How to Remove an Ink Stain From Leather Furniture

Remove ink stains from leather with care.

Stains on leather furniture is something we all want to avoid, but ink stains on leather furniture are especially stress-inducing. As a natural fiber, leather is porous and absorbs stains into the fibers. Disastrous-looking ink stains, whether small or large, can be successfully removed from your leather furniture but must be removed promptly and carefully. Supplies that are safe for use on leather help you remove the ink stain without damaging the leather.

Things You'll Need

• Petroleum jelly
• Cotton cloths
• Rubbing alcohol
• Leather cleaner and moisturizer

Instructions

1. Dab a pea-sized amount of petroleum jelly on the ink stain on the leather. Use a clean cloth to rub the petroleum jelly into the ink stain. Rub from the exterior of the stain in toward the middle in order to prevent the ink stain from spreading.

2. Wipe up the excess petroleum jelly with a dry cloth. Move to a clean portion of the cloth as you wipe up the petroleum jelly so ink lifted from the leather won't transfer back.

3. Pour rubbing alcohol onto a clean cloth. Wring out the cloth, if necessary, so the cloth is damp rather than wet. Blot any remaining ink stain to remove the ink and any leftover grease residue from the petroleum jelly.

4. Clean your leather furniture surface and restore moisture with a combination leather cleaner and moisturizer. Follow instructions on the product package.

Tips & Warnings

• Spray hairspray on the ink stain to remove the ink from leather.

• Scrubbing an ink stain to remove it will result in the ink stain spreading. Always clean and remove the stain carefully.

• Severely ink-stained leather furniture may have to be cleaned by someone who specializes in leather cleaning and repair.

References

• Mademan: How to Remove Ink Stains From Leather
• Creative Homemaking: Removing Ballpoint Ink Stains