If you just spilled ink on your white leather sofa, don't panic! Treat it quickly to remove the stain before it spreads. Ink stains on leather can be difficult to remove, but it's nothing you can't master with a little self-cleaning guide or professional help.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Remove Ink Stains with Proven Methods
Step 1. Decide if your leather is plain or layered
Plain leather, being highly absorbent and essentially non-protective, is very difficult to clean without professional help. Drop a drop of water on an object's leather surface. If the water soaks in, the skin is bare and you need professional help. If the water becomes water droplets, then the skin has a protective layer and you can start cleaning it.
Take plain leather straight to a chemical laundrette to remove ink stains. Plain leather is very absorbent and blemishes can be very difficult to remove even with professional help. Trying to use home remedies for bare skin will likely only waste your time and make things more complicated than they need to be
Step 2. Determine the depth of the stain
If the ink stain is fresh and only on the surface of your leather item, start cleaning according to the method below. If the ink stain is old or has soaked into the leather, you may need to have the leather professionally re-colored to remove the stain.
Step 3. Read the care instructions for your leather item, if possible
The manufacturer may recommend a special conditioner or cleaner to remove ink stains. They may also advise against doing something, possibly on the list, that is either not cleaning the leather item or will actively damage it.
Step 4. Clean one such area before applying the method below
Find a small dot on the leather item in a conspicuous area. Using whatever solution you're about to try, rub a little into the leather and check for signs of damage or fading.
What you are doing is not checking that the solution cleans the leather item, what you are checking is a solution that does not damage the leather item. If the solution doesn't work on your leather item, you don't want to add to the damage and make it worse. That's why cleaning just one area is recommended
Step 5. Try gently wiping the leather item with a cloth dampened with a soap-based cleanser
Soap-based cleaners, such as Ivory, are gentler than solution-based cleaners, making soap-based ones better suited for removing stains from leather goods.
How do you separate solution-based cleaners from those that aren't? The packaging should clearly say "solution" or "solution based" if that's the case, so try searching
Step 6. Treat leather goods with ink sticks designed for use with leather goods
Most of the time, when you take your leather goods to a professional cleaner for service, this is what they use to remove stains. While this tool may be expensive, it is only a very small cost compared to what you might pay for authentic leather.
Step 7. Try removing the saddle soap
Saddle soap cleans and protects leather goods, often the leather used in the saddle - hence the name. Saddle soap is usually a combination of a very mild soap and repellants such as glycerin and lanolin, which help rehydrate the skin after cleansing.
If you want to take better care of your leather goods and increase their lifespan, use small quantities of saddle soap on them regularly. The key to healthy skin is proactive care, not reactive treatment
Step 8. Try some leather cleaners and conditioners
Similar to saddle soap, these products help clean the leather item and hydrate it, helping prevent cracking. While the ink stains may be too persistent for some leather goods, try applying leather cleaner and conditioner to see a difference.
What you use to use leather goods cleaners and conditioners matters. You'll probably want something like a non-abrasive, non-abrasive scrub pad instead of a towel pad. A terry pad is good for nurturing, but won't solve the problem if you're trying to get rid of persistent naids
Method 2 of 3: Cleaning Ink Stains with Unproven Home Remedies
Step 1. Use hairspray
Yes, you are not wrong, hairspray. It may not be the prettiest cleaning agent (or it may be, depending on your perspective), but some ink cleaners can be beat. Here's what you can try to remove stains:
- Dip a Q-tip or cotton swab completely in hairspray.
- Quickly take the Q-tip and clean the dirty spot.
- Apply leather cleaner and conditioner on the dirty spot afterwards. Since hairspray can dry out the leather, causing the leather to start cracking, it's important to treat the leather item after using this method.
- Repeat until the ink stain is gone.
Step 2. Try using isopropyl (scouring) alcohol
70% isopropyl alcohol has worked for some leather goods owners in the past, although it may not be the preferred method. Dampen a Q-tip or cotton swab with a small amount of rubbing alcohol before rubbing it on the stained leather item. Since leather is also a drying agent, be sure to pair this approach with leather cleaner and conditioner afterwards. Repeat if necessary.
Step 3. Attack the stain with a magic eraser. Wet the tip of the magic eraser and then rub on the stain. Magic erasers contain an ingredient called melamine foam, which helps remove tough stains. Finish the routine by applying leather conditioner to the spot with a clean towel.
Step 4. Use a nail polish remover - one that is not acetone based
Some people have had success removing ink stains with the help of stiff paint cleaners that are not acetone based. Dip a small amount in the Q-Tip, rub the Q-tip into the stain, and finish with a leather cleaner and conditioner to keep the leather from drying out unnecessarily.
Method 3 of 3: Preventing Ink Stains on Leather Items
Step 1. Treat your leather goods regularly with quality protective products, such as leather conditioner
Leather conditioner helps hydrate your leather, making it less prone to cracking. Some leather conditioners even peek at the ability to form a layer on top of the leather that keeps stains - ink and more - from adhering to leather for too long.
Step 2. Take good care of your leather goods
There are many things you can do to better care for your leather goods, apart from providing a good conditioner every now and then. Because in the end, well-maintained leather goods are cleaner leather goods. And a clean leather item is one you're less likely to spill ink on.
Tips
- Always test your cleaner on a hidden spot before using it to remove ink stains on leather goods.
- Most leather cleaners will not remove the ink unless you regularly apply a leather guard to the item.
Warning
- Do not scrub with your leather scrubber to remove the ink, as the scrub can remove the finished tint.
- Do not try to remove ink from unfinished leather as your efforts will most likely leave an oily residue.
- Do not use hairspray, nail varnish, baby wipes, milk, toothpaste, magic eraser or silicone polish to clean leather items. This will only make matters worse by removing the finished hue.
