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How to Get Rubber Cement Off of Suede

If you’ve spilled some rubber cement on a fine piece of suede clothing while working on an art project, try to look on the bright side: you’ll probably never make this mistake again as you'll remember to wear the appropriate work clothes the next time. But don’t view the rubber cement as a permanent blemish – on your judgment or your clothing. With a little patience and elbow grease, you can probably lift the cement -- and without using chemicals or cleansers that would damage the suede.

Things You'll Need

  • Spoon
  • Eraser
  • Emery board or very fine sandpaper
  • Suede brush
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Instructions

    • 1

      Scrape the rubber cement with a spoon. The cement should curl at the edges so that you can lift some of it off.

    • 2

      Rub the rest of the rubber cement with an eraser. Use a pencil-capped eraser so that you are better able to target the cement.

    • 3

      Test an obscure area of the suede first -- and do so gently – with an emery board or very fine sandpaper.

    • 4

      Apply the appropriate degree of force to sand any fine traces of rubber cement residue.

    • 5
      Suede is a fairly delicate fabric that usually requires dry cleaning, not laundering.

      Brush the suede with a suede brush to restore the nap to its original condition (or at least very close to it).