Ink pen on leather?
- Thread starter Logan2224
- Start date
judyb
New member
Ink Removal from Leather
Removing ink from leather is not a cleaning problem.
Most ink removal products will not work simply because of the length of time the ink has been on the leather.
Ink is a dye and has re-coloured the leather (this is what it is meant to do)
The longer the ink has been on the leather the harder it is to remove because it soaks into the finish. Once it has soaked into the finish you have to use very strong products to remove it, which will also remove finish and pigment which then need replacing.
Pigment/Protected leather
If the ink 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 if you have pale leather and children!!!!
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
If an ink stick doesn't work the only other step you can try yourself is Alcohol Cleaner (not rubbing alcohol) which is the next step a technician would use after this a solvent based remover will need to be used and it may also remove finish and pigment so again is best left to the experts.
You should also be using a quality Leather Protector on your leather. This will act like a 'scotchgard' and will make any more mishaps easier to clean off.
You will see many people recommending household products to remove ink – this is not recommended as most simply will not work, some may appear to work but the damage they cause can make a much bigger problem which is then un-repairable (even by a technician)
DO NOT USE THE FOLLOWING:
Hairspray - This is very risky as it can make the matter far worse by spreading the ink over a bigger area and can sometimes then be impossible to fix.
Nail Varnish remover/solvents will remove the finish on the leather even if you cannot tell it is doing so and this will then need replacing, and alcohol may do the same depending on the strength of the finish on the leather.
Baby wipes – just about the worst thing you can use on a leather as they break down the finish and will eventually ruin it.
Milk or Toothpaste - these are just silly ideas that will leave sticky residues on the surface which will help to break down the finish on your leather.
Silicones/furniture polish – should not be used on leather. They will form a coating on the surface of the leather which will not allow any moisture to get to the leather itself and will eventually break all the finish down and cause it to crack.
Hide food will not remove ink and will leave residues on the leather which will attract dirt and oils.
Most leather cleaners will not remove ink unless a very good leather protector has been used on a regular basis.
Aniline Style Leather
As aniline style leathers are largely absorbent it means that the ink will have soaked straight into the leather itself. This makes it impossible to remove. No product will successfully remove the ink.
DO NOT try ink removing products on aniline style leathers as most will leave a greasy residue which will then cause another problem.
Because aniline style leathers are absorbent the ink will carry on moving through the leather and may become less obvious over time. Cleaning and protecting will also help to dissipate the ink.
Hope this helps
Removing ink from leather is not a cleaning problem.
Most ink removal products will not work simply because of the length of time the ink has been on the leather.
Ink is a dye and has re-coloured the leather (this is what it is meant to do)
The longer the ink has been on the leather the harder it is to remove because it soaks into the finish. Once it has soaked into the finish you have to use very strong products to remove it, which will also remove finish and pigment which then need replacing.
Pigment/Protected leather
If the ink 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 if you have pale leather and children!!!!
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
If an ink stick doesn't work the only other step you can try yourself is Alcohol Cleaner (not rubbing alcohol) which is the next step a technician would use after this a solvent based remover will need to be used and it may also remove finish and pigment so again is best left to the experts.
You should also be using a quality Leather Protector on your leather. This will act like a 'scotchgard' and will make any more mishaps easier to clean off.
You will see many people recommending household products to remove ink – this is not recommended as most simply will not work, some may appear to work but the damage they cause can make a much bigger problem which is then un-repairable (even by a technician)
DO NOT USE THE FOLLOWING:
Hairspray - This is very risky as it can make the matter far worse by spreading the ink over a bigger area and can sometimes then be impossible to fix.
Nail Varnish remover/solvents will remove the finish on the leather even if you cannot tell it is doing so and this will then need replacing, and alcohol may do the same depending on the strength of the finish on the leather.
Baby wipes – just about the worst thing you can use on a leather as they break down the finish and will eventually ruin it.
Milk or Toothpaste - these are just silly ideas that will leave sticky residues on the surface which will help to break down the finish on your leather.
Silicones/furniture polish – should not be used on leather. They will form a coating on the surface of the leather which will not allow any moisture to get to the leather itself and will eventually break all the finish down and cause it to crack.
Hide food will not remove ink and will leave residues on the leather which will attract dirt and oils.
Most leather cleaners will not remove ink unless a very good leather protector has been used on a regular basis.
Aniline Style Leather
As aniline style leathers are largely absorbent it means that the ink will have soaked straight into the leather itself. This makes it impossible to remove. No product will successfully remove the ink.
DO NOT try ink removing products on aniline style leathers as most will leave a greasy residue which will then cause another problem.
Because aniline style leathers are absorbent the ink will carry on moving through the leather and may become less obvious over time. Cleaning and protecting will also help to dissipate the ink.
Hope this helps
rheostaticsfan
New member
I also belong to a purse forum. Women with very high end leather bags use Mr Clean Magic Erasers and some leather cleaner (Apple seems to be a popular brand).
Go as easy as you can with the Magic Eraser because they are abrasive. Be sure to nourish the leather after you've abused it with the cleaners/abrasive.
I can verify that this works: on a bright orange purse that was set down on a black real estate flyer, the magic eraser took the black right off when no cleaning product seemed to touch it. The purse looks like new.
On my XTrail with charcoal (dark grey) leather interior I had a friend sit down with white paint on her pants. I had a few detail shops tell me it would not be possible to remove. After 2 years I got tired of looking at it and used a Magic Eraser and dilute simple green to remove it. (I did this just last week). The white paint came off...with some scrubbing. I treated with the product my leather living room furniture manufacturer suggested. I wouldn't say it is perfect....I had to scrub very hard. All the white paint came off. The leather is still dark grey, but some of the texture/grain of the leather seems to have been worn smooth.
Anyhow, Magic Eraser works but is hard on the leather. Maybe try a high end leather cleaner such as leatherique before resorting to abrasive cleaning methods?
Go as easy as you can with the Magic Eraser because they are abrasive. Be sure to nourish the leather after you've abused it with the cleaners/abrasive.
I can verify that this works: on a bright orange purse that was set down on a black real estate flyer, the magic eraser took the black right off when no cleaning product seemed to touch it. The purse looks like new.
On my XTrail with charcoal (dark grey) leather interior I had a friend sit down with white paint on her pants. I had a few detail shops tell me it would not be possible to remove. After 2 years I got tired of looking at it and used a Magic Eraser and dilute simple green to remove it. (I did this just last week). The white paint came off...with some scrubbing. I treated with the product my leather living room furniture manufacturer suggested. I wouldn't say it is perfect....I had to scrub very hard. All the white paint came off. The leather is still dark grey, but some of the texture/grain of the leather seems to have been worn smooth.
Anyhow, Magic Eraser works but is hard on the leather. Maybe try a high end leather cleaner such as leatherique before resorting to abrasive cleaning methods?
judyb
New member
Please do not use a Magic Eraser on your leather. The tests have been done and even if you cannot see with the naked eye it works by removing the top layer of the finish. If this is then not replaced that area will be far more vulnerable to dirt and will deteriorate quicker. Applying a 'conditioner' will not replace the finish. Scrubbing very hard is also very damaging to the finish on the leather. If things cannot be removed with 'cleaning' products then the problem is not a cleaning one but requires technical products to fix it.