Biro ink on a leather sofa

hugo45

Hi,

Whilst exceedingly drunk and somewhat ill quipped to be holding a writing instrument I inadvertently made a two inch mark on the leather sofa.:beer: Obviously I have blamed the dog and infant child for the daubing, but I wish to act like a hero and pronounce that I have a solution. Of course i don't.

Thus my question is a fairly straightforward one. Can biro ink, (blue if that maters) be safely removed?

Thanks for your responses in advance. :money:

normandleigh

little bit of wd40 worked for me after my little one put biro on mine x

augustsmummy

Hairspray is ment to be good for removing biro. hth

themull1

Test anything on a hidden bit of leather first.....

lexuslass

oh dear!!

Baby wipes actually work really well on getting stuff off leather sofas... gentle enough to be able to scrub with your nails underneath without damage! I have managed to remove wax crayon from my sofa by doing this (takes a lot of patience tho!)

I guess it depends on how prominent the position is of the biro...and whether yours is a dark or a light leather... I would be wary of trying anything like WD40 or hairspray on it if it is on a part of the sofa that is noticeable - maybe try somewhere at the back first to make sure it doesn't bleach it or something!!

You can get specialist stain removers for biro in supermarkets... but I would check they are safe to use on leather before buying!

System

augustsmummy wrote: »

Hairspray is ment to be good for removing biro. hth

just be careful it may bring off the colour

lolly_896

Dont use hairspray, i got pen on the sofa as a kid trying to do homework in front of the tele. So my mum wouldnt find out i googled it and came up with hairspray well it had some sort of protective coating which it removed then bleached the leather but left the biro there! My Mum ended up buying a new sofa! oppps!

Dippypud

Go with the baby wipes,
but as recommended try it first somewhere unseen.

C.C.L.

You can get ink remover for leather furniture here.....
http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk

Debs0778

Try olive oil and a soft cloth - it removed white gloss paint from my black leather sofa

judyb

Hello

Sorry to hear about your biro problem. Please do not use hairspray or baby wipes on your leather as both of these are likely to cause more damage to the finish on the leather.

For general ink removal guidlines:
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.
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.
Magic Erasers - these only remove the ink by removing the finish on the leather which will then be expensive to fix.

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 furniture and cleaning industry