stain Remains Visible
Different types of dirt affect suede’s structure in different ways:
- fats and oils penetrate deeply into the material;
- dirt clogs the nap;
- old treatments create a protective layer on the surface;
- some substances change the skin's absorbency.
As a result, the material reacts unevenly to further treatments, and the defect remains visible.
How to Properly Prepare Suede
Before any restoration work, it is necessary to identify the type of stain.
- For regular cleaning of suede, velour, and nubuck, use VELVETREINIGER. This foaming cleaner helps remove everyday dirt and refresh the surface of the material.
- If the stain is greasy, use FETTABSORBER, which helps remove fats and oils from the leather’s structure.
- If the item was previously treated with water-repellent or protective coatings, EXTER may be required to remove old layers.
- For difficult cases and additional surface preparation, LPINIO can be used.
The Correct Work Order
- Determine the nature of the stain.
- Clean the surface with VELVETREINIGER.
- If necessary, remove fats using FETTABSORBER.
- Remove residues of old treatments using EXTER.
- Perform additional surface preparation with LPINIO.
- Once all contaminants are fully removed, proceed with further restoration procedures.
Conclusion
A stain on suede should not be viewed as a color problem. In most cases, the contamination must first be removed and the material prepared. The better the cleaning is done, the better the final result of the subsequent restoration procedures will be.