Hi Guy's,
Do any members have any tips on how to remove blue ball point pen mark's of ivory leather seats ? All help would be gratefully recived.

thanks
Steve

 

Stephen, I moved your post over here where you'll get a more professional response from the car care experts.

Me personally, I have heard that hair spray will aid in removal of ink, even on leather.

 

Hmm didn't know about hairspray (not much hair left).

WD40 (but try it on an area that doesn't show first).

Maybe Dave has a trick or two?

 

Here are some helpful hints and tips that I recommend and follow when treating ink marks or pen stains on leather interiors.....

1) First determine what kind of leather that you have in your vehicle. Finished leather will call for a different cleaning method than suede. Most leathers have a clear coating on the surface to protect the color, so it is important to be the least aggressive possible.

2) Use a professional leather cleaner that is specifically meant for car interiors. If you are unsure what kind to get, Meguiar's, Lexol or Hide Food are great products. Meguiar's APC+ has worked great also for certain inks that lift easily, so you may want to have some of this around as well.

3) If the professional leather cleaner is ineffective, saturate a Q-tip with undiluted isopropyl alcohol. Before treating the spot, test for colorfastness on a hidden portion of the seat. Use the alcohol-saturated Q-tip only on the ink spot, as alcohol is a very drying liquid and you want to minimize any further damage to the leather. Continue to treat the spot until the ink is gone.

4) If the above step did not work, use aerosol hairspray (Aquanet is recommended) try to remove an ink stain. Test for colorfastness in a inconspicuous spot before treating. Spray the hairspray directly on a Q-tip and blot ink stain, immediately wipe up any drips that result. Allow the hairspray to sit for 1 minute before blotting the ink gently with a white cloth. Do not rub, to avoid spreading the ink. Continue to spray and blot until the ink is gone and then condition and protect.

5) Once the ink has been removed from your leather, use a leather conditioner, brands mentioned above work great... to help keep your leather supple, soft and protected after the drying treatments.

6) If all of this fails, consult a leather expert if the above suggestions are unsuccessful. If all else fails, some leather can be painted over, but that is definitely a job for a professional that specializes in this trade.

 

Aquanet, yah..thats what my sister had on hand many years ago when I tried this for the first time. Ahhh, the 80's... (drifts off to reminisce)

 

Hi Guy's,
Spent the last few day's trying various leather cleaners to no avail. Tried Wd40. with no success either. When hairspray was mentioned. I thought it was April fools day. But to my delight. It actualy worked. It was a slow process that had to be repeated about 30 times ( maybe something to do with the fact that I could not get any aquanet) so had to use normal hairspray.

Thanks everyone

Steve

 

score! nice job steve, now, keep your pen in your briefcase

 

Ha Ha Matt.
To stop this happening again. I will have to keep my kids in the boot ( trunk ).

Thanks again

Steve