Leather · Care Guide
Nubuck
Top-grain sanded to a fine, tough nap
Maintained As
Napped Leather
Velvety and dry, with a distinct directional pile.
Durability
Everyday resilience
Low for a leather. It marks readily, stains easily and cannot be wet-cleaned at home.
In the Collection
0 pieces
Every piece we carry in nubuck, cared for the same way.
About This Material
Nubuck is full or top-grain leather sanded on the outer surface to raise a short, dense nap. Because it starts from the stronger outer hide, it is considerably more durable than suede while offering a similar velvety hand.
How To Spot It
A fine, tight nap — shorter and denser than suede — with faint grain markings sometimes visible beneath.
A soft directional nap that shades light and dark as it is brushed. Nubuck is sanded top-grain and is more durable; suede is the split underside and is softer and more fragile.
Specific To Nubuck
Every caution that applies to suede applies here. Protector spray when new is not optional; unprotected nubuck marks from the first spill.
At A Glance
How it holds up
Each bar shows how well nubuck resists that stress — five means it shrugs it off, one means it is the first thing to damage the surface.
Typically Used For
What It Does Well
- Velvety hand with real hide strength
- Burnishes attractively
- More durable than suede
What To Accept
- Water marks permanently
- Conditioner mats the nap
- Demands protector spray
Daily Care
The everyday routine
- Brush lightly with a dedicated suede brush, always in one direction.
- Keep liquids away from the piece entirely — this is the whole of prevention.
- Blot any accident immediately with a dry cloth, pressing rather than wiping.
- Apply a suede protector spray when new, and reapply as directed.
Deep Cleaning
Step by step
- 01 Brush thoroughly with a suede brush to lift the nap and release dust.
- 02 Work shiny or compressed patches with a suede eraser, using light pressure.
- 03 Brush again to reset the nap in a single direction.
- 04 For anything beyond surface dust, stop and use a professional. Home wet-cleaning of nubuck and suede almost always ends in permanent watermarking.
- 05 Re-apply protector spray once fully clean and dry.
Safe To Use
- Suede brush, brass or rubber bristled
- Suede eraser for shiny patches
- Dedicated suede and nubuck protector spray
- Dry cloths for blotting
- A professional leather cleaner for anything substantial
Never Use
- Water in any quantity — it watermarks permanently
- Leather conditioner and cream, which mat the nap into a slick patch
- Soap and detergent
- Solvents of any kind
- Heat for drying
Stain Removal
Lift it without making it worse
Blot rather than rub, and test any treatment somewhere out of sight first.
Blot immediately with a dry cloth. Let it dry naturally away from heat, then brush the nap back. Some watermarking is likely and often permanent.
Cornflour or talc applied generously, left overnight, then brushed out. This is the only home treatment with a good chance of working.
Blot hard and immediately, then let it dry and brush. Anything remaining is a professional job.
Not a stain — the nap has been compressed. A suede eraser followed by brushing will raise it again.
Professional only. Every home remedy for ink on suede makes it worse.
Blot immediately and go straight to a professional. Enzyme cleaners are water-based and will watermark.
Usually flattened nap rather than dirt. Brush thoroughly in one direction.
Prevent Damage
What actually causes the harm
- Water
- The defining risk. Protector spray when new, reapplied regularly, and absolute vigilance about drinks nearby.
- Oils
- Body oils flatten and darken the nap at headrests and arms. Arm caps are worth considering.
- UV
- Fades quickly and unevenly. Keep out of direct sun entirely.
- Abrasion
- The nap wears smooth at contact points. Rotate cushions where the design allows.
- Pets
- Claws destroy nap and the damage cannot be brushed out. Not a sensible material in a home with cats.
- Dye transfer
- Nubuck and suede absorb dye from denim readily and permanently.
Never Do This
Damage that cleaning cannot undo
Each of these changes the surface permanently.
Water
It watermarks permanently and mats the nap into hard patches that brushing will not lift.
Leather conditioner or cream
It is formulated for smooth grain. On nap it produces a slick, dark, matted patch that cannot be reversed.
Soap or detergent
It strips the nap and leaves a permanent stiff area.
Heat drying
It hardens and shrinks the leather.
Home ink removers
They spread the ink and bleach the surrounding nap.
Skipping protector spray
Unprotected nubuck will mark from the first spill. The spray is the only meaningful defence.
Repair
Putting it right
Suede eraser followed by brushing in one direction.
Suede eraser and brushing. Anything more needs a professional.
Sometimes improved by lightly damping the whole panel evenly and brushing as it dries, but this is a gamble. A professional is the better route.
Professional recolouring and re-napping, or reupholstery.
Professional repair. Nap makes an invisible repair very difficult.
Maintenance Schedule
A rhythm worth keeping
- daily
- Keep liquids away and blot any accident at once.
- weekly
- Brush the nap in one direction.
- monthly
- Use a suede eraser on shiny areas and brush thoroughly.
- quarterly
- Inspect contact points and re-apply protector spray.
- annually
- Professional clean for pieces in regular use.
Where To Put It
Indoor placement
The most demanding surface we sell. Site it somewhere calm, dry and out of the sun.
Site It Like This
- Apply a suede protector spray when new, and reapply as directed.
- Brush weekly with a suede brush in one direction.
- Keep it in a low-traffic room.
- Blot any accident instantly with a dry cloth, pressing rather than wiping.
Not Here
- Drinks anywhere near it — water marks nubuck and suede permanently.
- Leather conditioner, which mats the nap into a slick dark patch.
- Direct sun, which fades it quickly and unevenly.
- Homes with cats, honestly; claws destroy nap and it cannot be brushed out.
Weekly Care
The five-minute routine
Brush the nap in one direction.
Then monthlyUse a suede eraser on shiny areas and brush thoroughly.
Common Questions
What owners ask us
No. Water is the one thing nubuck and suede cannot tolerate — it watermarks permanently and mats the nap into hard patches that brushing will not lift. A suede brush and eraser are the only home tools.
No, and this catches people out. Conditioner is formulated for smooth grain; on a nap it produces a slick, dark, matted patch that cannot be reversed.
Usually not — the nap has simply been compressed. A suede eraser followed by brushing in one direction will raise it again.
Nubuck is the outer hide sanded to a fine, tight nap and is meaningfully more durable. Suede is the softer inner split with a longer, looser nap. Both need the same vigilance; nubuck simply survives it better.
Blot with a dry cloth, pressing straight down rather than wiping, and let it dry naturally away from heat. Then brush. Anything beyond that is a job for a professional — home remedies usually make suede worse.
Yes. Unprotected nubuck marks from the very first spill. The spray is the only meaningful defence this material has.
Lifespan & Ageing
How it will look in ten years
With Proper Care
Ten to fifteen years with disciplined care and protector spray maintained.
With Poor Care
Two to four years before watermarking and flattened nap dominate.
How It Ages
Nubuck develops a soft, slightly burnished character at contact points that many find beautiful. But unlike smooth leather, the changes here are as often damage as patina — and the difference between the two is almost entirely down to whether liquid ever reached it.
Nubuck Specifically
Burnishes attractively at contact points, developing a slightly polished sheen against the surrounding nap. This is genuine patina where it happens evenly.
Not Sure
We will check it for you
If you are unsure which material your piece is, or you have a mark you would rather not experiment on, tell us the piece and what you are unsure of; when we reply, you can attach photographs.
Ask us