Nooooo! Removing pen marks from super-soft leather *sob*
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Thu Apr 21, 2005 5:04 am

Please help me out here ladies/gents.... I bought a handbag a week ago and it's a lovely dusty-rose colored one, made of *super* soft leather. I'm happily using this bag for a few days and still marveling at how soft it is and how much I like it..... Today, I left it sitting on one of the armchairs in my office and one of my colleagues came in and sat down in the chair (the bag was behind him). Ok, it turns out that this guy had a blue pen (normal ball-point) in his back pocket (*WHO* does that!!!??? Grrr!) and didn't realise that he was a tad close to the bag.... Long story short (if it's not too late for that) I have *three* long pen marks on my lovely/new/expensive/super-soft leather bag *sob*

I am not really wanting to experiment with what will and won't get it off without damaging the leather or fading the color. Does anybody have any tried&tested solutions for removal of ink from this type of leather? In the meantime I've announced to all that I work with that they have to check their pens in at the entrance to my office Bad Grin

Bit too late for that though....

free skin care · Thu Apr 21, 2005 7:08 am

Mabsy,

I searched ehow.com for you, and pull out the extract below but it's for sofa, you might be able to give it a shot...otherwise, search ehow again. I've got pen marks on my biege handbag too but didn't bother with it yet, might try the following. Good luck.

KK

Traditional wisdom recommends treating ink stains with milk or tomato. Cover the stain with a little milk or rub it with the cut side of a half a tomato. Take more care with the tomato remedy, as tomatoes contain some acidity. Rinse either treatment well.

Warnings:
Avoid any kind of cleaner or detergent, unless it's specified for the particular sofa or particular leather, as it could harm the leather.

Tips from eHow Users:
Works for me! by Mary M.
Use hairspray in a bottle, and not from an aerosol can. Spray a couple of sprays and wipe away the ink! It works great.

Rate this tip:
Rubbing alcohol works well to remove pen marks by Daniela P.
I used rubbing alcohol with a q-tip to remove a really big mark on my cream colored sofa. You may want to test this with a colored couch. Just dip the q-tip in alcohol and rub gently and use a rag to wipe it off. Keep repeating and it'll be gone!

Pen ink on white leather by Tracey
Apply aerosol hairspray to ballpoint pen ink and then rub; this will remove the ink from leather. It worked for me -- it saved a new white leather chair for us!

Getting dye out of a leather couch
Black dye was transferred onto my beige leather couch. Thought I would need a professional to come out, but a carpet specialist told me to try using Windex with a soft scrub brush, rinse well & then follow with a leather conditioner. Saved me big bucks.

Removing mildew from leather by Keith G.
Take one cup rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol and add one cup of water. Sponge on leather and let dry in a current of air.
Or spray on with spray mister and also let dry in stream of air.

free skin care · Thu Apr 21, 2005 7:18 am

I'd try the hairspray one as they used that one on how clean is your house.

I would also firmly suggest that said bloke gets you another handbag if it doesn't work. In fact, I'm amazed he hasn't already offered!

Liz Cool

free skin care · Thu Apr 21, 2005 7:28 am

I'd just take it to a shoemaker and have them do it...

free skin care · Thu Apr 21, 2005 10:22 am

I am with Guapa, the guy owes you a new bag

free skin care · Thu Apr 21, 2005 10:37 am

Mabsy,I can tell you that nothing help.You can try,but from my experience, and I worked a lot with leather,nothing will make it like new.Maybe, he can buy you a new one? Sad

free skin care · Fri Apr 22, 2005 5:04 am

Oh no, poor Mabsy! Crying or Very sad

If you can’t get the dude to buy or reimburse you for the bag, then I suggest using one of the tricks that Kk1668 posted – but do a spot test first, somewhere on the bag where it wouldn’t be noticeable (maybe inside the flap?), to make sure that the hairspray/tomato juice/whatever, doesn’t affect the leather and/or make the problem even worse.

Good luck!

Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:12 pm

Thanks guys! I don't want to make the guy buy me a new bag - partly because I don't want anyone at work to know how much I spend on bags Laughing

Seriously though, he did offer but I declined. If I have to get it professionally cleaned then I know who I'll send the bill to though! Smile

I have just built-up enough courage to use the rubbing alcohol method. Lucky I tested it in another place because it's making the pink fade. No good! I'll try the milk next I think.... Crying or Very sad

free skin care · Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:48 pm

Ugh. Poor you Mabsy!! Your story made me *wince* - You might want to check out Stainsafe - they claim ink removal treatments for three categories of leather - not sure whether any would meet your needs but you could take a look -www.stainsafe.com (under leather)
I hope you find a remedy!
Pudoodles

Fri Apr 22, 2005 5:47 pm

Thanks for the link Pudoodles! I'm looking at the site right now but I have trouble figuring out what type of leather this is.... I think I might just take it in to a specialist *sigh*

free skin care · Fri Apr 22, 2005 6:34 pm

I agree with lianne, I'd take it to a shoemaker or a leather worker and have the bag professionally repaired. It's the safest thing to do in my opinion, and these guys have a lot of experience.

free skin care · Fri Apr 22, 2005 11:39 pm

Mabsy,
Is that reverse snobbishness hiding the real cost from workmates instead of flaunting the labels.
Only joking.
I hope you can get your bag restored to pristine condition.

Sat Apr 23, 2005 2:42 am

Lori -

A bit of that maybe. Then there's always the risk that my boss decides that given how much I spend on handbags (combined with my Camper shoes collection, which he already knows about) I must be doing quite well and don't need a raise....

Ok, I have actually tried more things on the bag and have also taken it to a "leather place". I've tried alcohol, milk, hot soapy water, hairspray (both cheap and expensive Laughing

), WD-40 (yes, you read right!), a leather cleaner that was recommended by the "leather place", and a spray on leather shoe cleaner (that I know from experience is very good).

When I took it to the leather place (before I tried most of the things I listed above) they actually tried to clean it off for me with their "best" chemicals that "always" work, but they couldn't budge it.

I guess I now have an extra storage bag for cosmetics or makeup that I need to fill Laughing

Either that, or find out how much proper re-conditioning is. To cheer myself up, on the way from the leather place I ended up buying a suit, another pair of pants, and a pair of jeans - things that of course I should not have bought but I do feel much better now! Embarassed

free skin care · Sat Apr 23, 2005 5:42 am

I def think that guy owes you a new bag! Mad

Hope the retail therapy helped...

free skin care · Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:43 am

Mabsy

about the pay rise.
Could you customise the bag, say put studs in along the pen mark lines or pretty pin on badges/brooches. Then you would have a bag unique to you. Just a thought, my friend had a bag covered in badges and it looked really nice.

free skin care · Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:54 am

Mabsy,
I knew Exclamation

What color the bag was?And, come on, tell us how much it was Rolling Eyes

I put a mark (pen mark)on my cognac leather jacket, which I loved, and it was not very cheep(200US),and I ended up trwing in the garbage Crying or Very sad

Sat Apr 23, 2005 6:20 pm

The bag is pink but a slightly darker sort of pink. Mind you it's looking a bit faded now around the pen marks - my bad! All the remedies seem to get the dye out of the leather but not the ink out of the leather Brick wall

The bag wasn't terribly expensive, it was just over Au$200 so maybe around US$170 or something?

I'm just now investigating the Purchase Insurance option on my credit card to see what it covers.... Embarassed

If that doesn't cover it then I'm going to go with Lori's suggestion and "personalise" the bag somehow Smile

Sun May 01, 2005 3:43 am

The bag is almost back to normal! I tried so many different things but all they did was take the pink out of the leather and leave the pen behind. I took it to Mr Minit, one of those "while you wait" shoe repair places, and the guy there was *so* nice! He spent about half an hour mixing various leather paints to try to get the same shade (which in the end he couldn't do). He gave up but once he found out that I have some pink leather restorer polish (which, by itself, did not do much when I tried it) he said something along the lines of "oh well, let's try the paint stripper - if we wreck the bag then I'll replace it for you". Long story short, he went happy with the paint stripper which took the pink out of the leather but also took most of the pen with it. The bag looked horrid but I then used some of the pink leather restorer polish and it's almost back to normal! Dancing

ps. And the guy was *really* lovely. He didn't want to charge me anything because he said that he didn't actually get the bag back to normal. I had to insist that he charge me and even then he charged me a ridiculously small amount....

free skin care · Sun May 01, 2005 4:16 am

I am glad for you Mabsy.
Isn't it nice to find people that want to help and don't want to be richly rewarded for it. Smile

free skin care · Sun May 01, 2005 10:43 am

That is a wonderful story Mabsy. There are people out there that really do want to help!!! What a nice man. Very Happy

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