How to remove pen ink from leather!!!!

How to remove pen ink from leather!!!!

Author
Discussion

mollytherocker

Original Poster:

14,366 posts

209 months

Sunday 10th March 2013
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I have somehow managed to get blue pen ink on my marble (Nearly white) leather seats!

Whats the safest way of removing it?

Oh and some advice for you all, DONT LEAVE PENS IN YOUR COAT POCKETS!!! banghead

belleair302

6,842 posts

207 months

Sunday 10th March 2013
quotequote all
Are we talking about fountain pen ink? If so it won't be coming out. You are going to have to get your leather re treated and sprayed. Not expensive as such but a pain in the ......

mollytherocker

Original Poster:

14,366 posts

209 months

Sunday 10th March 2013
quotequote all
belleair302 said:
Are we talking about fountain pen ink? If so it won't be coming out. You are going to have to get your leather re treated and sprayed. Not expensive as such but a pain in the ......
No it's from a cheap blue biro.

iandc

3,713 posts

206 months

Sunday 10th March 2013
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I got blue biro out of a cream settee using methylated spirit. Be very careful to use sparingly (e.g. on a cotton bud) as if you press too hard it can remove the colour

BliarOut

72,857 posts

239 months

Sunday 10th March 2013
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Baby wipes? (test on an inconspicuous area first)

OldSkoolRS

6,746 posts

179 months

Sunday 10th March 2013
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The OH used hairspray once to remove a similar pen mark, but definitely test first on an inconspicuous area as above.

mollytherocker

Original Poster:

14,366 posts

209 months

Sunday 10th March 2013
quotequote all
Thanks guys, gonna try the baby wipes first as they will be the most gentle I guess.

Then getting the meths out!!!

I mean, how hard can it be? biggrin

belleair302

6,842 posts

207 months

Sunday 10th March 2013
quotequote all
Are we talking about the nib drawing a line on your leather or the ink leaking to form a circle or shape? If it is the former it is easier to remove, if the latter it will require more work.

Not a fan of nail varnish, or baby wipes. Leather today is treated and sealed as such. by removing the top layer of protection you will cause many more issues to the 'skin' or leather underneath. That is why leather conditioners today are nothing more than snake skin oil....to fool the masses. Would love a picture.

mollytherocker

Original Poster:

14,366 posts

209 months

Sunday 10th March 2013
quotequote all
belleair302 said:
Are we talking about the nib drawing a line on your leather or the ink leaking to form a circle or shape? If it is the former it is easier to remove, if the latter it will require more work.

Not a fan of nail varnish, or baby wipes. Leather today is treated and sealed as such. by removing the top layer of protection you will cause many more issues to the 'skin' or leather underneath. That is why leather conditioners today are nothing more than snake skin oil....to fool the masses. Would love a picture.
It's ink leaked out of a pen which has formed some shapes and smears. I could get a pic up to tomorrow if it helps.

belleair302

6,842 posts

207 months

Monday 11th March 2013
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No that description is fine, no worries. I would look to LTT Solutions for their best Auto Ultra kit. Or one of their dye pens. They make great leather cleaning and protection products.

Xtremescoobys

123 posts

134 months

Monday 11th March 2013
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Try using some TFR and a soft toothbrush spray onto a cloth dab spot quick scrub should come straight out. Whatever you use you are going to end up with a lighter patch where the dirt is gone so spray some more on cloth and quick wipe over panel. then fresh cloth with water on then dry. You MUST treat the leather after or it will be stripped of its natural oils so Autoglym leather cleaner it.
Hope this helps!

honestjohntoo

576 posts

216 months

Monday 11th March 2013
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I googled this

"how to remove blue ink from leather car seat"

and got this

http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Leather_Ink_Remov...

from 570000 results! smile

Gotta be worth a shot?

Ramon
see www.vintagemodelairplane.com for loadsa RV8 and Efi stuff

judyb

21 posts

195 months

Wednesday 5th June 2013
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Please be careful what you use for removing ink on leather. Using the wrong product may damage the finish on the leather and may not remove the ink.

It is crucial to know the type of leather you have before you try to remove ink from leather as some cleaners (particularly household cleaners ) etc can damage certain types of finish. Many leathers are not finished with a heavy top coat and can be much easier to damage if the wrong product is used. On your car interior you are most likely to be dealing with a Protected or Pigment Coated leather.

Removing ink stains 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 stain is on a pigmented leather then the first thing you should try is an Ink Removing Gel specifically formulated for leather. (do not use household cleaners like Goo Gone or Krud Kutter which may damage some leather finishes permanently). 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 pale leather and children!!!!

Old ink stains will be harder to remove than a new ink stain 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 a solvent based remover will need to be used and it may also remove finish and pigment so is best left to the experts.

You should also be using a very good quality leather protect 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 unrepairable (even by a technician).

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.

DO NOT USE THE FOLLOWING ON INK STAINS:
Household cleaners that have not been professionally tested on leather as these are very likely to damage the finish on the leather and will make it much more costly to fix.
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. Usually contains alcohol.
Nail Varnish remover/solvents (acetone) - 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.
Magic Erasers - these only remove the ink by removing the finish on the leather which will then be expensive to fix.
Saddle soap is far too harsh to use on the delicate finishes used in jackets and should remain strictly for saddles

Please be wary of DIY products that 'guarantee' to remove the ink as the only way these can work is by damaging the finish on the leather

Most leather cleaners will not remove ink unless a very good leather protector has been used on a regular basis!!.

Hope this helps
Judyb
Professional leather care consultant to the cleaning and leather industries

cambsbikerguy

9 posts

132 months

Wednesday 3rd July 2013
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judyb said:
Hope this helps
Judyb
Professional leather care consultant to the cleaning and leather industries
Hi Judy, would you mind if I pm'd you to pick your brains on this a bit more?

Thanks

John