Leather Stain Removal
* For leather that has been treated with aniline, as well as for pigmented leather, a colorfastness test should be done. To do this, you must apply some leather cleaner to the leather and then hold a clean, lint-free cloth against it. The cloth should be white in color so that it is easy to see if the color runs from the leather and soils the cloth.
If the color does not run, take a sponge, and apply leather cleaner to the leather. Make the stained region foam by making gentle circular motions for all applications and apply leather cleaner in light coats. Do not rub! Let the foam remain on the leather for 3 to 5 minutes, and then blot with clean, lint-free cloth and reapply if area is heavily soiled.
* Fresh stains from things such as blood and food can be cleaned up quickly with a damp cloth. While fresh stains can be treated and cleaned at home, ground-in stains should be attended to by a professional cleaner who deals in leather.
* Grease stains can be removed to some extent by blotting the stain with a cloth. Sometimes, white vinegar is also helpful in removing grease stains from leather.
Stains from oil or grease can also be lifted by grinding ordinary blackboard chalk, sprinkling the area, and leaving the powder on for a twenty-four hour period. Resist the urge to rub the powder in. After a sufficient time has passed, simply use a leather care brush to remove the powder.
* Ink stains can be removed, if fresh, by non-greasy liquid hair sprays. Otherwise, most ink-removing cleaning products can get rid of ink stains even from leather. In both cases, wipe the leather with a clean dry cloth afterwards.
Precautions in Leather Stain Removal
While cleaning a leather product for leather stain removal, it is almost inevitable that the appearance of the leather will change. There are a number of reasons for this. One is that different kinds of skins are used. Also, colorfastness differs from leather to leather. Third, the cleaning process itself leads to a loss of oils from the leather. There are many more reasons, most of which are related to the kind of leather used.
In some cases, leather can be extremely dry and the leather cleaner will dissipate quickly. During these times, it’s advisable to add 25% distilled water to the leather cleaner; this gives the dampening effect you need to release the soil for cleaning. Leather will dry naturally, but to speed up drying time, a hair dryer held at a 300 degree angle can be used.
Before using any product, apply it on an unnoticeable part of the leather to see to it that it does not result in any adverse changes in the leather. If it does not react well with the leather, take it to a professional for leather stain removal. Keep note that, in general, it is not advisable to use regular cleaning agents for leather stain removal.
Leather stain FAQ
* How can you clean nu-buck and suede leathers?
The problem with cleaning nu-buck and suede arises from the brushed nature of the leather and the lack of protection from soiling. The leather cleaner must be worked into the nap of the leather. After cleaning, use a hair drier to assist in drying and a soft bristle brush or nu-buck cloth to raise the nap.
If the leather is not very dirty, use the nu-buck cleaning cloth only. Use gentle motions when using a nu-buck cloth because it acts like an abrasive pad that raises the nap and scrapes off the soil from the nap. The abrasion from the cloth will help break up heavily soiled areas for the leather cleaner to react. leather gifts