The poison oak, it burns.

November 26, 2007 1:59 PM

How can I clean lingering poison oak/urushiol residue off of my Timberland boots without damaging the suede?

I know they sell leather/suede cleaner and stuff, but I'm more concerned about killing the evil poison once and for all.

posted by mudpuppie to clothing, beauty, & fashion (5 comments total)

I use fels naptha soap for all my poison oak needs, but on suede I would use pure deodorized mineral spirits,blot it on with a sponge or spray bottle, and then wait for it to dry.
posted by hortense at 2:46 PM on November 26, 2007

My wife uses a product called Tecnu, it looks like they say it's safe for leather, but I'm not sure about suede.

Tecnu is designed to destroy or wash away urushiol.
posted by bottlebrushtree at 6:36 PM on November 26, 2007

My anecodtal evidence suggests alcohol or dish soap as effective at removing poison-oak oils. I do not know what those will do to suede. Test patch?
posted by agentofselection at 6:58 PM on November 26, 2007

The active ingredient in Tecnu is mineral spirit.
posted by hortense at 7:11 PM on November 26, 2007

I use tecnu on Vasque suede hiking boots, and it works fine. Occasionally I restore the suede with a suede brush afterwards.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 6:23 AM on November 27, 2007