Preventing Fraying in Suede and Leather Items
While smooth leather typically resists fraying, suede varieties—especially soft suede used in moccasins, garments, and laces—can fray or split with use. A simple beeswax treatment can help stop this and prolong the life of your footwear and clothing.
By Rowan Scott9 steps
Treat sueded laces with beeswax to prevent it from fraying.
Smooth leather generally does not fray. However, suede leathers can fray or come apart as they wear, particularly the soft suede used in moccasins, clothing, and lacings. Preventing suede from fraying is relatively simple and can extend the lifespan of your garments or footwear.
Step 1
In a small pot, melt beeswax until it becomes liquid. Avoid bringing it to a boil.
Step 2
Submerge sueded leather thong lacing in the warm beeswax. You can soak the whole spool or cut the laces into shorter lengths and place them in the hot wax.
Step 3
Ensure the lacing material is completely coated, then take it out of the wax pot.
Step 4
Place the lacing on wax paper to let it cool and harden.
Step 5
Draw the laces through your fingers to soften and warm the wax, which also helps smooth it.
Step 6
Pull them through your fingers a second time while holding a folded piece of wax paper to remove excess wax. This should eliminate most of the flakiness on the laces.
Step 7
If the laces remain flaky or have too much wax, place them between several layers of paper towels and run a warm iron over them. This should remove any remaining wax and flakiness, leaving the laces soft and pliable.
Step 8
Dip a small paintbrush into the melted beeswax and carefully apply it along the edges of any suede fabric or moccasins that may be fraying.
Step 9
Blot away excess wax with paper towels and let the wax dry. Once hardened, run your fingers along the edges to soften and remove any extra wax.
