Mildew on leather and suede
What changes on leather and suede. The hot wash and vinegar soak that clears mildew from fabric would ruin the hide, so the whole procedure is dry.
The method for leather and suede
- 1Take it outside before you touch it. Brushing mildew indoors distributes spores across everything else you own.
- 2Brush the growth off dry, with a soft brush, following the nap on suede.
- 3Wipe smooth leather with a cloth barely damp with a 1:1 water and rubbing alcohol mix, then dry naturally away from heat.
- 4Leave it in indirect sun for a few hours. UV kills what is producing the smell, and this is the step that does the work.
- 5Recondition smooth leather afterwards; the alcohol takes oils with it.
What ruins it
No washing machine, no soaking, no direct heat to dry it. Wet leather dried fast goes hard and cracks, and that is worse than mildew.
The general case, and what it costs you
The general method, the detection notes and what this does to a garment's resale value are on the mildew odor page.
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