How to Take the Dye Out of Leather

White leather is dyed as well as darker colors of leather.

Almost all colors of leather are dyed. The natural look of leather is a dull brown color that is unattractive to many people. Dying leather makes it suitable for many uses and decorating styles. Most leather gets dyed a dark brown, black or white color. If you are unhappy with the color of leather that you own, or wish to re-dye the leather, you must first remove as much of the original dye as possible so that the leather will accept the new color.

Things You'll Need

• Rubbing alcohol
• Soft cloths
• Lacquer thinner
• Bleach
• Container
• Leather conditioner
• Leather dye (optional)

Instructions

1. Clean the surface of the leather with rubbing alcohol. This should remove any dirt, wax and other coatings from the surface of the leather. Continue to wash the surface with rubbing alcohol until the cloth comes away clean.

2. Pour some lacquer thinner onto a soft cloth and rub it into the surface of the dye. This lacquer thinner will remove much of the dye from the surface of the leather. Continue to rub the surface with the lacquer thinner until the cloth starts to come away clean. You will probably never be able to get the cloth completely clean, but it should be a significant amount less than when you started cleaning.

3. Mix 5 parts water and 1 part bleach in a small container. Wet the leather with this solution and allow it to soak in for about 30 minutes. Rinse the leather with clean water to remove any bleach residue.

4. Condition the leather with leather conditioner. Rub the conditioner into the leather with a soft cloth. Allow the conditioner to soak into the leather overnight. Repeat the conditioning process until the leather remains wet after soaking overnight. Wipe away excess conditioner with a soft cloth.

Tips & Warnings

• If desired, dye the leather another color after conditioning. Dyeing with a darker color usually works better than trying to dye with a lighter color. If you have removed all of the original dye from the leather you should be able to dye it a lighter color.

References

• "The Art and Craft of Leather: Leatherworking Tools and Techniques Explained in Detail;" Maria Teresa Llado i Riba; 2008
• Fiebing.com: Using Leather Dye