Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH. Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids, which is based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With five years of experience, her business specializes in cleaning homes and small offices. She holds a Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health. Additionally, Mulberry Maids has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
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Your best bet to remove dye from leather is saddle soap. There are also a number of specialty leather cleaning products that might be of use in removing dye from leather. Follow manufacturer instructions before use, and test the products on an inconspicuous area of the leather before you apply them to broad areas of the leather. If you want to remove dye from leather in preparation for re-dying it, spray it with lacquer thinner, then scrub it with steel wool.
Steps
Work the soap into a lather. Rub a damp rag over the bar of saddle soap. Move the rag in a circular motion. Check the damp rag intermittently, looking for a sudsy layer on the rag.[1]
Apply the lather to the stained leather. Rub the rag across the dye you wish to remove from the leather. You should begin to see a reduction in the intensity of the dye staining the leather.[2]Advertisement
Wipe the leather off. After applying the saddle soap lather to the leather, rinse the rag in clean water. Wring it out so that it is damp rather than soaked through. Gently wipe away any soap residue that remains on the leather.[3]
Condition your leather. After using saddle soap, you’ll need to use conditioner to add moisture to the leather. Dab a bit of the conditioner on a soft cloth. Rub the conditioner into the leather using a firm circular motion.
Select the right product. The right product for you will depend on your needs. For instance, some dye-removal and leather cleaning products are intended for light-colored leather. Other products are meant only for suede, while others are meant only for automobile leather.- Dye removal products are designed to remove dye and ink stains from leather. They might be able to clean dye stains caused by blue jeans dye, newspaper print, fresh ballpoint ink, paint, shoe polish, and permanent marker from leather. [6]
Follow the manufacturer directions. Leather is a sensitive material. In order to avoid damaging your leather, read manufacturer directions carefully before utilizing any cleaning product on your leather. Do not use your leather cleaning product in a way that is not recommended.- All products intended to remove dye from leather are a bit different. It is therefore impossible to give specific directions regarding use. Generally, though, you’ll need to apply a bit of the cleaning product to a rag, then wipe the dye away using the rag.[7]
- Some products might direct you to scrub the leather with steel wool, a horsehair brush, or sandpaper after applying the dye-removal product.
Test the product. Before you commit to a particular dye removal product, test it on your leather object in an out-of-sight spot. For instance, if you’re cleaning a leather jacket, don’t wipe the product across the arms and back of the jacket. If the cleaning product has an adverse reaction with your leather jacket, you will ruin the whole jacket.- Instead, test the cleaning product on a small portion of the jacket that will not be regularly seen. For example, you might wipe the product on a small area on the inside of the jacket and observe its effect.
Clean the leather. Use a vacuum to remove crumbs and debris between the cracks of the seats. Then, wipe the seats down using warm, soapy water. Dry them with a towel or handcloth.
Spray the leather with lacquer thinner. Fill a spray bottle with lacquer thinner. Spray the leather with a light coat of lacquer thinner.- Instead of lacquer thinner, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, peroxide, or ethanol might work, too.
Rub it with steel wool. Scrub the area you just sprayed using steel wool. Switch back and forth between spraying the leather with lacquer thinner and wiping the dye away using steel wool.
Wipe the leather down. After removing the dye, you’ll need to remove the residue left by the lacquer thinner and the debris caused by the flaking dye. Wipe the leather down with a damp, warm cloth or towel. Leave the car doors and/or windows open to allow the lacquer thinner scent to dissipate.
Expert Q&A
- QuestionI have a pair of black leather gloves that turn my hands black. How can I remove the black dye from the gloves?
Michelle Driscoll, MPHMichelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids, which is based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With five years of experience, her business specializes in cleaning homes and small offices. She holds a Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health. Additionally, Mulberry Maids has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Founder, Mulberry MaidsYou can follow the directions above, starting with using a store bought leather dye removal product. Follow the directions for use. - QuestionHow do you remove all the dye off of saddlebags to make old and new look alike?Michelle Driscoll, MPHMichelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids, which is based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With five years of experience, her business specializes in cleaning homes and small offices. She holds a Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health. Additionally, Mulberry Maids has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Founder, Mulberry MaidsFollow the directions above under “Stripping Dye” for information on stripping dye off a leather product. Once the dye is removed, you will probably want to recondition your leather to protect and moisturize it
Tips
- The best time to remove a dye stain from leather is when the stain is new.Thanks
- If you doubt your ability to remove dye from leather, consult a professional cleaner for assistance.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.racked.com/2017/3/3/14715362/indigo-dye-remove
- ↑ https://www.racked.com/2017/3/3/14715362/indigo-dye-remove
- ↑ https://www.racked.com/2017/3/3/14715362/indigo-dye-remove
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVKb-kcxpLI
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVKb-kcxpLI
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnB5MW1cKUI
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnB5MW1cKUI
About This Article
If you’ve gotten dye on your leather, you can remove it with a few different cleaners. One easy way is to use a bar of saddle soap. You’ll need to rub a damp rag onto the bar until suds appear, then rub the rag onto the stain. Once you’ve applied the saddle soap, rinse your rag and wipe the leather clean. Finally, rub a little hair conditioner onto the leather with a clean cloth to keep it supple. Another way to clean a dye stain from leather is by spraying it with lacquer thinner, isopropyl alcohol, or acetone and rubbing it with steel wool. This will help break down the stain. When the stain’s gone, wipe the leather with a clean cloth and leave a window open to get rid of the chemical fumes. For more tips from our Cleaning co-author, including how to choose a commercial dye remover for leather, read on!
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