Help! Biro on leather furniture...

mazza111

Hairspray is great for ink, but not on dark colours. A cloth dipped in milk should do the trick though

judyb

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. Using incorrect products can also set in the stain further and make it more difficult to remove.

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.

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

bluebag

Try all that gentle stuff FIRST and if sadly it is ruined anyway and won't come off with anything else try WD40 sprayed onto a cloth and use the smallest amount you can get away with. It will leave a greasy mark, so only as a very, very last resort.

judyb

If products will not completely remove the ink there is no need to ruin it - the area can be recoloured to match the rest of the leather. Never use WD40 as this may make repairing with colour impossible or very difficult.
Hope this helps
Judyb

K9sandFelines

WD40 work on biro marks

lindseykim13

We used to have the same issue, babywipes work. Eventually the biro wears off in the end if it's not shifting.

suki_na_tomodachi

I heard baby oil works on leather? but im not 100% or an expert or anything, just someone elses advice for a friend. Double check with someone else before using it in case i'm wrong, as i wouldnt want to make it worse for you.

Dippypud

Baby wipes or a cheap nappy cream work well, if used sparingly ...

judyb

Baby wipes and WD40 may work on ink but they also are very damaging to the finish on the leather so shoud not be used. More damage done to leather by baby wipes than anything else - big discussion on a carpet cleaning forum about it at the moment as these guys see it all up the time.
Always best to take expert advice when it comes to leather to avoid expensive mistakes
Hope this helps
Judyb

KettyNelson

What you can do is call some rug cleaning professionals and get your carpets cleaned up thoroughly. These professionals are the best at what they do....