Most of what we sell is one of three materials, and each fails in its own way. None of them behaves like cotton. Five minutes here will add years to a piece.
Satin
Satin is a weave, not a fibre — the long floating threads on the surface are what make it shine, and they are also why it snags and water-marks so easily. Ours is usually polyester satin, which is more forgiving than silk satin but still unforgiving of heat.
- Hand wash cold, 30–40°C at most, with a mild detergent. No bleach, no fabric softener — softener coats the fibres and kills the sheen.
- Do not wring. Press the water out between two towels. Wringing sets creases into the float threads that never fully come out.
- Hang or line dry out of direct sun. A tumble dryer will dull the finish permanently.
- Iron inside out on the lowest setting, ideally through a cloth. Direct heat on the right side glazes satin — a shiny scorched patch that cannot be reversed.
- Watch your jewelry. A ring prong or a watch clasp will pull a thread the moment you are careless, and a pulled float on satin shows from across a room.
Water spots: blot immediately, never rub, and let it dry naturally. If a ring mark stays, dampening the whole panel evenly and letting it dry flat usually blends it out.
Faux suede
Faux suede is a napped synthetic. The nap — the direction the fibres lie — is the whole look, and everything that ruins it does so by crushing or matting that nap.
- Brush, do not wash. A soft suede brush or a clean dry toothbrush, always in one direction. This lifts the nap and removes most dust.
- Never soak. Water flattens the nap and can lift the backing adhesive on shoes. Spot-clean with a barely damp cloth and let it dry fully before brushing.
- No heat. A radiator or a hairdryer will stiffen the backing and it will not soften again.
- Protect before first wear. A synthetic-safe suede protector spray, applied outdoors, two light coats. Do this before the shoes ever meet a wet pavement.
- Stuff shoes when stored. Faux suede creases across the vamp and the crease stays.
For matted patches — the classic shiny spot on the toe of a boot — brush firmly against the grain to lift the fibres, then smooth them back one way.
Vegan leather (PU)
Polyurethane on a fabric backing. It does not breathe like hide, it does not develop a patina, and it does not want to be fed. The oils and waxes you would use on real leather will sit on the surface and go sticky.
- Wipe with a damp cloth and dry immediately. That is nearly the whole care routine.
- No leather conditioner, no saddle soap, no mink oil. None of it absorbs.
- Keep it out of prolonged heat. A hot car dashboard or a sunny windowsill dries the plasticiser out of PU, and that is what causes the cracking and flaking you see on old vegan bags. Heat, not use, is what kills them.
- Store stuffed and upright, out of a plastic bag. PU needs a little air; sealed plastic traps moisture against it.
- Dye transfer is real. A pale bag against dark raw denim will pick up indigo, and on PU it does not always come out. Wipe it the same day.
A general rule
For all three: deal with it now. Satin water marks, suede nap and PU dye transfer are all straightforward while fresh and close to permanent once they have set. The five minutes when you take the thing off is worth more than any product you can buy.