How to get ballpoint pen mark off leather jacket?

November 29, 2006 12:39 PM

What is the best way to get a light ballpoint ink mark out of a leather jacket without discoloring or otherwise damaging the leather? It's a black pen mark on a brown jacket.
posted by zembla3 to home & garden (9 comments total)

I'm not sure of the exact treatment, but I've had good luck finding stuff like this in Hints from Heloise. Perhaps your local library / neighbor has a copy you could borrow?
posted by fvox13 at 1:34 PM on November 29, 2006

Methanol (not isopropyl) dissolves ballpoint ink like magic. Try it first in a small, hidden area, or on a scrap piece of leather with a Q-tip.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 2:07 PM on November 29, 2006 [2 favorites]

Do keep in mind that, if you're not able to get the ink out yourself, your DIY efforts could make stain removal harder for a professional later on.

If I were you, I'd take it straight to a leather expert.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 3:03 PM on November 29, 2006

Seconding the leather expert recommendation. The risk/benefit ratio is just too high.
posted by joshuaconner at 3:10 PM on November 29, 2006

Amodex is the ink stain remover that hardcore pen geeks seem to favor. The site claims it works on leather. It's cheap enough stuff, so it might be worth trying before spending big on a professional cleaner.
posted by RogerB at 4:26 PM on November 29, 2006

Hairspray is the traditional way of removing ball point ink from fabric. (It's the only reason I even own a bottle of the stuff.) If you were going to try that, though, you'd want to test it on an inconspicuous place on the jacket first.
posted by belladonna at 4:34 PM on November 29, 2006

Methanol and acetone will both dissolve pen ink. Would either one work on leather?
posted by rxrfrx at 4:40 PM on November 29, 2006

Hairspray is the traditional way of removing ball point ink from fabric. (It's the only reason I even own a bottle of the stuff.) If you were going to try that, though, you'd want to test it on an inconspicuous place on the jacket first.

I have to agree with Belladonna. :)
posted by pennee at 6:16 PM on November 29, 2006

heh. methanol and acetone would also serve to kill the leather. If you are going to go that route, i'd at least dilute it down significantly with water.

However, my mom's ancient asian wisdom has taught me the following. When she went to get a stain in her new leather chair fixed in the 70's, the guy looked at it, and said, yup, think we have that color. Turns out, whenever it's a small leather stain, (at least on furniture) most guys have a giant box of markers that they try to match, sometimes using multiple colors overlaid to get the right mix. Of course, I'd try it on a non-showing piece first.
posted by wuzandfuzz at 7:27 PM on November 29, 2006