What Removes Pen Ink From Leather?

Remove the stains from your leather jacket.

Typically, leather furniture and clothing resist stains from ballpoint and felt pens. However, if stains penetrate your leather item, you can use a wide variety of techniques to try to remove the strain. Some stains, such as those from permanent marker, do not respond to stain removal techniques and must be attacked in another way.

Soapy Towel

Because leather resists water, stains and dirt, you can often remove stains with a soapy towel. Dip a towel in warm water and apply a drop of soap. Rub the towel together to turn the soap to bubbles and rub it against the pen stain. This often removes felt pen stains, marker stains or other stains left by soft pen tips.

Common Household Items

Rubbing alcohol, shampoo, hand sanitizer, shaving cream and nail polish remover dipped on a towel or cotton ball can remove leather stains. Rub the cotton ball or towel against the stain of the leather. Perform a sport test if you elect to use rubbing alcohol to remove stains from leather. This method sometimes removes the color from dyed leather. You can also spray the leather with hair spray or rub a magic eraser against the leather to remove the stain.

Leather Cleaner

Many leather cleaners effectively remove pen stains from both felt and ballpoint pens. Rub the stain with a damp towel and dry it with another towel. Dip a cotton ball or towel in leather cleaner and rub it against the stain. Always read the instructions on the back of the leather cleaner to determine any additional instructions.

Stain Removal Precautions

Any stain removing technique that is not designed for leather can stain leather, strip color or damage your leather item. Always perform a spot test in an unnoticeable area of your garment or furniture before trying to remove the stain. If your leather good is made of suede or has a stain from a permanent marker, take the item to the dry cleaner. You may need to re-dye items stained with permanent marker in order to lighten the appearance of the stain. Other possibilities for removing stains include cutting out the stained fabric and sewing in a new patch.

References

• Mr. Clean USA: How to Remove Ink Stains
• Leather Solutions: Leather Stain Removal Tips
• Home Furnish: How to Remove Stains From a Leather Sofa