my son has drawn on my cream leather sofa in blue pen, how can i remove it???

Question

my 6yr old has drawn on my cream leather sofa in blue ball point pen & its proving very difficult to remove, when he done it i was not to worried about removing it as i did not think it would be a problem, has anyone got any ideas, ive tried just about everything.

Answer 1

Have you tried a q-tip with rubbing alcohol on it?

Answer 2

This really depends on what type of leather it is.

If it is on a pigmented leather then the first thing you should try is an ink stick. The fresher the ink the more chance you have of removing it. It is a good idea to have one in your house if you have a pale leather and children!!!!

You should also be using a good quality leather protector on a pale suite. This will act like a 'scotchgard' and will make any more mishaps easier to clean off.
If an ink stick doesn't work a solvent based remover will need to be used and it may also remove finish and pigment so is best left to the experts.

Hairspray sometimes works but can also make the matter far worse as it can spread the ink over a bigger area. Nail varnish remover or any other solvents will remove the finish and pigment which will need replacing.

DO NOT USE Baby wipes as they are about the worst thing you can use on a leather as they break down the finish and will eventually ruin it.

Please do not try milk it is a silly idea that this will work and will leave sticky residues on the surface which will help to break down the finish

If the ink is on an aniline style, there is nothing that will remove it because the ink will have re-dyed the leather. It may dissipate over time with cleaning and protecting.

Old ink will be harder to remove than new ink and may mean resorting to solvents which will also remove the finish. This is probably best left to the experts.

Silicones are the worst thing to use as they will form a coating on the surface of the leather which will not allow any moisture to get to the leather and will eventually break all the finish down and make it crack. Leather needs water and should not be protected against it.

Source(s):
www.LTTsolutions.net
Leather care consultants to the furniture and cleaning industries

Answer 3

You can try using some rubbing alcohol on a cotton cloth or cotton ball, it does remove ball point pen ink but try it in a place that won't show first---I don't know if it will remove the color of the leather; you can also try WD-40, do the same with testing it first.

There are some leather cleaners available in the larger stores as well as something called goo gone that might work.

Some of my friends swear by using cheap hair spray & then washing with laundry but that's for shirts.

Here is a website with all sorts of leather stain removal info and tips and some products listed just in case you don't find an answer on the boards.

Answer 4

hi
spray hair spray on a cloth then before it drys rub the offending marks it, this will take a couple of goes but it will bring the Biro marks off when this is done rub some leather
cream on and this will feed the leather and not dry the leather
as any alcohol based liquid will dry the leather and cause it crack in time if not treated with the leather cream, i hope this works we had the same problem with our grand children the little b*ggars

Answer 5

What exactly is proving difficult to remove?
Your 6yr old? Generally at this age they put up a good but very weak fight - aim for the nearest door while grabbing hold of his/her ear.
The ball point pen? Preumably you stuck this in your 6yr old's eye after finding he/she had drawn on your sofa. Try some pliers or the local A&E department.
The sofa? Light colours & children dont mix. Chop it up & hire a skip. Try using cardboard boxes instead. You wont be annoyed when your child draws on one & it is easy to steal a replacment off a homeless person in your local park when your's is looking tired & you have visitors for dinner.

Answer 6

rubbing alcohol! Go get some asap, it's cheap and will get ink off of everything. My son did the same thing to my leather couches. You can't tell where it was, it's long gone. I used a clean white wash cloth that I dampened with the alcohol and it ALL came right off. Good luck, now go get the alcohol!

Answer 7

This very problem was featured on "How clean is your house". They used hairspray. Spray onto biro and rub with a clean cloth. Off came mark. Try it on the back of the sofa first to test for colour fastness.

Answer 8

Good Morning from sunny Spain, Well Maria Methylated Spirits will remove ink as well as grass stains, use cotton wool and rub gently might take a few times but it will come out , then rinse with cold water, and use a small about of your own washing up liquid to wash rinse again and dry well

Answer 9

You're gonna think it doesnt work but trust me it does. Put a hot towel on the stain then get a foam cleanser thats supposed to clean glass but trust me it wont harm leather and it'll take the stain right out. IF that doesnt work try buying those leather cleansers at a store. Goodluck! =]]

Answer 10

White Spirit. Put a little on a coth and wipe it over the stain. Dap lightly on the leather though it depends on the leather as it is a delicate material.

Answer 11

By using 'Amway leather & vinyl cleaner' on that area where stain of blue ball point pen is there, according procedure given on that product.