Biro On Cream Leather Handbag Please Help???

sarah1

Hi i wonder if anyone can help me,
i had a seriously expensive cream handbag for christmas and have managed to get about 1 inch of blue biro on the front. :mad:
Any ideas are more than welcome.
Thanks in advance!

Sarahsaver

leave a blob of vaseline on the offending stain overnight then wipe off;)

firrybabe

saw this on Kim and Aggie, they sprayed on some hair spray and the stain wiped off

SCIMAGICAL

Ballpen ink is soluble in alcohols.
Meths works but isopropanol is better
(isopropanol is the main part of the ubiquitous and overused hand wash in hospitals. What a wonderful contract to have! )
use a dry tissue under fabric to absorb dissolved ink or to wipe leather.

n.b. Do not use alcohol on varnished or french polish surfaces.

apply solvent several times to the ball-pen ink stain by dabbing with second tissue wetted with alcohol to push it through the fabric or loosen the stain on leather.
Follow up with washing up detergent and wash off rinsing lightly but well with water
pat dry and ----wear again!

Learning chemistry ans physics at school is a useful tool for life and can save you pounds !
So take care and try it! ¬

"scimagical"

McKneff

Ive often heard that good old milk will get rid of biro stains.

pigpen

hair spray and if that doesn't work rub with blutak.. if that doesn't work.. wd40

judyb

Please be extremely careful what you use - handbags can be made from all different kinds if leather and it is absolutely crucial to understand what type you ave before making any attempt to remove the ink.

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.

These general rules apply:

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

If you need professional advice contact someone at The Handbag Spa who will be able to help

shegirl

SCIMAGICAL wrote: »

Ballpen ink is soluble in alcohols.
Meths works but isopropanol is better
(isopropanol is the main part of the ubiquitous and overused hand wash in hospitals. What a wonderful contract to have! )
use a dry tissue under fabric to absorb dissolved ink or to wipe leather.

n.b. Do not use alcohol on varnished or french polish surfaces.

apply solvent several times to the ball-pen ink stain by dabbing with second tissue wetted with alcohol to push it through the fabric or loosen the stain on leather.
Follow up with washing up detergent and wash off rinsing lightly but well with water
pat dry and ----wear again!

Learning chemistry ans physics at school is a useful tool for life and can save you pounds !
So take care and try it! ¬

"scimagical"

White vinegar works too,mixed 50/50 with warm water it got the black ink stains out of my cream carpet just by dabbing and lightly sweeping over it.

Not sure if that's suitable for leather though

[Deleted User]

any idea what takes tar of a brown leather Radley bag

pigpen

JackieO wrote: »

any idea what takes tar of a brown leather Radley bag

I'd try swarfega then ye olde WD40 ..

Actually... OH tipped some on his white trainers and it peeled off after a couple of days without a trace.

Valli

JackieO wrote: »

any idea what takes tar of a brown leather Radley bag

what kind of tar?

If it is road tar, with bitumen in Pigpens suggestion might work (WD40) but try it on an inconspicious area first.

To get tar (and bituminous tar off skin in the lab/on the refinery) we used oil - a tiny blob of vegetable oil on a cotton wool pad might work, but again, test first.