Okay, so I got these red Coach sneakers a while back, and they were looking pretty rough. I mean, they’re red, so they show dirt like crazy, especially the suede parts. I had to figure out how to clean these babies up without ruining them. It took a little while, but they look really awesome now.
First, I grabbed a dry brush. I think it was a suede brush, but honestly, any soft brush would probably work. I brushed off all the loose dirt and stuff. That helped a lot right there, but they still had some marks. Especially that one time I accidentally wore them out in the rain… not my brightest moment.
- Got a dry brush
- Brushed off loose dirt
Next, I remembered seeing somewhere that you could use a rubber eraser for small stains on suede. I didn’t have one of those fancy suede erasers, but I found a regular pencil eraser, and it actually worked pretty well! I just gently rubbed the eraser on the scuffs, and they faded away. But, I still needed something more than the eraser for the stubborn dirt that was left behind.
- Used a rubber eraser on small stains
For the tougher stains, I mixed up a cleaning solution. I used a few drops of dish soap in warm water. Then, I dipped an old toothbrush into the soapy water and gently scrubbed the sneakers. I made sure not to soak them, just a little scrub.
- Mixed dish soap and warm water
- Scrubbed with a toothbrush
I also had some spray carpet cleaner lying around and decided to give that a try on the fabric parts of the shoes. I sprayed it on, let it sit for a minute, and then wiped it off with a clean cloth. After all of that, I rinsed them off with clean water, being careful not to get them too wet, and patted them dry with a towel.
- Tried spray carpet cleaner on the fabric parts
- Rinsed with clean water
- Patted dry with a towel
Finally, I stuffed them with paper towels to help them keep their shape and let them air dry for a day or two. I was a little worried they might be ruined, but they actually turned out great! Most of the stains were gone, and the color looked much better. You should have seen how good they looked! I couldn’t believe that I had waited so long to do this and that I was able to get them back into shape without ruining them.
- Stuffed with paper towels
- Let them air dry
The result?
They look almost new! This whole process was way easier than I thought it would be, and now I’m not scared to wear my red Coach sneakers anymore, rain or shine. Just a little bit of work. I recommend that you keep some of these things around to keep your sneakers clean, as well, just in case!
