You want to see how the product interacts with the leather. Test the remedyįind an inconspicuous place like under a seat cushion or in a seam on the bottom of the purse or an inside pocket where you can test each treatment before taking it to the stain itself. Do not attempt to treat a stain on naked leather. If it soaks in immediately, it is unfinished. If it beads up, that leather has been finished so you can begin cleaning. To discover what type you are dealing with, put a drop of water on the leather. Finished leather will have a smooth or pebbled finish. You need to determine if it is “naked” or finished.
Once the ink has penetrated the surface and had time to dry, cure, and even get “baked” by the sun into the car’s upholstery, the more difficult the challenge will be. Go through the steps below until you hit on the one that works for your specific ink-on-leather challenge.įor sure, your chances for success will be greater the fresher that ink stain is. You may have to make multiple attempts until you find one that works for your particular leather and situation. Is the leather finished or unfinished? Is the ink stain fresh or has it been there for a long time? What kind of ink is it-ballpoint, Sharpie®, gel?īecause of the variables, there are a number of remedies, all of which do work to remove ink stains from leather in certain situations. Leather can be tricky because there are so many variables. Not a pretty sight, especially considering I have no kids to blame it on! Apparently it had slipped out of my pocket and wrote on the leather seats-blue ink on tan leather. Later, I realized the pen was not there, only locate it in the seat of my car. While working, I placed an ink pen in the back pocket of my jeans. Here’s what happened to Dana, who recently wrote: Or perhaps it’s the car you’ve had for a long time-the one with leather upholstery that still looks fantastic because you’ve babied and protected it against spills and stains. Somehow, through the course of life, that beautiful leather gets hit with an ink stain. A new leather sofa or handbag-so beautiful.