how do i get ink off of a leather purse?

Question

my friend accidentally got a black ball point pen mark on her purse. she has a tan leather purse and the pen left about a 2 inch black mark. any suggestions??

Answer 1

This depends on what type of leather you have.

If the ink is on a pigmented leather (one with a finished surface) then the first thing you should try is an LTT ink stick (these are professional products used in the industry). The fresher the ink the more chance you have of removing it.

You need to establish what type of leather you have as ink sticks should not be used on aniline style leather. (see below)

You should also be using a good quality leather protector on your leather. 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/WD40 and all these other solvent cleaners is very risky as it can make the matter far worse as it can spread the ink over a bigger area and can sometimes then be impossible to fix.
Using alcohol can also be a little risky depending on how stable the finish is. If the finish is unstable this would remove pigment form the leather.
Nail varnish remover or any other solvents will also 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.

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

If your ink is on an aniline leather (one that is absorbent and mark easily) then you should not use an ink stick and it is highly unlikely that anything else will remove the ink as it will have re dyed the leather. It may fade over time. Best to leave this one to the experts.


Good Luck

Source(s):

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

Answer 2

buy a new 1 or wash off