How to remove Leather Ink Stains

If you accidentally mark your leather furniture with a ball point pen, don’t be tempted to immediately start scrubbing! 

It is important that you act quickly, but don’t start scrubbing frantically. For pigmented (protected) leathers – where the ink is still fresh - just apply your normal leather cleaner to a soft cloth and rub gently. Ink does have a tendency to disperse over time, so just continue with your normal care routine and eventually you will hardly even know it was there! If the ink is older it will be more difficult to remove as it will have penetrated further into the leather.

Don’t be tempted to use hairspray! This is a tip often seen in magazines and although the hairspray may remove the ink it will also destroy the protective coating on the leather. Ink remover products will also remove the protective finish from pigmented leathers so it is best to leave this kind of job to the professionals as they will be able to re-colour and re-finish the damaged area once the ink has been removed. It is extremely difficult to remove ink from aniline and nubuck leathers and wet cleaning products should be avoided as these will usually allow the stain to penetrate even further into the leather.

If the stain is still visable you can 'find your local' Furniture Medic business to request a FREE no obligation quotation!