Leather stained by Leather

T

travelinclass

New member
I have an ‘08 Eddie Bauer Expedition with the Camel leather seats. It's four months old. I noticed my black leather belt was leaving a dark discolored area on the seat back. I immediately removed the belt, now I can't remove the discoloration. The Owner's Manual says my leather seating surfaces have a clear, protective coating over the leather. They say not to use household cleaning products, alcohol solutions, solvents or cleaners intended for rubber, vinyl and plastics, or oil/petroleum-based leather conditioners because these products may cause premature wearing of the clear, protective coating. Ford recommends Motorcraft Deluxe Leather and Vinyl Cleaner (ZC-11-A).



I've tried soap and water, Meguiar's Quick Interior Detailer Wipes (stopped when I read they contain Isopropyl Alcohol), and LEXOL-pH. None of that would touch the discoloration. I've ordered and will try the Motorcraft Deluxe Leather and Vinyl Cleaner, but wondered if anyone else has already seen this problem and had success with restoring the seat to original.



Or do you think it's a warranty issue?
 
Are you sure the belt rubbed off onto the seat and not just rubbed the seat itself past the point of no return?

One thing you can do is use a color matched dye.
 
The stain appears to be on the surface of the leather. It dosn't go into the little nooks and crannys. I thought the same thing, that maybe I went too far with cleaning and rubbed right through the dye or the top surface. I've been reading on other forums that this has been happening to the tan colored leather, even in a BMW. People wearing black leather jackets are also reporting it. One guy said he already tried the warranty thing but the dealer said no. I'm thinking of course they'll say no.
 
I'd get a dye and just spray it. It'll look new again and if you get the right dye you won't even be able to tell.
 
i had an 02 super crew with a tan leather interior that did the same thing. wish i could remember what i used to get it out, sorry:cry:. yes, i tried everything under the sun at first. the good news is that it did come out.
 
You might try a magic eraser. They're truly magic. If that doesn't work, bring it to a local detail shop that has a steamer. Steam cleaning should take it out. It's also the perfect time to have the leather conditioned after steaming, as it opens all the pores of the leather.







John
 
Magic erasers should not be used on leather - the work by removing a very fine layer of the finish on the leather so this will eventually break it down. Removing dye transfer this way will almost certainly destroy the finish which will need replacing.

If dye transfer cannot be removed by a strong detergent cleaner then the problem is not a cleaning one. Dyes can be fairly aggressive and keep moving into the finsih on the leather. The longer they are on the leather the deeper they travel and the harder they are to remove. Stronger solvents may be needed and then recolouring/refinishing will be required so if you are not accustomed to this work it is best left to a qualified technician.



Steam cleaning will not be any more effective than normal cleaning and there is no way it can open up the pores on a leather that has a 'painted' coating on it. Conditioning is unnecessary other than with moisture. Remember you are dealing with the finished coating on the leather and not with the leather itself.
 
judyb said:
Magic erasers should not be used on leather - the work by removing a very fine layer of the finish on the leather so this will eventually break it down. Removing dye transfer this way will almost certainly destroy the finish which will need replacing.

If dye transfer cannot be removed by a strong detergent cleaner then the problem is not a cleaning one. Dyes can be fairly aggressive and keep moving into the finsih on the leather. The longer they are on the leather the deeper they travel and the harder they are to remove. Stronger solvents may be needed and then recolouring/refinishing will be required so if you are not accustomed to this work it is best left to a qualified technician.



Steam cleaning will not be any more effective than normal cleaning and there is no way it can open up the pores on a leather that has a 'painted' coating on it. Conditioning is unnecessary other than with moisture. Remember you are dealing with the finished coating on the leather and not with the leather itself.
Click to expand...



If it's a Ford, it probably isn't real leather.
 
judy,



i recently ran into a similar problem with a new leather jacket that got wet and transfer some brown leather onto my white lexus seats.



I bought your strong cleaner and it barely made a difference.



What would suggest in that case?
 
JohnKleven said:
If it's a Ford, it probably isn't real leather.
Click to expand...





The fronts of the first two rowa of Ford seats are real leather. The sides, and the backs are a composite. The 3rd row of expeditions are full composite.



