Suede, leather, wool.....oh my

[Katydid]

After spending a soggy weekend at the airshow I need some cleaning help. I have a pair of leather shoes that I fear are water stained. I don't suppose there's any way to get that out. Please say there is! Next, what's the best way to get the mud of my suede shoes. :rage:
And finally, I bought a wool nurse's cape. It's in pristine condition. It still looks brand new with no fading and no fuzzies all over it. Does anyone have any natural home remedies for keeping moths at bay? I hate mothballs and I don't want to have to dry clean the smell out every time I want to wear it.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've had terrible moth problems over the years, and have found that the best way to store my vintage woolens is in garment bags with blocks of freshly sanded cedar wood -- and then store the bags in airtight plastic bins. The smell is much more pleasant than mothballs.

Whenever I buy a new vintage woolen item, I store it for at least 24 hours in my deep-freeze to kill any moth eggs or larvae that might be on it. An initial dry cleaning before putting the item with your other woolens is a good idea too -- dry cleaning chemicals are lethal to moths.

As for muddy suede, I usually wait for the mud to dry, and then gently brush it off with a soft toothbrush.

Water stained leather -- I could use some advice there myself! (Especially since it;s been raining here for over a month, and a lot of my leather is now water stained!)

 

[Katydid]

Cedar....great idea! I love that smell. Do you just hit up the local hardware store for cedar? I'll be making a beeline for the dry cleaners in a couple weeks when I recoup my finances. Right now everything is hanging around the room to air out. It was miserably damp this weekend and I'm worried about mold.

 

[magneto]

For the leather, I've read a tip that said to rub the water-stained area with a cloth dipped in a white vinegar and water solution(test on inconspicuous area first!)...I douse everything in Kiwi brand water repellent...I have a lightcolored cowhide briefcase and it has safely weathered (hee hee) many a surprise downpour thanks to this stuff...
At either the hardware store or "The Container Store" (a chain that sells storage items and accessories), I've bought moth repellent which has the same active ingredient as mothballs but is cedar-scented (ergo, no mothball smell) as well as plain cedar hangings, etc...good luck!

 

[Caledonia]

Must try the freezer tip. Muddy suede, shoes, gloves or bag, is definitely best left to dry and then brush off. If it's light suede - beige, cream, any lighter colour - you probably won't get it all out. I've had success with the following: sponge them down well with a tiny spot of environmentally friendly washing up liquid added in (doesn't have the harsh nasties - Ecover is what I use), then sponge over with clean water again and let them dry naturally where the drying will be as even as possible. Brush out well and brush up the nap again. If that fails a bit of suede dye works wonders. The sponging saved a lovely pair of gloves, but I needed to dye up a pair of shoes. Just too much mud. Will try the vinegar tip too Magneto, thanks.

 

[Katydid]

The freezer....interesting and never thought about freezing my clothes. Will have to try though. Will defiintely be trying the vinegar and water. I have both of those and it sounds easy enough. Thanks a lot guys!

 

[Caledonia]

Spooky! Just got a pair of 50s pale grey suede stilletos today. One is really badly stained over the stilleto and heel. It is definitely a vintage stain and I doubt it will come out, so I'm going to use them as a test piece for the vinegar, and if that doesn't work I'll go straight for the dark grey dye option. Will let you know about the vinegar.