how do you remove an ink stain from leather?

Question

Have a ball point ink stain on light colored leather seat of my car, how do I get that stain out?

Answer 1

If it is on a pigmented leather (which yours will be) 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 your 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.

Using hairspray is very risky ait but can make the matter far worse as it can spread the ink over a bigger area (especially on an aniline style leather) and can sometimes then be impossible to fix.
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 or toothpaset these are silly ideas that will leave sticky residues on the surface which will help to break down the finish on your leather.

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/furniture polish are the worst thing to use on leather 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.

Leather does not need conditioning it needs cleaning and protecting on a regular basis with water based products this will keep it rehydrated and supple. Oils will make things much worse.

Leather should be cleaned gently not scrubbed so 'elbow grease' will only do damage to the finish.


Nail Varnish remover/solvents will remove the finish on the leather even if you cannot tell it is doing so and alcohol may do the same depending on the strength of the finish on the leather.

Hide food will not remove ink and will leave residues on the leather which will attract dirt and oils.

Source(s):

http://www.LTTsolutions.net
Leather care consultnts to the furniture and cleaning industries

Answer 2

I've had very good luck with a product called Hide Food. The cleaner works very well on just about anything and the conditioner is far superior to any leather conditioner I've ever used. The stuff is expensive but well worth it in my opinion. It's available through Moss Motors and various other foreign car suppliers.

Answer 3

Try rubbing alcohol, the kind you buy at the drug store. Soak and rub, soak and rub, rinse with water. It may take a few cycles but isopropyl alcohol usually does a good job on ink. Another option is nail polish remover. This is acetone and does a great job dissolving ink.

Answer 4

there is this leather cleaner called blue magic that take stuff like that right out

Answer 5

try rubbing gently with toothpaste on a cloth or vinegar