Can You Steam a Suede Sofa?

Steam Cleaning

• When cleaning your suede sofa with a steam cleaner, add just enough water to the machine to produce steam. Excess water in the unit will exit from the wand and damage the suede. Hold the machine's wand approximately 6 inches above the suede to heat the material. Once the material is hot, lift the material with a brush specially made for suede. Continue heating and lifting the suede to clean the sofa. Make sure to move the wand evenly over the suede to keep any cleaning irregularities to a minimum.

Using a Commercial Service

• If you don't want to or can't clean your suede sofa yourself, contact and hire a commercial cleaning service to perform the job. Commercial cleaning services visit your home or business and perform the job onsite. Prices and amount of time to complete the job varies.

Restoring Suede

• Over time, areas of your suede sofa will flatten. The flattening is not fully restored during the steam cleaning process. Use a sponge or brush specially made for brushing suede to brush and restore any flattened areas on your sofa after the cleaning process is complete. Suede brushes and sponges are available at hardware, home improvement and retail stores. The tools are also available online from outlets that specialize in upholstery cleaning and protection supplies.

Surface Protection

• After the steam cleaning process is complete, use a surface protector made for suede to keep dust, dirt and stains from soiling the material. Surface protectors are also available at hardware, home improvement, grocery, retail stores and online outlets.