Mar
21
2014

How To Get Stains Out Of Leather

I was recently out for dinner with the family, and our poor waiter accidentally dropped the tray of drinks behind two of us—we were soaked from shoulders down. Thankfully, we were drinking white wine and wearing black clothes, so the outcome wasn’t too bad, but I noticed the next day that my gray leather purse had stains all down one side. After doing some research, I discovered a few helpful hints to get marks out of leather without ruining it, and, thankfully, managed to clean my bag.

Fill up your sink with hot water and some mild dish soap, and use a clean white cloth to gently soak the leather, making sure that you clean the entire side or affected area. Repeat a few times, while still damp, and hang to dry. For most liquids, this should work.

For ink marks, spray a little hairspray on a cotton swab and very gently rub the mark, cleaning with water afterwards.

One of the best ways to get denim marks out of leather is with a Magic Eraser cleaning sponge. Dampen the sponge slightly and, again, using a gentle rubbing motion, you can wipe the blues away. This last tip also works really well on leather car interiors, too, magically erasing boot marks and blue jean stains.

In all cases, be sure to test your methods in a less-conspicuous area to make sure that it’s safe. And try to get the more experienced waiter to bring your cocktails. 

Robin has over 20 years of retail and marketing industry experience. She loves to share her shopping expertise and inside information on where and how to get the most for your money and time.