My 18 month old has just used a blue ball point pen to draw all over my cream leather sofa! "again" my first attempts at moving them was with suggested methods which just faded the leather and pen marks. This morning I've noticed he'd done it again this time big round marks!
In a panic I just picked up my new buy from the betterware called the "pink stuff"(cleaning product) put a bit on a damp cloth,with the first wipe it was gone,i gave it a go on the previous marks and too they have disappeared, no scrubbing was needed and no damage to the leather-give it a go! literally one wipe and it was gone.
ps: I did however try it on my chairs which are faux leather. It only faded the pen marks so best works on real leather.
If the ink is on a pigmented leather then the first thing you should try is an ink stick (find one that is a professional product used in the industry - LTT do one). The fresher the ink the more chance you have of removing it.
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.
Using hairspray/WD40 and all these other solvent cleaners is very risky as it can make the matter far worse as it can spread the ink over a bigger area and can sometimes then be impossible to fix. Using alcohol can also be a little risky depending on how stable the finish is. If the finish is unstable this would remove pigment form the leather. Nail varnish remover or any other solvents will also remove the finish and pigment which will need replacing.
DO NOT USE Baby wipes as they are about the worst thing you can use on a leather as they break down the finish and will eventually ruin it.
Please do not try milk or toothpaste these are silly ideas that will leave sticky residues on the surface which will help to break down the finish on your leather. Magic erasers usually remove finish and pigment along with the ink.
Old ink will be harder to remove than new ink and may mean resorting to solvents which will also remove the finish. This is probably best left to the experts.
Silicones/furniture polish are the worst thing to use on leather as they will form a coating on the surface of the leather which will not allow any moisture to get to the leather and will eventually break all the finish down and make it crack.
Leather does not need conditioning it needs cleaning and protecting on a regular basis with water based products this will keep it rehydrated and supple. Oils will make things much worse.
Leather should be cleaned gently not scrubbed so 'elbow grease' will only do damage to the finish.
Hide food will not remove ink and will leave residues on the leather which will attract dirt and oils.
Using a good quality leather protector (one that works) will help make this problem easier should it happen again, it also does your leather good by protecting it against oils and dirt which ultimately make the pigment crack and the leather deteriorate.
Good Luck
http://www.LTTsolutions.net Leather care consultnts to the furniture and cleaning industries and leather repair specialists Professional knowledge
RE: Iodine and Ball Point Pen Stains on Cream Leather Sofa
By Claudia-MD (Guest Post)
Not sure about iodine, but I just used alcohol to get pen stains out of something. Whatever you use, be sure to test it first on an area of the couch that won't show. Any substance that will remove ink/iodine may also destroy the finish on the leather. Good luck!
RE: Iodine and Ball Point Pen Stains on Cream Leather Sofa
By Julie (Guest Post)
Hairspray always takes out pall point pen. Since the couch is leather, this should be a safe way to try and get it out (you may want to spray a little on a part of the sofa that doesn't show to make sure!) As for the iodine, hopefully the hairspray will also take it out. Good luck. BTW, the type of hairspray doesn't matter.
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