The ONLY Ford trucks that are full leather is the King Ranch.
 
Yeah real leather in the problem the OP is describing. You can try using a magic eraser and it might work, but if you have to scrub much you'll then have to replace a clear satin topcoat finish for leather (may not be available locally). If you start using the magic eraser and it's not getting the dye transfer out, then stop because continued scrubbing will most likely cut into the paint. That of course is not the worst thing in the world if you end up getting the seat dyed anyway.
 
Paco

Strong Cleaner is a regular standard strength cleaner. On dye transfer you would need to use Maxi Cleaner which is specifically formulated for this job
 
Hi Judy,



I ended up getting the AutoUltra 150 Ultra Maintain, AutoUltra 150 Ultra Protect and something in a pump foam bottle (the bottle leaked in transit and the writing is gone (looks tie dyed i.e. 70s like)).



Looking the site, the bottle and label size looks like Auto Ulta 150 Ultra Foam. Is the same bottle for the maxi and strong cleaner?



I really can't remember if i got Maxi Cleaner or Strong Cleaner now.. is there any way i could tell by looking at the bottle? Can you check internally for a shipment to Canada, Mississauga a few weeks back.



If it isn't Maxi, i'll order it up ASAP.



Paco
 
I'd give Leather Master cleaner a try or even a 1:6 mixture of Woolite. If this doesn't remove the color transfer give it a week and retry. I'd avoid any stronger cleaners or abrasive products as they likely will damage the leather coating.



I would not be surprised if the leather stains are imbedded into the topcoat of your seats. Some times you just have to bite the bullet and call these stains "character" marks. Leather Masters protectant is a good way to help prevent your coated leathers from taking on these stains. I'd also be wary of bluejean stains so maybe change your clothing habits to khakies w/ canvas belts.
 
Hi Jim,



The stain is more then just character like. Freaking new jacket and 1st snow fall of the year ;-(



I was going to order some LM but figured i'd go for the best first, then work my way down to LM then if all else fails, a very dilute magic eraser mix down to full strength magic eraser. If i damage the seat, i'll just order a new skin from Lexus before the other seats fade any so they all look alike. I'd like to avoid that if possible though.



Paco
 
Hi Judy,



I received the Maxi and applied it using a sponge. It didn't really make a dent into the stain/transfer. I applied at least 10-20 coats of it and it lifted just a very small amount of the transfer. I also used it on a small amount of jean transfer on the outer most bolster on the passenger side and it didn't really do much for that either.



I found the Maxi to be a very very minor bit stronger in cleaning then the Ultra cleaner. I was expecting it to be industrial strenght.



I wish there was an industrial strength cleaner for avid detailers how are not your everyday consumer and will use the product with care and caution and assume responsibility for the any outcome.



Everyone,

I ended up using a Magic Eraser (soaked, then squeezed dry and basically dry buffed) and that helped. Still quite a bit of stain their so i'll be attempting it again on Monday.



My theory on the Magic Eraser.. since the commercial brand leather cleaners were no where strong enough. It was basically find someone to redye the seat, purchase a new skin from Lexus or try the Magic Eraser and see if it helps. In the end, the Magic eraser can't be any worse then those other options if those are the only options other then living with it.. which isn't really an option.



After using it, i would definitely say it's not a good every day cleaner as it's too strong for that but if you have a serious stain and you are careful and understand you might be removing some of the top coat of the leather, it's an option to consider.



As with any "polish" step, I'll be using protecting the polished Leather, in this case with Ultra Protect after i'm satisfied i got it as clean as possible. I'll probably apply 3 thin coats over the period of a 2weeks to ensure i got a good protection amount on the leather and be a lot more diligant with my seat in particular due to potential damage the eraser may have caused.



Paco
 
My Mom did the same thing to the leather seat in her Buick,05. This is fairly good leather. I tried alot of products that did not work. It appeared to have dyed the gray seat black. My last try was a Magic Eraser with a dab of Megs apc. I rubbed gentley and I noticed it started to move. I carefully removed all the discoloration and applyed some Leatherique. It looks great even now, 4 years later.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top