Dye out of leather?

T

TheOther1

New member
Hi all!



I looked around, but did not find anything specific on the forums. I have a Pathfinder with tan leather interior. The dye has transfered from a pair of new black jeans to the seats and armrest. :eek:

Any recommendations to get the dye out of the leather? I have not tried anything yet for fear of setting it permanently.



:tumblewee





Update:

I used some Meguiars Gold Class Rich Leather Spray on the seat. Some buffing with a soft terry cloth and the dye started lifting. I tried a very soft toothbrush and even more came out. Eventually I had done the entire seat, but it is still decidedly darker than it was when new and in some grooves and in the thread, it is grey instead of tan. I think if I keep at it, the leather will clean up nicely, but I doubt the stitching ever will... :help:
 
Wow, the amount of help and the sheer number of suggestions I have received here is underwhelming! Thanks everyone!

/sarcasm
 
I was kinda hoping you'd get more of a response, too. There's a few interior gurus around here....There's also a few leather pros, too.



And I think that alot of us (OK, count me among them) have had exactly this same thing (dye transfer from jeans to leather) happen. I haven't even attempted to fix mine.
 
I am no leather specialist by any means, but in my experience leather requires a bit of elbow grease to get the kind of results you want. Most people think a quick wipe with APC or leather conditioner is enough and that's insufficient in most cases.



Keep working at it...:)



Leather cleaner alternatives...



Woolite diluted 10:1 with water, preferably distilled or filtered.

APC. I like the Zep Citrus Degreaser (mild version) sold by Home Depot.



I also like to use a brush to get stains out. If you can do without a brush on the seat you're in luck but if not, don't hesitate. On the stitchings, you will definitely need a toothbrush or similar.
 
Dye transfer is a tricky thing. Basically you have redyed the leather and the longer it sits on the surface the harder it will be to remove as it soaks deeper into the finish on the leather.

Regular cleaners such as those you have used will generally clean off whatever is sitting on the surface but you would need much stronger detergent cleaners to try to resolve the whole problem.



Once all 'cleaning' processes have been used if the dye still remains then the only way forward is to recolour the seat which can be done very successfully.



Dye transfer is a common problem on pale leathers but the problem can be stopped by using a quality leather protector (NOT a 'conditioner') and a regular maintenance clean. The dye will sit on the protector and then when regular cleaning is done will be simply cleaned off the surface.



Hope this helps
 
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