How to Clean Newsprint From Leather
Stains happen for a variety of reasons, and it never seems to matter exactly what set of circumstances resulted in a stain on your leather furniture when you stare at an eyesore. What does matter is removing the stain as quickly as possible. When it comes to ink stains occurring from newspapers on your leather furniture, swift action nets the best result before the stain has time to set and absorb into the leather. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Cotton swabs
- Rubbing alcohol
- Acetone-free nail polish remover
- Blow dryer
- Cotton cloth
- Aerosol hairspray
- Leather cleaner
- Leather conditioner
Instructions
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1
Pour 3 tbsp. of rubbing alcohol into a bowl. Do not dilute the mixture with water. Dip a cotton swab into the bowl of rubbing alcohol and apply the alcohol to the stain in a circular motion, moving from the outside of the stain inward. Dab gently, and do not press too hard on the leather. Pressing on the stain will result in rubbing it in, and encourage the newsprint to absorb in the porous fibers of the leather. Once the stain dissipates, dry the area.
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2
Use a blow dryer on a low heat setting. Keep the blow dryer at least 12 inches away from the sofa and allow the heat to dry off the material. Applying direct heat close to the leather's surface will damage it. If remnants of the stain exist, a few extra steps are required to remove traces of the stain.
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3
Wet a soft, cotton cloth with acetone-free nail polish remover. Remove the cap from the nail polish remover bottle, and place the cloth over the opening. Turn the bottle upside down on top of the cloth until the cloth is saturated. Rub the cloth over the stain from the outside of the stain inward. The stain should disappear almost instantly.
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4
Dry the area using a blow dryer just as you did in Step 2. Once the area is dry and the stain cleared, it is time to treat and protect the leather surface. If traces of the stain are still present, another step is required in removal.
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5
Spray the affected area lightly with aerosol hairspray. This should help loosen the remnants of the stain from the fabric. Wipe the hairspray off with a soft cloth. Repeat this process until the stain disappears. There is no need to blow dry the area once you have completed this step.
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6
Use a combination leather cleaner and conditioner. You can find these at most home improvement stores. Urad or Leather Mate are good products for cleaning and conditioning leather furniture. Apply the product with a dry cloth and rub onto the area you cleaned. Allow the product to set and dry according to the manufacturer's directions.
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Tips & Warnings
Cleaning spills and stains quickly leads to the most successful result.
If stains cannot be removed with commercial cleaning agents, consult a leather-cleaning professional before resorting to replacing furniture.
Vacuum and dust leather furniture frequently to help keep it looking brand new.
Keeping leather furniture out of direct sunlight will keep it from fading.
Never use harsh abrasive cleaners or cleaning tools on leather.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
