How To Get Water Stains Out Of Leather

A new leather sofa or handbag—and so beautiful. Or possibly it'due south the car you've had for a long fourth dimension—the one with leather upholstery that nonetheless looks fantastic because you've babied and protected it against spills and stains. Somehow, through the grade of life, that beautiful leather gets striking with an ink stain. Oh, the heartbreak!

An object in his hand

Here's what happened to Dana, who recently wrote:

While working, I placed an ink pen in the back pocket of my jeans. After, I realized the pen was non there, only locate it in the seat of my car. Manifestly it had slipped out of my pocket and wrote on the leather seats—blue ink on tan leather. Non a pretty sight, especially because I accept no kids to blame it on!

Leather can exist tricky because at that place are so many variables. Is the leather finished or unfinished? Is the ink stain fresh or has it been at that place for a long time? What kind of ink is it—ballpoint, Sharpie®, gel?

Because of the variables, there are a number of remedies, all of which practice piece of work to remove ink stains from leather in certain situations. You may have to make multiple attempts until you observe ane that works for your particular leather and situation.

Go through the steps below until you hitting on the i that works for your specific ink-on-leather challenge.

For certain, your chances for success volition be greater the fresher that ink stain is. Once the ink has penetrated the surface and had fourth dimension to dry, cure, and even get "baked" by the sunday into the car'due south upholstery, the more difficult the challenge will be.

Test the leather

You need to determine if information technology is "naked" or finished. Suede, for example, is naked—unfinished. Finished leather will have a polish or pebbled finish. To discover what blazon you are dealing with, put a drop of water on the leather. If it beads up, that leather has been finished and so y'all tin can begin cleaning. If it soaks in immediately, it is unfinished. Do not effort to treat a stain on naked leather. Call a professional person.

Test the remedy

Discover an camouflaged place similar under a seat cushion or in a seam; on the bottom of the bag or an within pocket where yous tin test each treatment before taking it to the stain itself. You want to run into how the production interacts with the leather. Does it remove the colour? Exit a calorie-free spot? Allow it to dry fully then make up one's mind if the upshot would be better than the stain.

Start simple

In keeping with the "First, do no harm," principle, start with the simplest, to the lowest degree invasive remedy first, then move through the list until you notice which one works for your specific state of affairs.

Lather

Try wiping the stain gently with a lather-based cleaner like Blueish Dawn, Ivory lather, or Dr. Bonner's pure castile soap. If the stain on finished leather is fresh and hasn't soaked in, soap or Blue Dawn may exist the easiest and least harsh remedy.

Amodex

If y'all can perchance become your easily on a bottle of non-toxic, Amodex Ink and Stain Remover, it may be the miracle you're looking for. removes all kinds of stains including ink from all kinds of surfaces. May require multiple treatments with Amodex if the ink stain is onetime or peculiarly stubborn! I keep a tiny bottle of Amodex in my handbag and another in the laundry room.

Hairspray

If the lather has failed and y'all have no Amodex handy, catch a can of actually cheap hairspray, which will accept a high concentration of acetone. The cheaper, the better to work against that ink stain. Saturate a cotton swab with hairspray and then work on the stain with it, rather than spraying the surface area. You may need to follow with a soft castor similar an old toothbrush.

On a personal note, I was ready to walk on stage to speak at a large convention many years ago, wearing a pale bluish wool blazer. I didn't realize the Sharpie pen handed to me did non accept a lid attached and you guessed it—somehow I laid a large black permanent-ink mark right beyond the lapel.

Fortunately, someone had a can of hairspray handy. I sprayed it liberally (how could it go any worse, right?) and information technology was astonishing. That ink dissolved and really disappeared by the fourth dimension I reached the podium. That ink stain was very fresh which helped considerably, but it was also permanent ink! I promise you accept every bit good luck with your ink stains. Merely if not, keep going.

Acetone

A canteen of straight acetone, if you have that available, may piece of work meliorate than the hairspray to make ink disappear because of the greater concentration. Y'all can observe acetone in craft and home improvement stores, usually shelved with glues and adhesives. Look for it in drugstores and large supermarkets, most likely located with nail polish removers.

Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol

Rubbing booze is dissimilar from acetone, so if the acetone or hairspray didn't accept care of the problem, perhaps rubbing alcohol will. Apply with a cotton swab, as above.

Blast smoothen remover

At this point, try a non-acetone remover kickoff. I don't know why, but often it will remove the ink when acetone will not. If you get a negative consequence, move to acetone fingernail polish remover. Yes, cotton swab. And always test in an inconspicuous identify, first. Always.

RELATED: Hydrogen Peroxide to Remove Stains

Magic Eraser

One of those magic cleaning erasers (Mr. Make clean is ane brand) has been known to erase ink stains from leather—not always, only in some circumstances. Magic erasers comprise a material called melamine foam, which helps remove catchy stains. To use, follow the label instructions.

Status

Once you have removed the ink stain, allow the area to dry fully then treat it with a good leather conditioner to rehydrate and protect the leather against future stains. I'1000 a big fan of Kevian Leather Cleaner and Conditioner. I find that Kevian builds a protective coating on the leather that keeps it from slap-up just also creates a bulwark against hereafter stains. Love the stuff.

Sure do hope this helps!

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