Help!!! INK on beach white crunch leather!

[SpoilMeRotten]

How do I get it off?! I just got in to work and pretty absent mindedly threw my bag down on my desk next to a stack of papers that had an open ink pen on top of it! Now there's about an inch long line of blue ink on the bottom of one of the pockets on my new sexbomb!!!!! It's not THAT bad but I still want to cry!!! Anyone have any ideas on how to get it off?! All I have at my desk is nail polish remover and pledge multisurface wipes....

[knasarae]

Leather cleaner maybe? I've used Mr. Clean Magic Erasers on some of my bags, HOWEVER, only the vachetta parts of my LV. Not sure I would use it on a white bag. I also heard that nice white art erasers sometimes work? Whatever you try I would do it really gently on a tiny area first. So that if you are causing more damage you'll be able to tell quickly. Good luck!

[leatherpro]

There is so much misinformation on the internet particulalry about leather and its care and repair and ink removal seems to attract some very bad (even potentially damaging) sugestions.

Generally speaking most household products have not been tested on leather and should not be used as they can do damage.

For further advice:


Ink is not a straight forward cleaning problem. The ink has redyed the leather so needs careful removal.

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 this does not remove the ink then stronger products will need to be used and this is best left to a qualified technician as recolouring may be necessary.
If the ink is on an aniline style leather then the ink has redyed the leather and this would definitely need professional attention from a qualified technican.

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, perfume, etc. can also be 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 should not be used to clean leather in any circumstances (we have just tested these) and they will remove finish and pigment along with the ink. They act like a fine sandpaper and remove the finish.

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.
__________________
Leather care consultant
IICRC (LCT)

[Voodoo]

OH no!!!!!!! Hopefully someone will know what to do! I surely don't.....I hope you can get it off !!!

[coco girl]

I can tell you from first hand experience the hairspray won't work. I once used hairspray on a coach and ruined it.

I had read it takes out stains, but it didn't

[LizCordova]

I don't think you can take ink out of a white leather bag. I had a white leather Coach bag that got ink on it and I used Magic Eraser and Hairspray
and it made the matter worse. For this reason I will not purchase another white bag.

[tano expert]

Ive never been able to remove ink from any leather- white or any other color. Sorry!

[darcy-0702]

I feel so bad for you! I have that bag and don't even carry a pen inside for fear somehow ink will get on the leather. In the past I have never been able to remove ink stains myself. Try contacting the Lovin my bags website. I know others have sent their bags off to them to be cleaned but they may have a cleaner to purchase that may help.

[SpoilMeRotten]

eh okay so I did READ in one of your posts that nail varnish remover should NOT be used, BUT because I have no patience and that's all I have here I decided to give it a whirl .... i tested it in the corner of the bottom of the pocket and nothing bad happened, so.. I tried it on the ink... it faded it A LOT which is good but kinda took the shine off of that spot! Oh well, Im leaving for vacation today, when I get back I will look into some of those sensible suggestions to TRY to get the rest of the ink off, thank god its almost undert the big metal ring on the pocket so its really not too bad! Thanks for all the tips!

[knasarae]

I'm sorry I hope you are a able to find a solution! Yep, I only carry pens with tops inside my bag...inside a pencil case. I am terrified of light bags for this very reason. I had a MBMJ eggshell colored hobo that I loved. One day I noticed it had an ugly ink mark on it. I had no idea where it came and couldn't get it out. That was the last time I bought a light bag.

[kings_20]

If you condition the bag, the shine will return. Good luck, and I'm sorry to hear about the ink stain.

[kmh1190]

Thank you leather pro-that was very educational. Very interesting because I just read a thread on the RM subforum where the magic eraser and baby wipes were recommended cleaning items on RM bags.
Spoilmerotten-I too have never quite figured out the ink pen mark and how to get rid of it Thankfully it is at the bottom of the bag!

[TygerKitty]

Yikes! Sorry to hear about your pen issue... good luck getting it out! And yes, be very careful about what you use!

[knasarae]

The ladies in the LV forum swear by non-alcoholic baby wipes, and the magic eraser followed by a good leather conditioner.

[jchiara]

Originally Posted by knasarae

The ladies in the LV forum swear by non-alcoholic baby wipes, and the magic eraser followed by a good leather conditioner.

Much agreed - yes, you are right HOWEVER.....given the fact of the dye used on the Tano bags, my friend had gotten ink all over one of her apricot Tanos (don't remember the name, sorry) and it was a nightmare. I'm sorry - but seriously, we wetted and squeezed out but a little tiny bit of water and ever soooo softly try to Magic Erase that ink stain and BLAM! the whole corner of the Magic Eraser was soaked with apricot dye......
Needless to say, it wasn't a good day for her.

There is something called "Ink Nix" or something like that that will remove ink....

Ish - I hope it turns out well. Didn't mean to be Bummer Man - but just keep the dye situation in mind.....